NIL

This is how the game is being destroyed.

Since the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal, we’ve heard and read countless perspectives from coaches, analysts, and media members regarding the changes and ripple effects that college football has found itself dancing with – for better or worse depends on perspective. Meanwhile, the viewpoint of players has been relatively quiet, at least in […]

Published

2 weeks ago

April 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Meanwhile, the viewpoint of players has been relatively quiet, at least in comparison. Especially the perspective of the players watching the guys they’ve played alongside who have decided to chase opportunities at a higher level, or NIL opportunities not offered to everyone in the locker room.

That’s about to change significantly with this open letter.

A highly successful college coach shared this open letter exclusively with FootballScoop, written by one of his players, earlier today and it reads equal parts warning and also a love letter to the college football we’ve seemingly left behind.

This is how the game is being destroyed.

This is how young people will fail to learn the gifts that the game was meant to teach them.

Football, you had the ability to take a hundred young individuals, from completely different backgrounds, and unite them to work together as one team. To let them experience the magic of how a common love for you strengthens each one’s ability exponentially when they work together. You gave them the chance to see how each and every team member is valuable, that no one person is more important or can win a national championship by themselves. You taught them that they need the sacrifice and support of their teammates, and that they need to sacrifice and support as well. You taught them the value of humility and putting the team before themselves. And you taught them the sweetness of victory, made even sweeter because it was shared with every member of the team, the school, and the program.

Sorry football, the portal and N.I.L. has changed all that. It has taken the focus off of you and the team, and put the focus on individuals and their own personal gain. Young players who came to the school for the love of the game, the school’s program, and to pursue an education, are being seduced and distracted by the lure of money and fame. These young men are being exploited by big money schools and programs, often just to pad their rosters. Their focus is turned by these sales pitches, away from the team and the program that invested in them and helped develop their skills and character, and placed it on the monetization of their abilities.

They are being hounded by slick agents who operate with no rules, guardrails, or scruples. These young men have less protection than the adult NFL players. They are being encouraged to jump ship from their teammates to make quick money now, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

Football, they are idealistic enough to think that this is the beginning of a football career and not the end of it. There are no statistics suggesting that the portal increases the odds of going on to pro football. There are no studies suggesting that leaving your teammates to join a new team, leads to increased emotional satisfaction, but it is not rocket science to see that a five to six year bond will be stronger than a one or two year bond. And it is fact that education wise, a player could lose a percent of his college credits that do not transfer, which puts earning a degree in jeopardy.

Football, I am worried for our players, that this exploitation is at the cost of their mental health and their future careers, whether in football or, more likely, whatever they pursue in their education, if they are even able to finish. Many players are able to attend college because of football scholarship money. When they transfer and lose credits, their academic years will likely be extended beyond their football eligibility, and they will not be able to afford to finish. The contradiction of the portal is that while it might give the young athletes more options now, is it limiting their options for their future?

Football, I am worried for the future of young athletes, and I’m worried for the smaller programs that are suffering because of the portal. The smaller universities have always given opportunity to players who have been overlooked by the big schools. Players that have proven to have just as much potential and talent as players in the bigger programs, but who benefitted from being mentored, invested in, and taught what it means to be loved in a football family. These are the kids we pour our heart and souls into. These kids pour their heart and souls into the game and into their team. When they enter the portal they lose a little bit of their souls and take a little bit of soul from their teammates and coaches, the program and their university. They unintentionally further hobble the team by devaluing their teammates. Instead of seeing the team as the treasure, it makes the players the commodities, to be bought and sold like property. Their former teammates feeling the sting of being left, are also left with the challenge of rebuilding the team. The coaches and program must deal with recruiting higher numbers than naturally would occur, and without the fat wallet of the bigger schools. This creates an even bigger disparity between the rich and the poor, so to speak. There should be some compensation to the programs, whose players are being harvested, to at least keep them competitive, or they will become just a stepping stone or developmental division.

Football, the college game should be about developing young athletes to be men of character. Men who know and have experienced the value of hard work, dedication, humility, and the love good coaches and teammates share. Men who value the joy and satisfaction of being part of something bigger than themselves. Football, for years you have been an incredible force in turning boys into men! I pray that you can still do that for future generations, but change must happen for you to succeed.

Powerful words and thoughts from this young man.

The floor is open, let us hear your feedback in the comments below.

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Charles Barkley rips NCAA, sees bleak future for college athletics

Bruce Pearl Proud of “Best Basketball Team in Auburn History” after Final Four Loss to Florida The Auburn Tigers had a nine-point lead against the Florida Gators in the second half of their Final Four matchup, but they saw it evaporate quickly in a flurry by the Gators. Sports Illustrated – Auburn Tigers HOOVER — […]

Published

8 minutes ago

May 14, 2025

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HOOVER — Days after calling the NCAA “a bunch of idiots and fools,” former Auburn basketball standout Charles Barkley didn’t mince his words Wednesday at the Regions Tradition pro-am. He doubled down.

“College athletics is so (expletive) up right now,” Barkley said. “I don’t know what they’re going to do to fix this thing. The NCAA, they’re just a bunch of idiots. They let it get so out of control. … I don’t know how you put toothpaste back in the tube.”

Barkley, who has been an avid financial supporter of Auburn and other in-state institutions, was asked about not contributing to his alma mater’s NIL collective, to which clarified what he has already communicated.

“That’s not what I said,” Barkley replied. “There’s nobody, legal or illegal, who’s given more money to Auburn than me. Let’s get that out of the way. There’s not a single person in the world who’s given more money to Auburn, legal or illegal, than me. But the notion that I’m going to give them millions of dollars a year so Auburn can be good at football and basketball, that’s not going to happen. … Anybody who thinks that is just stupid.”

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.

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NCAA president opens the door for Trump to weigh in on NIL rules

The head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is welcoming the possibility of Donald Trump and the executive branch weighing in on the name, image and likeness rules for college athletes. Last week, I wrote about former college football coach Nick Saban’s meeting with Trump, in which he’s said to have urged Trump to take […]

Published

30 minutes ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is welcoming the possibility of Donald Trump and the executive branch weighing in on the name, image and likeness rules for college athletes.

Last week, I wrote about former college football coach Nick Saban’s meeting with Trump, in which he’s said to have urged Trump to take executive action to control the system that currently allows college athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL). Saban has previously suggested today’s college athletes are too entitled, and he’s found an ally in Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who’s also a former college football coach who has complained about the current system. It’s a pairing that raises doubts that any solution they propose will favor players rather than the colleges that rely on their labor. More recent news reports indicate that Trump is considering naming Saban and a billionaire Texas Tech booster to a commission on college athletics that could include NIL rules.

During a gathering on Monday, NCAA President Charlie Baker expressed openness to government involvement. According to The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.:

‘I think the fact that there’s an interest on the executive side on this, I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,’ said Baker, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts. ‘There is a lot going on, that’s not all bad, and I’m up for anything that helps us get somewhere.’

On whether Trump or his commission’s involvement would bring about the NIL legislation that some NCAA officials have been seeking for years, Baker said, “I don’t have a crystal ball on that one, I don’t know.” He added, “We do need some help at some point to create some clarity out of some of these issues in Washington. Creating clarity one lawsuit at a time is just a really bad way to try to move forward.”

So it looks like the NCAA is taking a different approach to Trump’s potential meddling in their institution. Where some organizations, like a handful of law firms, have resisted Trump’s edicts that attempt to dictate how they operate, the NCAA is “up for anything.”

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SQAIRZ NAMED OFFICIAL FOOTWEAR PARTNER OF PERFECT GAME, NEW EXCLUSIVE …

SQAIRZ, the performance footwear brand trusted by athletes across every level of baseball, has been named an Official Footwear Partner of Perfect Game, the world’s largest amateur baseball platform and scouting service. Their multi-year partnership will focus on supporting the next generation of baseball talent with science-backed footwear proven to deliver real results on the […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SQAIRZ NAMED OFFICIAL FOOTWEAR PARTNER OF PERFECT GAME, NEW EXCLUSIVE ...

SQAIRZ, the performance footwear brand trusted by athletes across every level of baseball, has been named an Official Footwear Partner of Perfect Game, the world’s largest amateur baseball platform and scouting service. Their multi-year partnership will focus on supporting the next generation of baseball talent with science-backed footwear proven to deliver real results on the field.

As part of the collaboration, SQAIRZ and Perfect Game will launch an exclusive co-branded colorway of the SQAIRZ GFP™ baseball cleat in fall 2025, giving players a bold new look backed by performance-first design. The cleat—already known for its patented roomier toe box, Smart Traction™ outsole, and biomechanically tested performance benefits—will now be available in a unique Perfect Game edition.

“This partnership is about the players,” said Bob Winskowicz, Founder & CEO of SQAIRZ. “Perfect Game has built one of the most impactful platforms in youth baseball, and we’re proud to support these athletes with footwear that’s proven to enhance balance, increase ground force production, and boost throwing and swing velocity—all while reducing the risk of injury. These players are chasing big dreams, and we’re here to help them compete with confidence and stay healthy doing it.”

Built for Performance. Backed by Data.

Independent testing shows that athletes wearing SQAIRZ cleats experience a 2.6 MPH increase in throwing velocityand 2.0 MPH boost in exit velocity, with improved balance and more efficient energy transfer. These gains come from the cleat’s ability to stabilize the body and harness power from the ground up—whether at the plate, on the mound, or in the field.

SQAIRZ GFP™ cleats are also engineered for injury prevention—reducing stress on joints and soft tissue by creating a more stable base. From helping mitigate common overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis to supporting better lower body mechanics that can reduce the risk of Tommy John surgery, their footwear is built to protect as much as it performs.

Elevating the Game for the Next Generation

As an Official Footwear Partner of Perfect Game, SQAIRZ will be integrated into key events and programs across the country, giving players broader access to performance-driven gear and educational content around how proper footwear impacts movement, injury prevention, and overall development. At select Perfect Game tournaments and showcases, players will have the opportunity to step into SQAIRZ cleats in on-site hitting bays and training zones—experiencing the difference for themselves in real time. From exclusive athlete-only discounts to first-hand access to new innovations and co-branded releases, this partnership is designed to give players every advantage possible as they chase their next level.

“At Perfect Game, we’re committed to helping athletes learn, grow, and reach their full potential by providing access to the best tools and opportunities in the sport,” said Rob Ponger, CEO of Perfect Game. “Partnering with SQAIRZ ensures our players are equipped with footwear that’s backed by innovation and built to deliver a real performance advantage.”

More details on the Perfect Game x SQAIRZ colorway will be announced ahead of the fall launch.

For more information, visit sqairz.com or perfectgame.org.

SQAIRZ GFP™ baseball & softball cleats are available now in molded, metal, and turf, and come in sizes for men, women, and youth athletes. The lineup features a range of bold colorways—including the brand new Carolina Blue. Players, parents, and coaches can shop the full collection at sqairz.com and online at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

About SQAIRZ

SQAIRZ is a performance footwear brand dedicated to helping athletes compete with more power, stability, and balance. Backed by science and trusted by professionals, SQAIRZ delivers patented technology that drives measurable results in baseball, golf, and pickleball.

About Perfect Game

Perfect Game is the world’s largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 9,800+ events, hundreds of thousands of games, and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players perform with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 2,240 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 15,134 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2023 Draft, for example, 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and every player selected on the Draft’s first day had previously attended Perfect Game events.

Media Contact:
Savannah Smith
Senior Marketing Director
savannah@sqairzgolf.com
www.sqairz.com

NIL

After chaotic spell, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is optimistic about league’s stability

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — The Atlantic Coast Conference is entering a period of stability. How long it lasts is anyone’s guess. Not even commissioner Jim Phillips knows for sure. “I still live one day at a time,” Phillips quipped. The ACC wrapped up its spring meetings Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, with athletic […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — The Atlantic Coast Conference is entering a period of stability.

How long it lasts is anyone’s guess. Not even commissioner Jim Phillips knows for sure.

“I still live one day at a time,” Phillips quipped.

The ACC wrapped up its spring meetings Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, with athletic directors and coaches having spent three days discussing wide-ranging issues affecting football and basketball.

The event came amid the backdrop of the pending $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, which would allow schools to share up to $20.5 million annually directly with their athletes.

The ACC spent the past two years tracking that legal battle while also wading through contentious litigation from two of its top member schools, Clemson and Florida State.

The Tigers and Seminoles approved a settlement in March that changed the league’s revenue-distribution model to benefit schools with marquee football brands. Both would presumably fall into that category.

Although the 2030-31 season looms as a potential spot for more changes to the college football landscape, the revised deal should fortify a league that looked to be on the verge of collapse while falling further behind the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten.

“I just think you got to settle down,” Phillips said, noting he envisions four or five years of stability ahead. “And I think college athletics needs it to settle down, not just the ACC. I think we’ve positioned ourselves for that, and that’s a good thing. It just is.

“Chaos and the constant wondering of what’s happening here or there, I just think that distracts from the business at hand. But I feel good about where we’re at.”

The league’s revised revenue-distribution model incorporates TV viewership as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more money.

Florida State, for example, expects roughly $18 million extra annually from the tweaked structure. Those schools outside the top tier could see a decline of about $7 million a year.

“We’re really excited that this is now put behind us,” FSU athletic director Michael Alford said. “We have a path going forward. We have a path to really look at how we control the conference together, how we expand on the great brands that are in this conference and really promote the ACC and especially ACC football moving forward and give it its day in the sun.”

Presidential help ahead?

Even though ACC schools are bracing for the NCAA settlement and how it will change their business model, Phillips believes President Donald Trump’s proposed commission on collegiate athletics could help.

“We have not been able to get this thing into the end zone, so to speak,” Phillips said. “If the president feels that a commission could potentially help, I’m all for it.”

The proposed commission would be co-chaired by former Alabama coach Nick Saban and current Texas Tech board of regents chairman Cody Campbell.

“I think it’s well-intended,” Phillips said. “I do feel that the time is right based on all the work that’s previously been done and a supportive administration that’s in there. So I’m hopeful that that can be a positive to an end result that gets us a standardized law across the country with NIL.”

NCAA president Charlie Baker spoke at the ACC meetings Monday and said he was “up for anything” if it helped formalize NIL laws that differ from state to state.

“I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,” Baker said. “I’m up for anything that can help us get somewhere.”

Future of the CFP

While power four conferences — the ACC, the Big Ten, Big 12 and the SEC — continue to negotiate the future of the College Football Playoff beginning in 2026, Phillips declined to reveal specifics regarding the league’s stance on automatic qualifiers.

“I remain steadfast about fairness in the system and access,” he said. ”Out of respect for my colleagues, I want to hold off on commenting about AQs and specific models.”

The 16-team playoff model that has been widely discussed would grant four automatic berths to the Big Ten, four to the SEC, two to the ACC and two to the Big 12. That would leave four bids, with as many as three of those going to at-large teams and the other to the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six.

The ACC, according to several coaches, wants three guaranteed spots.

“You start to wonder if we are going to have an invitational,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “Every year, one league may be better than the other, and it can change to some degree.

“To say we’re going to pick teams based on what’s happened the last 15 years, especially in an environment where we have more and more parity with the way the rules are, I think it’s a slippery slope.”

Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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A Presidential Commission Could Determine How Florida Universities Compensate Players

The White House is considering forming a presidential commission that could set new rules on how colleges and universities compensate school athletes. Yahoo.com reports that former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and former Texas Tech football player Cody Campbell will lead the commission. Some areas the commission may focus on. The first one deals with […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The White House is considering forming a presidential commission that could set new rules on how colleges and universities compensate school athletes.

Yahoo.com reports that former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and former Texas Tech football player Cody Campbell will lead the commission.

Some areas the commission may focus on.

The first one deals with athlete compensation. Since the 2021 Supreme Court ruling on the NCAA, college athletes can now be paid from what is known as NIL, name, image, and likeness, and many college football and basketball players are now making six—and seven-figure salaries a year.

Saban has expressed his concerns about players being compensated. Last year, he told Fox News that school competition would be hurt because popular schools could afford to pay top dollar for athletes compared to smaller universities that couldn’t. This may also cause a problem with schools cutting non-revenue and Olympic sports, which could hurt female athletes.

Another area the commission may examine is school transfer rules. Under these rules, student athletes can switch schools right in the middle of the season.

“Yep, this is a big issue that will have to be addressed. Some players are taking advantage of this, and it’s caused problems with school turnover,” said Florida Sports Podcaster Jason Redmon. Redmon says there are lawsuits against the NCAA on this topic.

Another problem area, Redmon says, is whether student athletes should be able to form labor unions.

If the commission is formed, the Trump administration says their main issues they will look at are a limited antitrust protection for the NCAA to enforce transfer and eligibility rules, rules explaining that college athletes are students and not employees, and possibly the third would be federal law taking over existing state NIL laws.

“In the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, President Trump wants,” said the White House to make sure that college athletes continue to get a quality education, women’s sports are protected, and the integrity of college sports remains intact,” said the White House.

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Nick Saban 'not sure we really need' President Donald Trump's commission on college sports

Nick Saban was formally tabbed to be help solve all that’s ailing college athletics in the day and age of NIL and the transfer portal as co-chair of President Donald Trump‘s commission on college sports. But it appears the former Alabama coach isn’t exactly sold on need for the presidentially-mandated working group. “First of all, […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Nick Saban 'not sure we really need' President Donald Trump's commission on college sports

Nick Saban was formally tabbed to be help solve all that’s ailing college athletics in the day and age of NIL and the transfer portal as co-chair of President Donald Trump‘s commission on college sports. But it appears the former Alabama coach isn’t exactly sold on need for the presidentially-mandated working group.

“First of all, I don’t know a lot about the commission. Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission,” Saban said Wednesday afternoon on The Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network. “I think that a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them. The key to the drill is getting people together so we can move it forward.

“I’m not opposed to players making money, I don’t want anybody to think that. I just think the system that we (are using), the way it’s going right now is not sustainable, and probably not in the best interest of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself,” Saban continued. “I think we need to protect the brand, and the competitive advantages and disadvantages that are being created right now, and I think we can fix all that. But I think we know how to do it, and not just me but a lot of people, we just have to get everybody together to do it.”

Saban then revealed how the idea for a presidential commission even came about, originating during President Trump’s trip to Tuscaloosa for a special commencement ceremony late last month.

“I think first of all, the way all this started when President Trump spoke at the commencement at Alabama, he said: ‘All my friends are saying college football is really messed up. Let’s get together so we can figure out how to fix it.’ So that’s how all this got started,” Saban added. “But I really don’t want to get into the implementation of what I would do. I think the first thing is everybody’s got a different state law, which creates advantages and disadvantages. And everybody is trying to create advantages. So we probably need an interstate commerce type something that gets it all there. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the players to necessarily be employees. And I think authentic name, image and likeness is good for players, but I don’t think pay-for-play is necessarily what we want.”

Nick Saban to co-chair President Donald Trump commission on college sports

Yahoo! Sports insider Ross Dellenger first reported Trump’s plans to form a commission focused on college sports. The Athletic also added the president will be “very engaged” because of the national importance he sees in college athletics.

The commission on college sports is expected to “deeply examine the unwieldy landscape of college sports, including the frequency of player movement in the transfer portal, the unregulated booster compensation paid to athletes, the debate of college athlete employment, the application of Title IX to school revenue-share payments and, even, conference membership makeup and conference television contracts,” according to Yahoo! Sports. It is expected to be a months-long endeavor.

News of Trump’s plan to consider an executive order and form a commission come with the backdrop of the House v. NCAA settlement, which continues to go through the final approval process. Attorneys filed an updated brief last Wednesday that sought to address Judge Claudia Wilken’s concerns about roster limits, and the plan would create a grandfather provision for athletes who lost their spots. A decision on final approval is expected in the coming weeks.

However, plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman called out Nick Saban and President Donald Trump’s discussions as the settlement seeks final approval. Legal experts say an executive order could create more problems, and Berman called for the conversations to cease while both sides work toward final approval for the House v. NCAA settlement.

“While he was a coach, [Nick] Saban initially opposed NIL payments to athletes, pushing to add restrictions and red tape through national legislation to add ‘some sort of control,’” Berman said in a statement. “During his time scrutinizing the athlete pay structure, he made tens of millions of dollars and was previously the highest-paid coach in college football.

“Coach Saban and Trump’s eleventh-hour talks of executive orders and other meddling are just more unneeded self-involvement. College athletes are spearheading historic changes and benefitting massively from NIL deals. They don’t need this unmerited interference from a coach only seeking to protect the system that made him tens of millions.”

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.