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Deion Sanders’ college football dreams shatter as NFL chaos and NIL money expose shocking side of the game

The Unsettling Reality of College Football in the NIL Era In a world where dreams of gridiron glory collide with the harsh realities of modern sports, Deion Sanders finds himself at the epicenter of a storm that is reshaping the landscape of college football. Once poised to enjoy the fruits of his labor, watching his […]

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May 12, 2025

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The Unsettling Reality of College Football in the NIL Era

In a world where dreams of gridiron glory collide with the harsh realities of modern sports, Deion Sanders finds himself at the epicenter of a storm that is reshaping the landscape of college football. Once poised to enjoy the fruits of his labor, watching his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, ascend in their football careers, Sanders’ vision of a tranquil moment in the sun has been abruptly clouded by the tumultuous shifts within the sport he loves.

The NIL Revolution and Its Discontents

The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements promised a new era of empowerment for college athletes, a shift towards fairness in a system long criticized for its exploitation. Yet, as the dust begins to settle, a more complex picture emerges, one that Sanders, with his keen insight into the sport’s inner workings, finds deeply troubling. The NIL landscape, while groundbreaking, has also opened Pandora’s box, revealing a side of college football that few were prepared to confront.

A Father’s Perspective on a Changing Game

Watching his sons navigate their burgeoning careers, Sanders’ pride as a father is palpable. Shilo, making strides with the Buccaneers, and Shedeur, showcasing his prowess at the Browns’ camp, have both risen to the occasion, embodying the work ethic and talent that their surname evokes. Yet, Sanders’ role as a spectator is overshadowed by his concern for the game’s integrity amidst the NIL upheaval.

The Chaos Unleashed: Beyond the Field

Sanders’ observations reveal a landscape where the spirit of competition risks being overshadowed by financial maneuverings. The NIL era, for all its potential, has also ushered in a level of chaos reminiscent of a video game gone awry, where the rules of the game are bent and broken in pursuit of advantage. This wild west scenario, far from the structured discipline that football teaches, poses questions about the future of the sport.

The Heart of the Matter: Integrity on the Line

At the heart of Sanders’ concerns is the integrity of college football. The sport, celebrated as much for its ability to instill discipline and teamwork as for its athletic spectacle, finds itself at a crossroads. The unchecked flow of NIL money, while beneficial in correcting long-standing inequities, also threatens to undermine the foundational values of the game. Sanders, ever the competitor, recognizes the need for a balance that preserves the sport’s soul.

Looking Ahead: Navigating Uncharted Waters

As college football continues to navigate the choppy waters of the NIL era, figures like Deion Sanders serve as both a compass and a cautionary tale. Their insights, born out of a deep love for the game, highlight the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The path forward is not one of rejection but of adaptation, ensuring that the essence of college football, with its blend of athletic brilliance and character-building trials, remains intact.

A Reflection on Legacy and the Future of Football

In the end, the unfolding saga of NIL money and its impact on college football is more than a story of regulations and financial transactions. It’s a narrative about what the sport stands for and the legacy it leaves for future generations. As Sanders watches his sons make their mark on the field, his concerns reflect a broader question: How can college football evolve without losing its soul? The answer to this question will shape not only the future of aspiring athletes like Shilo and Shedeur but the very heart of the sport itself.

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Jumbo Package

Happy Monday, everyone. The baseball team won a big series against Georgia, and now has one final week to play for SEC Tournament seeding. We found out that the softball team will get to host a NCAA regional as a 15-seed. Should they advance, a daunting trip to Norman will await them for Super Regionals. […]

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Happy Monday, everyone. The baseball team won a big series against Georgia, and now has one final week to play for SEC Tournament seeding.

We found out that the softball team will get to host a NCAA regional as a 15-seed. Should they advance, a daunting trip to Norman will await them for Super Regionals.

Alabama apparently relied more on donations than any other SEC football program last year.

Alabama led all public SEC football programs in reliance on donations for Fiscal Year 2024, according to data from financial reports submitted to the NCAA by the league’s 15 public schools. AL.com obtained the reports via a series of open records requests.

The Crimson Tide football program brought in 38.2% of its FY 2024 revenue via contributions from donors. The Fiscal Year ran from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Do with that what you will.

Kalen DeBoer spoke on the criticisms of his wardrobe last season.

“You know that everything is going to be analyzed – literally everything – but, again, that’s what you signed up for, and I’m good with that. I just want to try to bring as many people together,” DeBoer said. “There’s going to be people who are always against you, right? That’s college football. That’s rivalries. That’s you being devoted to your team, and I love that. It’s special, because this is the pro team here. There isn’t an NFL or NBA or Major League Baseball team in Alabama. This is it. That’s awesome. I love it.”

Josh Jacobs told an interesting signing day story.

Jacobs then went on a visit to Alabama, being hosted by future star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was only an early-enrolled freshman at the time. On that visit with the eventual Super Bowl MVP, Jacobs decided Alabama was “the spot to be.”

But, Jacobs was still on the dark if there would even be a spot for him. When he woke up on his commitment day, he had plans in mind to be a Tiger.

“I was going to go to Mizzou,” Jacobs said.

But shortly before Jacobs put pen to paper, an Alabama coach called to tell Jacobs the prospect struggling with academics failed to meet their thresholds. A spot was now open on the Crimson Tide.

“So the day that I went to sign, that’s when I found out that I could even go to Alabama,” Jacobs said.

Whoever that player was, thank you for being dumb.

Last, a little more info on the Saban-led NIL commission.

To give another perspective, Texas Tech mega-booster Cody Campbell is Saban’s co-chair. During a Welcome Home Tour stop in Greenville, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer briefly spoke about the committee.

Initially, Beamer didn’t provide much about his thoughts on the matter, saying, “I saw that. I was reading some of that coming up here today on my phone, just some information about it. I don’t know enough about it.”

However, the fifth-year head coach admitted that he thought the president might have found the right man for the job. Said Beamer, “I think if you’re looking for anyone to spearhead change or be in a leadership position when it comes to college football going forward, he’s the first person that would come to mind from my standpoint.”

First question for the mega-booster: “Isn’t there something better for the world that you could do with all that money than buying football players for a college?”

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.

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New football commit, unique NIL clause, 8 crystal ball predictions

Georgia football just had one of the wildest days on the recruiting trail on Sunday, May 11. This day was so crazy that they accomplished something that potentially no other program has ever accomplished before. So without teasing what transpired anymore, let’s first begins with the massive commitment the Bulldogs earned on Sunday. 4-star safety […]

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May 12, 2025

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Georgia football just had one of the wildest days on the recruiting trail on Sunday, May 11. This day was so crazy that they accomplished something that potentially no other program has ever accomplished before.

So without teasing what transpired anymore, let’s first begins with the massive commitment the Bulldogs earned on Sunday.

4-star safety Jordan Smith commits to Georgia

Georgia football is still riding the high from landing a commitment from five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, and that momentum continued in a big way on Sunday. The Bulldogs earned another commitment on Sunday, this time from four-star safety Jordan Smith.

Smith is the No. 56 overall player in the country as well as the No. 6 safety and No. 5 player from Georgia, according to 247Sports. This commitment gives Georgia two commits ranked inside the top 60 in the last week, with the chance for that number to improve in the coming days.

Georgia received 8 crystal ball predictions

Something happened to Georgia on Sunday that potentially has never happened to any program in the history of college football. The Bulldogs received predictions to land a whopping eight different recruits on Sunday. No, that is not a typo, eight different recruits were predicted on Sunday to commit to Georgia.

One of those predictions was for the already mentioned Smith who committed to Georgia on Sunday, but here is a list of the other seven recruits predicted to land with Georgia and their ranking according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

1. 5-star OT Jackson Cantwell – No. 1

2. 4-star ATH Tyriq Green – No. 146

3. 4-star WR Ryan Mosley – No. 181

4. 4-star IOL Breck Kolojay – No. 278

5. 4-star DL Carter Luckie – No. 317

6. 4-star WR Craig Dandridge – No. 328

7. 3-star IOL Malcolm Gaston – No. 472

Just because players are predicted to Georgia does not mean they will end up with UGA, but Sunday showed just how impressive Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class can be.

Jared Curtis has a unique NIL clause

Now that Curtis is committed to Georgia, everyone wants to know how much NIL money he’ll be making. The No. 1 quarterback in the country usually will be paid millions every season, but that isn’t the case with Curtis at Georgia.

Reports have surfaced that Curtis will make less than $1 million his true freshman season before making a little over $1 million in 2027 during his second season with the Bulldogs. But it’s 2028 where things get interesting with his NIL deal.

Georgia and Curtis plan to renegotiate his NIL contract ahead of the 2028 season, which will be his third in Athens. If Curtis is the starter and playing well he will be paid as much money as anyone in the country. But if he isn’t the starter and is struggling then he won’t receive a raise.

This is the first time an NIL deal like this has been made public, but it should give Curtis enough incentive to work hard and not transfer away from the program in the future.

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Duke Fans Are Buzzing After Blue Devils' Latest Transfer Addition

Jon Scheyer is working hard to keep the Duke Blue Devils at the top of the food chain in the college basketball world. After making a run to the Final Four last season, there is work to be done. Both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have declared for the 2025 NBA draft. They were the […]

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May 12, 2025

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Duke Fans Are Buzzing After Blue Devils' Latest Transfer Addition

Jon Scheyer is working hard to keep the Duke Blue Devils at the top of the food chain in the college basketball world. After making a run to the Final Four last season, there is work to be done.

Both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have declared for the 2025 NBA draft. They were the two key leaders for the team last season.

Replacing two players at the talent level of Flagg and Knueppel will not be easy.

On Sunday evening, Duke added another intriguing player via the NCAA transfer portal. Jack Scott, who previously played guard for Princeton, has decided to commit to the Blue Devils and announced his commitment on X.

“committed. @DukeMBB,” he wrote. “Thanks to Coach Scheyer, Coach Schrage, and the entire Duke coaching staff for this opportunity.”

Scott is an intriguing addition for Duke, as he did not play much of a role at Princeton.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer.© Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Fans immediately started commenting on Scott’s commitment to the Blue Devils.

“Welcome to The Brotherhood young man,” one fan wrote.

A second fan chimed in, “Let’s go Jack!”

“Energy factor. Excited to see it in Cameron,” a third comment read.

A fourth fan commented, “Welcome to Durham!”

During the 2024-25 college basketball season with Princeton, Scott played in 20 games and made four starts. He averaged 10 minutes per game, scoring 1.7 points and grabbing 1.7 rebounds per game.

While he didn’t make a huge impact for the Tigers, clearly Scheyer sees something he thinks could help Due moving forward in the 2025-26 season.

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Premiership Rugby signs new long

TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland will continue to be the home of English domestic rugby after agreeing new long-term deals with Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR). The multi-year agreements will enable TNT Sports to continue utilising best-in-class production, unrivalled on-air expertise via some of the most respected voices in the sport […]

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May 12, 2025

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TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland will continue to be the home of English domestic rugby after agreeing new long-term deals with Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).

The multi-year agreements will enable TNT Sports to continue utilising best-in-class production, unrivalled on-air expertise via some of the most respected voices in the sport as well as leveraging cross-promotional opportunities that have helped yield record audience numbers for both Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby over the past 12 months.

Replicating the existing agreement between the two parties, every single match from the Gallagher Premiership Rugby season – including the Play-Offs and Final – will be broadcast live on TNT Sports’ linear channels or its streaming platform discovery+ until the end of the 2030/31 season. Select matches from the Premiership Rugby Cup will also be shown on TNT Sports.

In a further win for sports fans, TNT Sports or its streaming platform discovery+, will show at least one match from every Premiership Women’s Rugby round each season – including both Semi-Finals and Final – until the end of the 2028/29 season, meaning viewers will be able to watch some of the finest rugby players in the world – including England’s title-winning Guinness Women’s Six Nations Red Roses stars – week in, week out. TNT Sports will broadcast the top pick in every round.

Andrew Georgiou, President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “TNT Sports is proud to cement its position as the home of men’s and women’s domestic rugby, providing fans with certainty on where they can watch every moment of every match of Premiership Rugby and extensive coverage of Premiership Women’s Rugby.

“There is no doubt the quality of both competitions continues to improve each season and we are convinced the changes being mooted by Premiership Rugby, together with the strength of our production and on-air team, that we can continue to grow viewership and attendance over the next five seasons. Furthermore, we are absolutely thrilled to continue to bring Premiership Women’s Rugby to rugby fans that know TNT Sports is the home of club rugby and believe this is also the best way to continue to promote and grow the women’s game.”

Simon Massie-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Premiership Rugby, said: “Our recent partnership with TNT Sports has helped drive record audiences and attract a million new fans to the Gallagher Premiership, alongside drawing record crowds and a second sold-out final in a row.

“Our clubs have worked hard to establish the Gallagher Premiership as a compelling competition with high-quality entertaining rugby, and TNT Sports have embraced the challenge to continue to innovate to help grow the sport and their output has been first class.

“This extended partnership allows both parties to invest in the long-term growth of the Gallagher Premiership and we are very excited about the future.”

Genevieve Shore, Executive Chair, Premiership Women’s Rugby, said: “The extension of our partnership with TNT Sports is a huge step forward for Premiership Women’s Rugby. Showcasing a live match every weekend for the next four years means our incredible athletes will be seen by more fans than ever before, giving them the platform they deserve and inspiring the next generation of players.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with a broadcaster that shares our vision for the future of the women’s game, and this deal is a powerful vote of confidence in the strength, skill, and excitement that define Premiership Women’s Rugby and its athletes.

“The huge rise in viewing figures last season shows the potential of PWR, and together with TNT Sports, we will continue to grow women’s rugby.”

This season TNT Sports continues to engage record numbers of fans through its coverage of Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby.

TNT Sports recorded two of its top five ever linear TV audiences this season. After 13 rounds of the 24/25 season Gallagher Premiership Rugby average audiences are up +11% vs 23/24 and +24% vs 22/23 seasons while TNT Sports’ live-to-live scheduling strategy has seen Saturday afternoon PRL matches drive a +39% rise in audiences when directly following a Premier League football match vs weeks with no EPL lead-in.

Premiership Women’s Rugby audiences, meanwhile, rose 156% following November’s Autumn Nation Series. March’s PWR Grand Final, which saw holders Gloucester-Hartpury overcome Saracens 34-19, drove a 36% increase in average audience vs the 2024 final, contributing to an 86% year-on-year increase in season average audiences on TNT Sports.

Coverage of Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby on TNT Sports supplements an unrivalled portfolio of world-class rugby that includes the Autumn Nations Series as well as the HSBC SVNS Series.

TNT Sports, which transitioned from BT Sport as part of the Joint Venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and BT in September 2022, has been the primary broadcast partner of Premiership Rugby since 2013.

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Vols win in every sport

The University of Tennessee has cultivated a well-earned identity as the “everything school” in athletics because it’s won at a high level in every sport in recent years. Most visibly, the Vols made the College Football Playoff, won a baseball national title and reached the Elite Eight in men’s basketball in the past year. And […]

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May 12, 2025

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The University of Tennessee has cultivated a well-earned identity as the “everything school” in athletics because it’s won at a high level in every sport in recent years.

Most visibly, the Vols made the College Football Playoff, won a baseball national title and reached the Elite Eight in men’s basketball in the past year. And Lady Vols softball is a national title contender.

All 20 Tennessee programs reached the NCAA postseason or a bowl game in 2023-24, and many are still ranked in the top 10. UT has won the SEC All-Sports Trophy three straight times.

But as challenging as it was to earn that “everything school” reputation, it’s about to become more difficult to uphold it in the revenue sharing era.

It’s not a competitive issue on the field or court. It’s a potential player payroll problem.

Beginning July 1, schools will pay athletes directly by sharing revenue, pending approval of the House settlement in a conglomerate of federal antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and power conferences.

Schools will pay athletes under a cap estimated at $20.5 million with percentages of revenue assigned to revenue-generating sports like football, basketball and baseball. That’s in addition to income players earn from name, image and likeness deals from third parties.

But in direct school-to-player pay, there will be different strategies. One school will overpay men’s basketball players on a Final Four contender and offset the cost by underpaying players in a losing baseball program. Another will take a few bucks off the football players’ payroll and redirect it to women’s basketball players.

If a program struggles, its players could be underpaid. If a program wins consistently, its players could be overpaid.

UT’s blessing and curse is that it’s good in virtually every sport. That means tough decisions lie ahead, and the demand grows for extra money in NIL.

How Tennessee could pay players aside from NIL

UT has not disclosed its approach to revenue sharing. But it appears UT, like most SEC schools, will distribute the money to athletes according to revenue their sports produce.

A model was prescribed in the preliminary House settlement based on the national averages of per-sport revenue:

75% to football players
15% to men’s basketball
5% to women’s basketball
5% to other sports (including baseball)

Those percentages likely will be calculated in an $18 million budget, instead of $20.5 million, because $2.5 million will count toward new scholarships with increased roster limits.

The SEC could mandate member schools to follow this plan exactly, and that uniformity would benefit schools like UT that win in everything.

If the SEC doesn’t mandate a plan, a few schools could tweak their percentages to gain an edge in recruiting and roster building in a specific sport to the detriment of another sport. Schools in other conferences will make the same adjustments for a competitive advantage in select sports.

That’s where UT runs into a dilemma. Among its major revenue-generating sports, it doesn’t have a weak program.

Tennessee wins too much to short-change any sport

Imagine UT athletics director Danny White trying to trim the player payroll of a specific sport.

He can’t do that in football. That’s where about three-fourths of UT’s sports-specific revenue is generated. And in the SEC, football determines success or failure.

Could White short-change men’s basketball? Not when Rick Barnes is knocking on the door of the Final Four.

What about Lady Vols basketball? White hired Kim Caldwell a year ago to rebuild the historically premier brand in the sport, and he’s not backing off now.

Baseball can’t go cheap. Tony Vitello guided the Vols to a national title, and the high-priced suites and seats in a renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium won’t be filled if the program slumps.

Until NIL is under control, it still impacts winning

The solution to this payroll strain is traditional NIL, which is third-party money paid to athletes by businesses and booster collectives separate from the university.

Schools are allowed to pay a maximum of $20.5 million per year to athletes. But, in theory, there is no cap to third-party NIL pay.

In the revenue sharing system, a new NIL clearinghouse will vet deals to determine if they’re legitimate fair market agreements. But there’s skepticism of its effectiveness.

The richest schools will continue to top off revenue sharing money to players with NIL pay. Revenue sharing plus NIL will equal the total payroll for the highest paying schools.

That means NIL could still determine which programs gain an edge, even in the revenue sharing era.

Let’s say UT baseball has $1 million to spend on its roster because the Lady Vols must pay competitive revenues. But a rival school allocates $1.2 million to baseball because it has a weak women’s basketball program. The margin in baseball must be made up in NIL money.

Swap those UT programs, and the challenge is the same. The Vols want to remain at the top, but it gets crowded up there when player pay is a major factor.

UT payroll strategy must make every dollar count

UT was an industry leader when NIL began in 2021. It partnered with Spyre Sports, the collective that pays UT athletes for their NIL rights.

During that same period, revenues skyrocketed for UT athletics under White’s direction. But a share of that revenue going to athletes is only part of the equation, and NIL must be a difference-maker.

The good news is that UT’s leadership remains as it heads into the revenue sharing era. The bad news is that UT has more mouths to feed than most schools in terms of elite programs.

UT has enjoyed the most successful stretch in its history across all sports, in part, because White made sure those programs were well-resourced and followed focused plans.

But player payroll should have a more direct impact on winning than renovated stadiums, state-of-the-art training facilities and robust recruiting budgets. And because UT wants to maintain a championship level in so many sports, every dollar must be maximized.

That’s why it will require more money going to players and a savvy spending strategy to keep UT’s hot streak going.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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