NIL

The NIL Conundrum

He walked onto campus last week with a private jet’s schedule, not a backpack. A top recruit in football. His name alone earns social media blitzes. He’ll wear school colors for a run’through, then fly off to a private dinner with boosters to hash out his NIL deal. This wasn’t always how college sports began […]

Published

1 week ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

College, once the last sanctuary of amateurism, feels more like a draft combine with lockers. Players are signed, sealed, delivered–and departed–on sight of a check. Coaches pitch strategy and returns. Parents cheer, boosters sweat, compliance officers do clerical triage. Team? Cohesion? Loyalty? Those faded amid logos and ledger entries.

NIL started with good intentions. Let student-athletes profit from their name, image, and likeness. Three years later, it morphed into a free’agency circus–free agency with helmets.

Think of it. Under current rules, that football phenom at State U can land a $500,000 deal. Next week, a bigger offer comes from Rival U. He hops, no transfer portal drama needed–deal done, locker changed. Schools watch as talent drips away like water through a sieve. Teams morph every season. Bonds–built over grinds, shared locker room stories, long film sessions–get shredded by spreadsheets.

The Nico Iamaleava situation in Tennessee is only the beginning.

Want to pick apart the damage? Ask the smaller revenue sports:

Wrestling: top schools–Penn State, Iowa, Oklahoma State–pull in elite recruits via NIL-backed funds and have as many as 30 scholarships to dish out instead of the old 9.9. Mid’majors? They scrape by. Scholarships are few. Keep offers tight. Those kids chase dollars or drop out, because the NCAA’s eye’patch won’t see the imbalance. That drives the talent funnel toward big-name programs and leaves the field empty everywhere else.

Olympic sports? Title IX demands equity. But NIL deals mostly land in football and basketball. So schools use that money to subsidize others until there’s nothing left and they drop the sport. Ever try talking to a prom queen at a school that lost swimming? You don’t need a compliance manual to feel the loss.

We’ve become an era of “designated student’athletes.” Each school can dish out up to $20 million a year, but it goes to football and hoops. Texas A&M, for example, cut $10 million in program budgets to fund the decision, freezing out every other sport. They call it sustainability. I call it “you play what we pay for.”

Even among those “big’time” sports, the unfairness is wild. Coaches complain recruits arrive asking not “Will you coach me?” but “What’s my NIL ceiling?” One coach told investors: “We don’t recruit players–we recruit logos.” They see kids as walking billboards, not teammates. The locker room becomes a market, not a microcosm of trust.

That same coach noted early retirements are on the rise. Jim Larranaga, Tony Bennett–they walked away, unable to slog through rosters rebuilt each year. One year they coach. Next year, it’s a new team–fresh faces, no culture, no continuity.

Maybe you cheer that players now earn millions. Sure. But understand how lopsided the flow is. Take basketball phenom Cooper Flagg: nowhere near the NBA draft yet, but already valued at $4.8 million in NIL terms. A senior walk’on in women’s soccer? Probably zero. And if she transfers, no one’s writing a check. That gap erodes the ethos of college athletics.

Fans feel it. Saturdays feel hollower when every win is scripted around marquee names–and those names change every season. Regional identity? Gone. Loyalty? Dead. Instead, we get yearly film sessions during summer recruiting, not game film, but sponsor film. “Showcase your brand.” That’s the pregame now.

More worryingly, we’re testing the durability of amateurism. Courts are collapsing it. The $2.8 billion antitrust settlement did the deed: colleges can now pay directly from revenue. You think bidding wars stop at athletes? Collectives tied to boosters? That’s a short flight. Soon, coaches, staff and agents will jockey for a share. Schools will push spending limits. Then universities sue each other over caps. Free agency becomes full professionalization, and the NCAA becomes NCAA No More.

Supporters say NIL is overdue justice: players generate money, why not share? They point to inequality, poverty in athletes’ families, exploitation. That’s real. Before NIL, many prospects passed on real chances to provide for loved ones to play. That needed fixing.

But fix doesn’t always mean destroy. It didn’t have to bruise the sanctity of the team. It didn’t need to tilt the scales so hard. We could have capped deals by revenue share. We could have included every sport in the payout. We could have enforced limits per athlete. We did none of that. Instead, we opened Pandora’s locker room.

Does NIL empower athletes? Absolutely. Does it empower elite athletes and sports only? Also absolutely. Does it fracture small programs? Yep. It fractures coaching models built on trust. It fractures fan bases built on loyalty. It fractures college as a proving ground–where kids hone their skills, bond, momentarily shine, then move on. Now it’s sharper, faster and compensated. Maybe more efficient. But definitely not amateur.

So what’s the alternative? If we want real reform, let’s cap payments at a fraction of revenue and split it across every rostered athlete, not just the superstars. Reward participation, not prime time popularity. Tie pay to headship of the roster, with a minimum NIL stipend for everyone. Force schools to demonstrate Title IX equity in NIL payouts. Stiffen tampering rules when athletes break signed deals to chase price hikes. Fund all sports, not only profit ones.

Otherwise, expect more lawsuits, such as the Wisconsin-Miami tampering case. Expect more retirements. Expect more roster grief. Expect college sports unspooling, one NIL deal at a time.

College once felt sacred because it was shared: students and athletes in classrooms and on fields, tied by a shared identity. That identity came through sacrifice and teamwork, not sponsorship. Now, sacrifice is optional. Loyalties shift with the dollar. And the line between college and pro gets thinner by the minute.

NIL could be remembered as the moment college sports matured–or the moment we killed what made it stick.

NIL

Urban Meyer makes it clear where he stands on returning to college football

One of the significant shifts of the NIL and transfer portal era, some college football programs have turned to general manager roles to help lead the way in roster management. Programs have hired from within the assistant ranks while others have plucked former head coaches and NFL executives. Most recently, Ron Rivera, a two-time NFL […]

Published

6 minutes ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

One of the significant shifts of the NIL and transfer portal era, some college football programs have turned to general manager roles to help lead the way in roster management.

Programs have hired from within the assistant ranks while others have plucked former head coaches and NFL executives.

Most recently, Ron Rivera, a two-time NFL Head Coach of the Year, is back at his alma mater Cal as general manager. And Oklahoma hired former NFL executive Jim Nagy to the same position.

Three-time national champion head coach Urban Meyer, now with Fox Sports as an analyst, admitted he was approached by a college program for their general manager role. The former Utah, Florida, Ohio State and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach even met with leadership to hear the program’s pitch.

“I had a school come see me this year and ask if I wanted to be the GM,” Meyer said on “The Triple Option.” “And a couple other phone calls. And you start to think, ‘OK, they actually came to see me,’ so I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll meet and I’ll sit down with you guys.’”

Despite Meyer’s early interest, he wasn’t inclined to take the offer after learning about the job description. In fact, Meyer would rather “step on a rusty nail” than dealing with players’ agents.

“I said, ‘OK, what is the job description?.’ “They said, ‘Well, basically you meet with all the agents of the 17-, 18-year-olds,’” Meyer said. “And I thought, ‘I’d rather step on a rusty nail and pull it out myself.’”

Meyer’s name is regularly mentioned when major head coaching roles open, and it wouldn’t be a big shock to see the 60-year-old return to college football at some point. As a general manager, though, it’s safe to say Meyer won’t be taking up that title.

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Dual-Sport Star Matt Ponatoski Commits to Kentucky

Not all recruiting wins are created equally. This time, it’s not just a win for Mark Stoops, but for Nick Mingione. Matt Ponatoski has committed to Kentucky. “I’ll be committing to the University of Kentucky to play baseball and football,” Ponatoski tells KSR+. “Big Blue Nation, I’m ready to work. I’m coming not to change […]

Published

8 minutes ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Not all recruiting wins are created equally. This time, it’s not just a win for Mark Stoops, but for Nick Mingione. Matt Ponatoski has committed to Kentucky.

“I’ll be committing to the University of Kentucky to play baseball and football,” Ponatoski tells KSR+. “Big Blue Nation, I’m ready to work. I’m coming not to change the program, but we’re going to put the program on the map.”

The Cincinnati Moeller athlete is an expert at throwing balls. He was tabbed as the most accurate quarterback in the country during last week’s Elite 11 camp. He’s also an All-American shortstop, ranked as one of the Top 20 baseball recruits in the country.

Mark Stoops secured a commitment from Ponatoski without actually hosting him for an official visit. Nick Mingione hosted him on behalf of the Bat Cats this spring. That’s right around the time his football recruitment really blew up. Alabama and Oregon entered the picture, and each school was able to get him on campus. Prior to his trip out west for the Elite 11 and his Oregon OV, he made a crucial pitstop in Lexington. That trip to meet with Bush Hamdan and the rest of the offense set the wheels in motion for this historic commitment.

Ponatoski is the most prolific quarterback recruit to commit to Kentucky since Tim Couch. He’s the ninth-ranked quarterback in the country and No. 100 overall player, according to On3. That ranking is going to soar once all of the recruiting services complete their next round of updates.

Often considered a baseball-first prospect, he might not have even been ranked when he camped at Kentucky last summer. Then he went out and dominated the most competitive division in Ohio high school football.

Ponatoski threw for 4,200 yards, 58 touchdowns, and only three interceptions in the Greater Catholic League. He was often the best player on the field in front of sold-out crowds. The College GameDay crew was in the stands when Ponatoski outdueled St. X’s Chase Herbstreit in a 45-37 playoff shootout. In the semifinals the following week, Ponatoski had 431 yards and six touchdowns in the first half. Moeller ultimately fell short in the Ohio Division I State Championship Game, a 28-14 loss to Olentangy Liberty.

In 2024, Ponatoski was Ohio Mr. Football. He earned Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year honors in both baseball and football.

What People Say About Ponatoski’s Game

The Elite 11 Camp earlier this month put Ponatoski on center stage in front of noteworthy talent evaluators and reporters around college football. Even though he did not win the event, it was clear that he was one of the best players on the field.

“Ponatoski looked like the most accurate Elite 11 Finalist throughout the week,” On3’s Director of Scouting Charles Power wrote. “The Cincinnati native was a smooth operator each day. He made drill work look easy, consistently delivering well-placed, catchable passes. Ponatoski carried that into Day 2, turning in one of the more impressive pro day showings while earning the highest score from the Elite 11 staff. The capped the week off with a solid showing in 7-on-7 that saw him throw three touchdowns. A dual sport star who doubles as a top baseball prospect, Ponatoski is an accurate, rhythm passer with natural timing and feel.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has been covering the event for more than 20 years, and this year’s group was one of the most talented he’s ever seen.

“The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio’s Matt Ponatoski, ranked as the No. 29 QB by 247Sports. The two-sport star has an electric arm, having been clocked at 97 mph as a pitcher. That arm wowed me Thursday morning in his 7-on-7 performance. The 6-1, 196-pounder, who is uncommitted, made two ‘wow’ throws to receivers who didn’t look open at all, but he fired the ball into the only spot he could and completed the passes. It was impressive.”

Justin Hoover, one of the coaches at the event, told Feldman, “He had a couple of those every day we were here. He’s got some confidence to put it in places that others wouldn’t even attempt to throw. He really stood out.”

Want more Kentucky football recruiting intel? Join KSR Plus for the most comprehensive coverage of the Cats on the internet. With a KSR membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

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How a $5 million ‘Wild West’ NIL offer cost Texas an elite prospect they would’ve never lost under previous recruiting rules

How a $5 million ‘Wild West’ NIL offer cost Texas an elite prospect they would’ve never lost under previous recruiting rules originally appeared on A to Z Sports. The Texas Longhorns were always viewed as a heavy favorite to keep Mansfield, Texas, native and five-star offensive tackle prospect Felix Ojo in their class. Steve Sarkisian […]

Published

53 minutes ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

How a $5 million ‘Wild West’ NIL offer cost Texas an elite prospect they would’ve never lost under previous recruiting rules originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

The Texas Longhorns were always viewed as a heavy favorite to keep Mansfield, Texas, native and five-star offensive tackle prospect Felix Ojo in their class. Steve Sarkisian pitched an excellent situation to Ojo, including an NFL pipeline, a great NIL offer, and the ability to win.

Instead, Ojo shocked the world when, hours before his decision came, a flurry of new crystal ball projections pointed to Texas Tech. Not long later, the Red Raiders were announced as Ojo’s next stop. The next shocker was the staggering NIL offer agreed upon, which included $775,000 a year that could swell to $5.1 million.

Ojo’s agent, Derrick Shelby, explained that the house settlement about revenue sharing is what caused the rise of the Red Raiders. He explained that offers changed after that pivotal moment, but Texas Tech stood firm.

“Through this process, some of his visits and offers were coming pre-House settlement. It was more of the wild, wild west,” Shelby said. “Once they signed off on the House settlement, a lot of the numbers changed. Now, they may not have as much to give. Tech’s number didn’t change.”

The loss was stunning for Texas in the moment, but the context makes it more understandable how Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns couldn’t win. Ojo was prioritizing the bag throughout his recruitment, and it’s why Ohio State hadn’t expected to win the fight even before the house settlement.

Financially, Texas and Ohio State have too many players to pay to compete with a lesser program that can be top-heavy with its spending. That’s the cost that comes with being a deeper roster and hyper-competitive across numerous sports.

Ojo, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound standout, is ESPN’s No. 4 offensive tackle and the second-highest-ranked recruit from Texas in the 2026 class. After taking official visits to Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas this spring, Ojo committed to Texas Tech, marking the highest-rated recruit in the program’s history since ESPN started tracking high school prospects in 2006.

Ojo’s commitment comes with one of the most substantial fully guaranteed revenue-share agreements in college football, made possible by the recent federal settlement allowing direct athlete compensation.

ESPN indicated that Ojo’s deal is comparable to the multimillion-dollar contract signed by Jackson Cantwell, the No. 3 overall prospect in 2026, who secured over $2 million annually with incentives at Miami earlier this year.

This move underscores Texas Tech’s aggressive investment in talent. According to ESPN’s Max Olson, the Red Raiders allocated over $10 million to acquire 17 players during the winter transfer portal window.

In total, Texas Tech added 21 transfers, assembling the nation’s second-ranked transfer class this offseason. Ojo’s signing is the latest in a series of bold financial commitments by the program, signaling its intent to compete at the highest level.

View the original article to see embedded media.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

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What does EA College Football 26 rank the UNC football program at launch?

The anticipated release of EA Sports College Football 26, the second edition since the game returned last summer, is set for this week! Those of you who preordered will be able to play the game on Monday, July 7, while the rest of the world will have to wait a few extra days until Thursday, […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The anticipated release of EA Sports College Football 26, the second edition since the game returned last summer, is set for this week!

Those of you who preordered will be able to play the game on Monday, July 7, while the rest of the world will have to wait a few extra days until Thursday, July 10.

Regardless, it’s time to virtually take the UNC football program to the promise land (in whichever game play mode you elect to focus on!)

Ahead of the release of this year’s edition of the game, let’s take a look at how the UNC football program ranks as a team. Considered an 82 overall squad, the Tar Heels’ defensive unit has a 84 rating, while the offense, with questions at the quarterback spot, come in at an 81 overall.

Too high? Too low? Just right?

(Via @EASPORTSCollege) pic.twitter.com/mubTuiMErK

— UNC Zone (@unc_zone) June 24, 2025

Given North Carolina’s struggles on the defensive side of the ball as of late, Tar Heel fans would certainly be thrilled to see some defensive improvements in Bill Belichick’s first season at the helm (along with his son, Steve, the program’s new defensive coordinator).

To answer the question you’re probably asking: no, Bill Belichick is not in the EA Sports College Football 26 game (are you even surprised?).

In terms of individual rankings, you probably couldn’t guess the top four rated UNC football players. No, we’re not saying you don’t have the knowledge, but with so many new faces, even we had trouble figuring out who would rank atop the list.

Another promising sign: three of the Tar Heels top four ranked players play on the defensive side of the football:

Andrew Simpson (MLB)- 87 overall
Thaddeus Dixon (CB) – 86 overall
Marcus Allen (CB) – 85 overall
Chad Lindberg (LG) – 85 overall

While there will be plenty of time to debate the initial rankings, let’s take a look at the UNC football program’s quarterback room. Transfer Gio Lopez leads the pack with an 83 overall, with veteran Max Johnson and true freshman Bryce Baker falling behind him on the depth chart:

Gio Lopez – 83 overall
Max Johnson – 77 overall
Bryce Baker – 74 overall

Let’s remember: the ratings fluctuate over time, so these are not set in stone. If the Tar Heels have some standouts early on in the season, don’t be surprised if their rankings go up once the updates start to roll in.

The question remains: are you ready for some virtual college football?!

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Crystal Ball prediction has Ohio State football team losing on another DE recruit

The Ohio State football team is projected to lose yet another defensive end recruit that they have been trying to land. This time, they are projected to lose out on KJ Ford, a player that they tried to get late in this cycle. They are desperate to add defensive ends at this point. ON3 is […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ON3 is predicting that Ford is going to end up at Florida, which would be devastating for the Buckeyes. They are striking out left and right at defensive linemen, which is a major problem. Larry Johnson has struggled to be able to recruit in the NIL era.

Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes were split when Johnson decided to stay for another year. Johnson was contemplating retirement, but decided to come back. If Ryan Day is smart, he will make sure that this is the only extra year that Johnson will be getting.

Another DE is expected to rebuke the Ohio State football team

Ford is a four-star recruit, so losing him would be another blow to a 2026 recruiting class that has slid down the rankings in recent weeks. They now have just the fifth-best recruiting class in the country. Just a couple of months ago, they had the second-best class.

At that time, there was talk that the Buckeyes could possibly win a recruiting national championship for the first time. Now, they are staring down the barrel of the lowest-rated recruiting class in the Ryan Day era. The fact that it is coming close to happening the year after a national championship is mind-blogging.

Ohio State will have to pivot to some different options at DE, but those options are becoming slimmer as the summer goes on. There are still six months before these kids sign with a program, so fans shouldn’t panic yet. Still, this is a bad pattern from Johnson.

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Hugh Freeze on adding transfer Jacoby Mathews

Auburn signed former five-star recruit Jacoby Mathews out of the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month. He took an official visit to Auburn on June 16, and is set to be on campus by the start of fall camp. Mathews is returning to the Division I level after spending one season at the JUCO level […]

Published

3 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hugh Freeze on adding transfer Jacoby Mathews

Auburn signed former five-star recruit Jacoby Mathews out of the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month. He took an official visit to Auburn on June 16, and is set to be on campus by the start of fall camp.

Mathews is returning to the Division I level after spending one season at the JUCO level in an attempt to focus on academics. He began his college career playing for Texas A&M but transferred after the 2023 season.

“Jacoby, talent-wise the guy’s a five-star talent,” Freeze said after signing the talented defensive back. “Obviously, he did not own up to the responsibilities you have and the accountability that you should have. We’ve had some great heart-to-hearts. I believe with all my heart that he understands this is his last chance.

“And he didn’t do anything. He just did not receive the blessing that he had at his previous school, and I think he’s learned a lesson and adding another elite safety to that group is beneficial to us. We’re excited to give him a chance.”

Mathews was a part of an historic 2022 recruiting class under former head coach Jimbo Fisher. DJ Durkin was a main recruiter as then-defensive coordinator, and Mathews would end up playing 21 games as an Aggie across two seasons. He totaled 66 tackles (46 solo), as well as eight pass breakups and one interception before leaving the program. In 2023, he made 11 appearances with nine starts.

Now an member of the Auburn Tigers, and teaming up once again with Durkin in his first season as the Auburn DC, Mathews has two seasons of eligibility remaining to play for Hugh Freeze and company. He’ll join an already talented group of defensive backs in Auburn’s secondary.

Elsewhere in the DB room, junior Kayin Lee is expected to be one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC this season. Lee totaled 32 tackles, seven PBUs and two interceptions in 2024. Jay Crawford earned All-SEC freshman team honors for his work last season. Freeze also added the likes of Raion Strader from Miami (Ohio) and Rayshawn Pleasant from Tulane to bulk up the room as well.

Auburn kicks off its 2025 season in a true road matchup against Baylor during Week 1. The Tigers will begin SEC play in Week 4 against Oklahoma. However, Mathews has likely already circled the date on the calendar seven days later — Week 5 at Texas A&M.