How do you fix NIL?

[superstar57]

This has become a mess. News broke last week UNLV QB walks away from team after not being paid a promised 100k.

Currently from my understanding the colleges are offering athletes deals from money that comes from a "collective". Who actually disburses the money to the player is becoming an issue, and when the athlete is to be paid the money is an issue.

Everyone should be paid for there name, image, and likeness. Footnote only a hand full of athletes entering college are worth anything without having a college team, so the colleges deserve money because they are the organization.

Colleges get TV revenue and ticket sale revenue, this is the money that needs to be split up with athletes. How do you split up? You pay a salary to players "equally" based upon how much there sports make. Give the university 60-70 percent they are providing the facilities and coaching. Pay the players in there respective sports the rest.

If a player does a TV ad, and wears a UNC jersey or uses a highlight from a game, then the company needs to pay the college and the player. A guy like Bronny doesn't need to rock a college jersey to be recognized,so he deserves all the money. If your team does a authogragh session, all players should be paid equally, but not obligated to do so. If again Bronny doesn't want to sign authogragh with team, he should be allowed to set up his own event and take all the revenue, but pay all the expenses of setting this up. If a school sales a jersey with a number they deserve all the money, but if the jersey is sold with name, that should be a joint adventure between the person selling Bronny jersey and the College name displayed.

Colleges want to control the money, and athletes at that age are not knowledgeable enough to set up there own business. So in the end colleges are going to take advantage of the athlete

Gil's arena made a great point. It was more organized when guys were being paid under the table. They even made a statement, when Casino's were appearing it was the gangsters who set it up because they knew how to make sure everyone got paid, and everyone was happy.

Every college athlete needs to have there own media platform that way they can get there money straight to them.

Colleges should pay players, but only off the revenue there team generates. How much is that? I really don't know!

 

[DaSheed]

To fix NIL in college sports, we need standardized national guidelines to limit third-party influence and prevent pay-for-play schemes. An independent oversight body is crucial, but it must be transparent and accountable to avoid corruption. Regular audits, strict conflict-of-interest policies, and involvement from multiple stakeholders—athletes, schools, and legal experts—can help ensure integrity. Education for athletes on financial literacy and career planning is also key. Let’s bring structure to the Wild West and protect fairness for all.

 

[DaveChapelle]

Here's the thing. You can't limit the amount a person makes off endorsements, or you break anti-trust laws. And we've already seen the NCAA repeatedly cave at just the threats of anti-trust lawsuits (that's why the transfer rules now allow immediate eligibility after every transfer.)

I personally don't think this can be fixed. The NCAA didn't think this through before they implemented NIL, and now they are too scared of lawsuits to try and fix it.

 

[al would]

This has become a mess. News broke last week UNLV QB walks away from team after not being paid a promised 100k.

Currently from my understanding the colleges are offering athletes deals from money that comes from a "collective". Who actually disburses the money to the player is becoming an issue, and when the athlete is to be paid the money is an issue.

Everyone should be paid for there name, image, and likeness. Footnote only a hand full of athletes entering college are worth anything without having a college team, so the colleges deserve money because they are the organization.

Colleges get TV revenue and ticket sale revenue, this is the money that needs to be split up with athletes. How do you split up? You pay a salary to players "equally" based upon how much there sports make. Give the university 60-70 percent they are providing the facilities and coaching. Pay the players in there respective sports the rest.

If a player does a TV ad, and wears a UNC jersey or uses a highlight from a game, then the company needs to pay the college and the player. A guy like Bronny doesn't need to rock a college jersey to be recognized,so he deserves all the money. If your team does a authogragh session, all players should be paid equally, but not obligated to do so. If again Bronny doesn't want to sign authogragh with team, he should be allowed to set up his own event and take all the revenue, but pay all the expenses of setting this up. If a school sales a jersey with a number they deserve all the money, but if the jersey is sold with name, that should be a joint adventure between the person selling Bronny jersey and the College name displayed.

Colleges want to control the money, and athletes at that age are not knowledgeable enough to set up there own business. So in the end colleges are going to take advantage of the athlete

Gil's arena made a great point. It was more organized when guys were being paid under the table. They even made a statement, when Casino's were appearing it was the gangsters who set it up because they knew how to make sure everyone got paid, and everyone was happy.

Every college athlete needs to have there own media platform that way they can get there money straight to them.

Colleges should pay players, but only off the revenue there team generates. How much is that? I really don't know!

NCAA is an ongoing cluster flop and NIL is another example of them clowns mentally regressing and swirling down the toilet bowl. Since they've let the genie out the bottle it seems they should cap NIL to make it somewhat equitable across the board. But then it goes right back to the "under the table" stuff that's been there forever. How about just allowing college players to hire agents and still retain eligibility. That's where it's going anyway. All about the $$.

 

[superstar57]

I hate to say it, but agents might be the answer. If agents and financial advisors are stealing from pros, I can only imagine what they are going to do a high school kid entering college.

Kids are wanting to red shirt so they can get another year of NIL. I never thought it would come to this. Simply wow!

 

[dtodd4475]

Here's the thing. You can't limit the amount a person makes off endorsements, or you break anti-trust laws. And we've already seen the NCAA repeatedly cave at just the threats of anti-trust lawsuits (that's why the transfer rules now allow immediate eligibility after every transfer.)

I personally don't think this can be fixed. The NCAA didn't think this through before they implemented NIL, and now they are too scared of lawsuits to try and fix it.

They only "cave" now because they have no case to fight in court, they have repeatedly got annihilated in court, to the tune of BILLIONS, why be stubborn and add to the pay outs by fighting a clear no grounds to win case? They would not and did not "implement" it voluntarily or in good faith, they fought it tooth and nail, and were bullheaded and greedy until they were legally out of delay game.

They had a chance a decade ago, when the writing was on the wall, clearly the losing side legally, instead of being proactive and having a role, they chose to delay and keep siphoning the cash. Well when time is up with your appeal charade, you now have zero leverage. Same thing they did to UNC, hoping they would "cave", with delays, when time ran out and the time to go to final ruling in court came, they had no legal standing and got ZERO punishment or say at that point.

 

[DaveChapelle]

How about just allowing college players to hire agents and still retain eligibility. That's where it's going anyway. All about the $$.

College players have been able to hire agents and maintain eligibility since 2022.

 

[superstar57]

Do you think Colleges want to control the money? If it goes directly to the player and not to a collective then why would anyone donate to the University? Also should athletes be paid out monthly or at the end of there respective season?

 

[UNC-75]

The era of college sports is dead. It’s over folks. Greed and ignorance has doomed the sport. In the future there will be 4-5 football or basketball teams that can win the Natty. Everyone else is playing to get recognition from the cheerleaders only and have no chance at competing with the high rollers. So sad.

 

[Kool1234567]

The era of college sports is dead. It’s over folks. Greed and ignorance has doomed the sport. In the future there will be 4-5 football or basketball teams that can win the Natty. Everyone else is playing to get recognition from the cheerleaders only and have no chance at competing with the high rollers. So sad.

It’s pretty much always been like that…5 or 6 teams every year…

 

[superstar57]

The era of college sports is dead. It’s over folks. Greed and ignorance has doomed the sport. In the future there will be 4-5 football or basketball teams that can win the Natty. Everyone else is playing to get recognition from the cheerleaders only and have no chance at competing with the high rollers. So sad.

My favorite sport is college basketball, and it makes me mad to know that this could have been done in a smoother way. Ed O'Bannnon (sp) should have gained more support. We took Heisman away from Reggie Bush because of authogragh for money. Even in lower level Lebron was suspended for a Jersey. My point being there was plenty of time to get this stuff straight before this current fiasco.

Is College era over as we no it? Yes it is. College sports has always been a farm system, now it has to find a way to benefit players.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The era of college sports is dead. It’s over folks. Greed and ignorance has doomed the sport. In the future there will be 4-5 football or basketball teams that can win the Natty. Everyone else is playing to get recognition from the cheerleaders only and have no chance at competing with the high rollers. So sad.

That's even more doomy and gloomy than I get.

Out of 360-odd teams, how many of them get to the Final Four even once a decade?

Point being that there are lots of very committed fans who aren't put off by rarely (or never) expecting their team to be a contender.

It will certainly be tough on us if UNC slips into the realm of seldom-if-ever moving deep into the tournament. But that's just because we have led charmed lives as fans of UNC.

I'm old enough to remember when only one ACC team got to go to the NCAAT and maybe one more to the NIT. Back then we cared a lot about the regular season and the ACCT - and we still loved the sport.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Sports is always on the verge of dying out but....
3-point shot; dunk ban; zone defenses; shot clocks; moving the 3-pt line; coaches' challenges/replay; all were supposed to end the game but college bball is as big as ever! There will be a correction, and it will continue to earn billions while providing entertainment to the fans!

My line in the sand would be if UNC abandoned the Carolina Way! (Nothing external can steal my joy!)

 

[DSouthr]

How to fix NIL? This whole NIL mess started because Ed Obannon saw his image in a UCLA uniform advertising for a video game and he did not receive a dime for it. The deal went to 3rd party arbitration and the result was, as it should have been, that Obannon should have been paid. It was an endorsement deal that both the school as well as the kid should have been paid for and the school got all the money. IT was not about collectives or pay to play schemes. As you may recall, this NIL stuff started, UNC was adamant that the school should in no way be involved with it or risk being involved with what was and actually should still be a major violation, paying player to play for your program. But all the4 sudden Texas A*&M and Miami started to have boosters openly, in full public view, making blatant offers to recruits to play for their program and the NCAA sat back doing absolutely nothing. So it spread to the point that now the normal is paying guys to play for your program, it did because the NCAA sat on their hands, they fiddled, college sports burned.

At this point, what solves this NIL problem is for the top 50 or so programs to all drop out of the NCAA, totally end that relationship. Form their own association with a primary rule being that no school will participate in collectives or any other schemes that are pay to play are sanctioned harshly. Players are free to enter into any endorsement deals they want as long as the schools are in no way involved. Any use of the NIL deal to entice a player to sign with a particular program should see that program harshly punished. The NCAA has had years of many chances to fix this, they didn't, they do not deserve more chances to fail. You take the NIL and booster cheating via NIL away from school involvement and the sport is just fine, not doing so is allowing it to implode.

I look at a NIL deal the same way I would look at a job while going to school, should be allowed but the schools and boosters have morphed this thing into something beyond crazy as a result college sports is in a death spiral and it seems no one really cares?

 

[alabamaheel]

Sports is always on the verge of dying out but....
3-point shot; dunk ban; zone defenses; shot clocks; moving the 3-pt line; coaches' challenges/replay; all were supposed to end the game but college bball is as big as ever! There will be a correction, and it will continue to earn billions while providing entertainment to the fans!

My line in the sand would be if UNC abandoned the Carolina Way! (Nothing external can steal my joy!)

I understand but me personally, I never lost interest in the game during any of those changes. This is some kind of different. This is the society we live in coming out in sports and I absolutely hate it. Only word I have is ROME. Dang I feel old thinking that way but oh well. My dad would be proud lol

 

[superstar57]

NIL along with transfer portal together is changing the college game quickly.

Would not mind some money attachment being added to staying with a team another year. No incentive to stay with a team. Some guys biggest paychecks will come during there college years, so they will change year to year to maximize. A lot of good players who are not pro level players, are actually good fits, and make more money switching college teams. Brady Manek for us that year was worth a lot (I am unsure if he got money or what amount).

Teams are having to change faces too drastically year to year, and that to me is making things feel like an end to an era. Can't grow with a team anymore.

Happy Seth Trimble stayed and didn't transfer because we should be able to see his progression.

 

[dtodd4475]

How to fix NIL? This whole NIL mess started because Ed Obannon saw his image in a UCLA uniform advertising for a video game and he did not receive a dime for it. The deal went to 3rd party arbitration and the result was, as it should have been, that Obannon should have been paid. It was an endorsement deal that both the school as well as the kid should have been paid for and the school got all the money. IT was not about collectives or pay to play schemes. As you may recall, this NIL stuff started, UNC was adamant that the school should in no way be involved with it or risk being involved with what was and actually should still be a major violation, paying player to play for your program. But all the4 sudden Texas A*&M and Miami started to have boosters openly, in full public view, making blatant offers to recruits to play for their program and the NCAA sat back doing absolutely nothing. So it spread to the point that now the normal is paying guys to play for your program, it did because the NCAA sat on their hands, they fiddled, college sports burned.

At this point, what solves this NIL problem is for the top 50 or so programs to all drop out of the NCAA, totally end that relationship. Form their own association with a primary rule being that no school will participate in collectives or any other schemes that are pay to play are sanctioned harshly. Players are free to enter into any endorsement deals they want as long as the schools are in no way involved. Any use of the NIL deal to entice a player to sign with a particular program should see that program harshly punished. The NCAA has had years of many chances to fix this, they didn't, they do not deserve more chances to fail. You take the NIL and booster cheating via NIL away from school involvement and the sport is just fine, not doing so is allowing it to implode.

I look at a NIL deal the same way I would look at a job while going to school, should be allowed but the schools and boosters have morphed this thing into something beyond crazy as a result college sports is in a death spiral and it seems no one really cares?

If I recall correctly Ed O Bannon saw his nephew playing the NCAA basketball video game, with his years National Championship team, no names were given to the players, but it had Ed's facial features and his stats, height etc. The NCAA and universities owned the rights to their NIL in perpetuity. He knew how absurd this loop hole they used was. It caused the very popular NCAA football video games to stop using #34 from Auburn with Bo's stats, speed, etc. They also were using current teams with current players likenesses. Without the players likeness, the games had little to no appeal.

Chris Weber shutting up Michigan also shined a light on the absurdity of the colleges double standard. They threatened to sue for money lost due to his part in infractions leading to the schools probation. He quickly had a counter suit ready for his cut of all the Fab 5 gear and #4 jerseys with his name on the back they still were selling the rights to or personally for millions yearly.

They knew they were dead wrong legally cheating athletes for mountains of profits, but like all huge corporations do the schools and the NCAA delayed as long as they could almost 20 years until they had to pay for their civil crimes. Now pay the piper, and you have no leverage.

I agree, the top 50 are going to break away in football first and foremost, but it is to direct salaries, collectively bargained contracts, salary caps/floors, unions, etc. Pat Mahomes still can make money outside of his contracts though, and so will the college athlete employees, just won't be as necessary for the boosters to be the whole salary anymore in a collective.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

NIL along with transfer portal together is changing the college game quickly.

Would not mind some money attachment being added to staying with a team another year. No incentive to stay with a team. Some guys biggest paychecks will come during there college years, so they will change year to year to maximize. A lot of good players who are not pro level players, are actually good fits, and make more money switching college teams. Brady Manek for us that year was worth a lot (I am unsure if he got money or what amount).

Teams are having to change faces too drastically year to year, and that to me is making things feel like an end to an era. Can't grow with a team anymore.

Happy Seth Trimble stayed and didn't transfer because we should be able to see his progression.

How about non-compete contracts?

It would be sort of like the NCAA requirement to sit out a year, except you get paid a bonus if you agree to a 1-year non-compete contract.

On the flip side, players could ask for "severance pay" if they are invited to leave.