Concerns regarding parity within college athletic’s NIL space were raised almost immediately when players began to be compensated for their likeness in July 2021. Many have spoken out on ways to even the playing field between teams and players alike, but no rule or college salary cap has been implemented to aid in their efforts.
In the first few years of the NIL space, Saban’s concerns have truth to them. Some of the most successful programs in college football are the ones with a strong NIL collective backing them. Alabama senator and former SEC football coach recently singled out the Texas Longhorns for being an example of how NIL is tilting the balance of power in their favor.
“You’re going to eliminate 90 percent of schools because they don’t have the money,” Tuberville recently told CBS Sports. “Look at Texas. Nobody’s ever going to beat them again if we allow them to keep going the way they’re going. Again, I’ve got nothing against Texas; they’re going by the rules, but we’ve got to hopefully make it work out.”
Some have argued fact that many of the same schools held a similar hold over college athletics based on their success in the past. These five-star recruits were committing to a school for exposure, reputation and to win games. One could argue these sentiments still ring true, and the difference is that those same blue-chip prospects can now get paid for it.
Now, schools like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. all have massive NIL collectives backing their recruiting efforts. Reports that the Buckeyes spent $20 million on their roster alone last offseason saw them take some criticism. However, they won the national championship with this model and it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.
The best players are playing where they get paid the best. It’s not just Texas, who Tuberville singled out in his response, but many other programs who have the money that these college athletes can’t refuse. At the end of the day, like Tuberville said, you can’t blame the program or the players. They’re going by the book.
Now, Donald Trump is looking to “fix” college athletics and is seeking the help of Saban, and Texas Tech chair Cody Campbell to lead that charge. What that will look like, for now, remains to be seen.
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