With college sports on a rise paying athletes only right, but at what point is NIL becoming to much? Is NIL taking away from student-athletes and making them just athletes.
NIL, which stands for “name, image, and likeness,” becoming official July 1, 2021 allowing student-athletes to make a profit from their NIL. If the athlete would like, they can hire an agent or business advisors but isn’t required. The polices and certain colleges require to know all details of deals or any possible deals with the school and have to be approved before any signing is done. NIL deals vary from all types of things. Popular ones being high end clothing and shoes or school related materials.
NIL has taken over the NCAA these past 4 years. According to sports illustrated in 2025 Arch Manning, University of Texas quarterback will be making $6.5 million. Manning is only a sophomore, during his freshman year he was the backup quarter back for Quinn Ewers, who declared to the NFL draft and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Manning only appeared in two games his freshman season making $3.2 million and not even starting a game. Cooper Flagg, the number one projected pick in the 2025 NBA Draft made at least $28 million just one season alone at Duke Fox Sports states. The $28 million is based on Flagg’s deal with brands like New Balance and Fanatics. Flagg had more NIL deals with Gatorade, AT&T, Cort Furniture and The NIL Store with those prices being unknown leaving us knowing he made at least $28 million. If picked as the first overall pick Flagg’s rookie contract will be on an average scale around $62.7 million. Another stand out freshman and national champion Jeremiah Smith makes around $4 million Sports illustrated says. Smith has partnerships with, Nintendo, Epic Ames, Redbull, American Eagle Outfitters and Lululemon. He’s ranked number 3 among college players in NIL value.
Granted these star athletes bring in huge attention and money to the school but here when it starts to get out of hand. This is when the transfer portal gets involved. The transfer portal is an online system where college athletes can declare their intention to transfer to another school publicly. It allows coaches from other schools to view information about athletes and reach out to them. As soon as a player enters the portal all their academic records become visible and the recruiting process starts all over again. A more recent example of transfer portal situations is Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee’s former quarterback, he left the university to seek a higher NIL after Tennessee refused. According to multiple reports Iamaleava was trying to renegotiate his $2 million a year contract with the school in hopes for a new $4 million a year contract. After the school declined this negotiation Iamaleava refused to show up to practices and missed the spring game in hopes to change their minds. Not long after, Iamaleava posted on Instagram his new commitment post to UCLA, which, UCLA offer was not remotely close to the $4 million he wanted. The Tennessee coach and athletic director were positive they made the right idea. Tennessee is a large football school being an SEC team, the Vols went 6-2 this past season and making the College Football Playoffs but fell short to the Ohio State. Meanwhile UCLA went 3-6 and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014. It shows Iamaleava was more focused on his NIL income compared to playing for a team that’s a better overall team and has produced more professional athletes. It’s sad to see someone with so much talent and potential waste it somewhere just to make more money. This exist shocked his teammates. “He left his brothers behind,” Boo Carter says, a receiver and defensive back at Tennessee said.
This to pay and play system system does question the schools loyalty, the players loyalty, but the fans too.
A sports page made a poll for college fans to vote how they felt about NIL and 53 percent voted its ruining the sport while only seven precent voted its a great thing for players. Looking at St. Johns basketball team one team leader R.J. Luis entered the NBA Draft, soon players flooded into the portal. The school lost eight of their nine rotation players. Along with McNeese State team manager entering the transfer portal and signing a $100 thousand NIL deal transferring to NC State.
What makes people enjoy college sports more is watching young athletes are not playing for money like the pros but the love of the game, unfortunately now it isn’t the same. The logo on players jerseys has now lost its meaning and is represented by the most followers and the biggest paychecks. NIL made these athletes believe playing for a brand is more important. The process of recruiting players has changed drastically since NIL, it used to be you would commit to the school with the culture, team chemistry, and coaches. Now to get recruits you try to bring them in to offer the most money. Schools with less funding are losing out on key players. College sports has turned into a business more than anything.
What Moore said is a perfect example of college sports were like before NIL was introduced, you committed to the school you dreamed of going to or grew up watching.
This year was the first year since 2008 all seeds in the Final Four were all the number one seed. The Final Four consisted of Florida, Duke, Houston and Auburn. Leaving the final matchup being both number one seeds it brings it more viewers knowing the game will be closer in score and competitive. When theres a lower seed and higher seed less people watch thinking the higher seed will more than likely win. People were upset knowing there was no “Cinderella stories” in this year’s tournament. Lots of people said it had something to do with NIL big time schools paying the best players to win them championships which happened to the Florida Gators this year. With just generating $1.5 million the week of the final four.
NIL is paying some of these players more than they would make in the pros if signed. Shedeur Sanders was worth $6.5 million yearly while drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 144 pick Sanders signed a 4 year contract worth $4.6 million, a drastic drop from his NIL checks.
The question now is, is it even worth going pro for these big college athletes with insane NIL deals?
So quickly these players who become millionaires, are still students?
When this athletes pile up NIL checks how will they still reflect positive efforts on the academic side of school.
Paying athletes in college is important and something we need to keep because they bring so much revenue to schools by NIL has ruined the traditional college experience.
Rock Star Writers Blog 
Saying NIL’s ruining College sports is the same as saying money is the root of all evil. The only people who say these things are the ones who’ve watched money ruin people. NIL is not ruining these young athletes. What it’s doing is empowering them. But to many —the ones who can no longer exploit these athletes —it’s the worst thing ever. However, when these same NCAA Executives, University Athletic Directors, and Coaches were making 100s of millions of dollars in the Athletic Conference revenue sharing, the Conference/University TV contracts, the Millions of Dollars garnered from University Bowl Games, and then there’s the Coaches’ contracts extensions for winning (and sometimes losing), no one seemed to bat an eye at any of that. Or if they did, there were just complaints amongst us fans and pundits. But for YEARS, nothing ever changed. ALL that money went to everyone except the actual athletes who practiced every day, putting their bodies on the line to play the games that made everyone else millions of dollars, while they got NOTHING!
And don’t give me the “Well, they were getting a free education!” That’s a false equivalency if I’ve ever heard of one. The cost of the education and all the time these athletes put into their respective sport, in order to play every game, only to make the school more money. The two don’t equate.
See, here’s the real issue. The college athletes are no longer allowing themselves to be exploited. They’re calling their own shots. They’re requesting money for their services, and they’re willing to sell it to the highest bidder. And the ones who were used to doing the exploiting aren’t happy about it. This is where the real problem lies.
And don’t tell me anything about the transfer portal allowing these athletes to switch schools the same as they switch socks for practice, is an additional problem. If that’s the case, why is it okay for a coach to sit in a young recruit’s living room, selling the university to the kid and his parents, only to watch the coach lie about the rumors of him leaving for a higher-paying job or an NFL coaching job? Coaches will stand in front of the cameras and swear with their hand to GOD that they’re not leaving the University, only to sit in front of the backdrop of that NEW University in their introductory presser. This happens all the time, and it’s never a problem. However, the student athlete would be stuck with that school because he/she signed a commitment letter on the word of the coach.
Again, the playing field (pardon the pun) wasn’t even. Not even close. It is now, and there are so many who can’t take it. NIL does have its issues and needs a neutral party (preferably Congress) to come in and regulate it. But that doesn’t equate to ruining College Sports. It just means the “Game” needs to change. Stop considering these kids amateurs and working under amateur regulations. Restructure things and place them under Professional regulations, with contracts and restrictions. At this point, everyone is on the same playing field. Unfortunately, this will never happen because the powers that be won’t have the control they’re used to or the requisite authority they’ve governed with for half a decade. It’s a new day. Nothing is ruining. It’s just that playing field that I keep mentioning has just been leveled a bit. NCAA, you’ve lost your leverage; live with it.
LikeLike