Kirby Smart Sounds Off on NIL

NIL is affecting every athletic department in the country. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban is the co-chair of President Trump’s commission studying college sports, with the hope that the committee can find a solution to the growing problem of NIL in college athletics.

However, NIL continues to rage on, with the price for five-star freshmen going up, and players re-upping contracts every offseason to stay with their current team.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is the latest to warn the college football world about NIL. In a recent interview with Paul Finebaum, Smart sounded off on the current state of college athletics.

“I just want to be able to have freshmen come in and not make more than a senior,” Smart said, “and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive.”

Smart’s comments come on the heels of five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell choosing the Miami Hurricanes over Georgia. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Cantwell is expected to draw $2.5 million in his first season in Coral Gables.

Smart is cautious about President Trump finding an answer, even with his new committee.

“People have talked about Congress. That’s not easy. Not a lot gets done quickly there.”

Smart also issued a warning about Olympic sports on college campuses.

“You know, we’re probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

Olympic sports are not typically revenue-driving sports, with several losing money on operations. Football and men’s basketball can keep them afloat, but with the growing costs in the two sports, Olympic sports may begin to get cut for schools to remain competitive in the revenue sports.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men’s basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.