Former Florida Gator coach Urban Meyer never had to deal with the NIL Era and was able to leverage things like getting players to the NFL when recruiting players. Since stepping away from coaching for good, money has turned into the name of game in recruiting.

And while Florida’s NIL situation doesn’t quite match what some of the big boys are able to do, including Meyer’s last school at Ohio State, it’s still way better than what FSU might be trying to get away with.

Urban Meyer calls out FSU for their revenue-sharing situation

With revenue sharing now the way of the land, schools are having to figure out how to distribute the extra money to players. CBS Sports ran a story last week highlighting FSU’s plan, and there are some doozies in it.

According to CBS:

“One clause, which CBS Sports has seen a copy of, allows the team to extend a player at the end of their contract unilaterally without having to negotiate with the player. Another section on team rules — common in most NIL or rev share deals — includes a maximum $2,500 fine on the first offense if a player loses team equipment such as a pair of cleats. The max fine for using a controlled substance for the first time is $1,000.

There’s another clause about things that would constitute a breach of contract. Among them is “illness or injury which is serious enough to affect the value of rights granted to the school.” The way it’s written allows Florida State to renegotiate or even cancel a player’s contract at its discretion after any sort of injury — among other potential liquidated damages provisions included as part of the contract — including those that happen on the football field.”

Appearing on The Triple Option, Meyer made the point that if this is actually the path the Seminoles try to take, they will never be heard from again in college football:

“I’ll make this statement if this is legit, this goes through, which I’m so skeptical, then the days of Florida State are numbered. It won’t happen. It won’t happen. It can’t happen. No chance.”

The flaw in FSU’s plan is that no five or four-star prospect is going to want to wind up in Tallahassee, knowing they have no bargaining power if they were to outperform their initial deal.

Combined with zero protections if a player gets injured, word will leak very quickly to look elsewhere.

Terms of the settlement between Florida State, Clemson and the ACC show the conference’s year-by-year exit fees. The figures show the amount schools would have to pay if they want to leave, according to On3’s Brett McMurphy.

If a school were to leave the ACC in 2025-26, it would owe $165 million. That number drops to $147 million in 2026-27, $129 million in 2027-28 and $111 million in 2028-29. After it hits $93 million in 2029-30, schools would owe a $75 million exit fee from 2030-2036.

Florida State, Clemson and the ACC all approved the settlement in March after the two schools filed lawsuits regarding the conference’s grant of rights. FSU’s suit centered on the grant of rights, while Clemson sought to clarify language about whether the university controls its broadcast rights.

The exit fees line up with the proposal approved by the schools, which also included a new revenue distribution model based on a rolling average of TV ratings. The proposal also said schools would keep their media rights after paying the exit fees.

Under the new revenue model, a majority share – 60% – of the base media rights will be placed into a viewership pool to be distributed via a TV ratings-based model, the settlement terms said. It will take effect this year.

When it approved the settlement, Clemson projected the “opportunity” for more than $120 million in new revenue over the next six years in its board meeting. It includes the “viewership pool,” as well as enhanced ACC “success initiatives.”

Florida State trustee Drew Weatherford also said praised the way things “drastically changed” after he and others made it clear the school was willing to leave the ACC. He called the settlements a win for all sides.

“I’m proud of where we’ve where we’ve landed,” Weatherford said. “We made some commitments 14 months ago that we would do everything in our power to ensure that we could compete at the highest level. I think we’ve done that here. We also made it clear that we were willing to seek a new home if something drastically didn’t change.

“But the good news is that things have drastically changed since we had that conversation – for our benefit – and there’s been a lot of work done. … So I just want Seminole nation to know that the future is bright. I am extremely encouraged and I’m confident that we will remain one of the top athletic brands in the country for decades to come, and I wasn’t that confident 14 months ago. So I just commend the entire board, the entire organization, for getting to where we are today. Net and net, I think it’s a really great outcome for everybody involved.”

The Tennessee football team will be donning a new look during the 2025 season.

On Thursday, the Vols revealed that their crop of uniform combinations will include a Smokey Grey edition in honor of the United States Armed Forces. The university unveiled the new look in a series of photos and videos:

Tennessee originally launched the Smokey Grey series in 2022. According to a release, “The Volunteer Spirit” is the fourth edition in the series and the first to pay homage to the U.S. Armed Forces. The 2023 edition was “a tribute to legendary VFL Condredge Holloway, the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC program.” The uniforms the Vols wore in the 2024 opener were “an ode to the state and Tennessee’s status as the flagship university with the Tri-Star state emblem serving as the centerpiece.”

Tennessee will wear this year’s Smokey Grey uniforms on Nov. 15 in a home matchup against New Mexico State for the annual Salute to Service game, which honors U.S. service members, veterans and their families. The game, which is also the Vols’ Homecoming event, will be played four days after Veterans Day.

In 2024, Tennessee finished with a 10-3 record after earning a berth in the College Football Playoff. The Vols lost their first-round matchup 42-17 to Ohio State, which went on to win the national championship.

This year’s Tennessee squad will look a little different in its fifth year under head coach Josh Heupel. The highly publicized departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava put the Vols under the spotlight this offseason. UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar is expected to take the reins when Tennessee opens the 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 against Syracuse.

A lot of kids in the bluegrass who play basketball go on to dream of getting to play for Kentucky. When that moment came for Miami (OH) C Reece Potter in the NCAA Transfer Portal, though, he couldn’t believe it had happened for him.

Potter discussed his portal recruitment, and the eventual involvement in it from UK, while speaking to the media on Monday. He said he and his family initially didn’t think it was true when the Wildcats reached out, among other college programs, in the spring.

“It was kind of wild. So, you know, Coach Fueger messaged me and, when he reached out, I thought, like, I didn’t believe, like, Kentucky reached out to me,” Potter recalled. “I was like, this is kind of – I showed my dad. I was actually in Lexington. So, you know, I was like, dad, I think Kentucky just reached out to me? And he was like, nah, you’re lying, you know. You know, you have all the coaches that reach out to you once you hit the portal.”

However, if that wasn’t enough for the Potters, they must have realized how true it was when Mark Pope called in for him on a FaceTime. That’s when the unbelievable became believable for the in-state transfer.

“And then, I told them I was interested. And Coach Pope actually FaceTimed me. I was like, oh my. Like, Coach Pope is FaceTiming me. So, it was surreal,” said Potter. “I was very blessed to have that (happen).”

Potter, a Lexington native who played his high school basketball at Lexington Catholic less than 15 minutes off campus, would get mid-major interest in his recruitment, beginning his collegiate career by committing to Miami (OH). He appeared in 56 games, mostly as a reserve big, through two seasons with the Redhawks while averaging 6.3 points (45.4% FG, 39.8% 3PT), 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

Potter would go on to enter his name into the portal at the opening of the window in March. Then, after hearing from several programs, including the reported likes of even North Carolina, UConn, and Louisville, Potter would commit to Kentucky on April 5th after what was an under-the-radar recruitment by UK. That would make him one of six transfers, making up the No. 2 portal class per On3, incoming for the Wildcats going into a much-anticipated year two for Pope.

Potter is getting to live the dream, his own dream, now of an in-state player like himself after the Wildcats came calling. That’ll only get more real for him through this summer and fall going into his debut with the program in Rupp Arena come November.

Jeremiah Smith Flaunts $4.2 Million Lavish Lifestyle After Signing Recent NIL Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Regardless of position or age, many around college football would argue that Ohio State’s true sophomore wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, is the best player in the sport.

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The former No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024 more than lived up to the billing, as he played a key role in the Buckeyes winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

He finished the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, while averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He was also named a first-team All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Rose Bowl MVP and Big Ten Receiver of the Year.

His strong season also presumably led to him receiving a substantial amount of money in the NIL department. According to On3, Smith possesses an NIL Valuation of $4.2 million and has inked deals with brands such as Nintendo, Red Bull, Lululemon and most recently Adidas, which was announced on Wednesday.

After becoming a three-stripe athlete on Wednesday, Smith took to Instagram on Thursday to do a bit of flexing.

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Smith can be seen posing in front of a Lamborghini, while also flexing a watch that appears to have as many diamonds as stars in the sky.

While many around college football frequently say the real money is in the NFL, it does appear that being one of the best players in college football pays quite well in its own right.

Smith and the Buckeyes will begin their title defense in 2025 against the Texas Longhorns, who are set to head to Columbus for the Week 1 clash of the titans.

While he is more than ready for the NFL, Smith has at least two more years left in college, which is great news for Ohio State fans but not for defensive backs.

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Related: Arch Manning Had No Words After Peyton Manning’s Post on Tuesday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.