As many college sports fans and I learn of the new NIL rules, we realize all of the moving around is going to make the college game more like a bidding war.

What are the new NIL rules? Well as of June 30th, 2021 the NCAA started allowing college athletes to use their name likeness and images to make money and get sponsorships, which was previously illegal in the game of college football.

Now I do agree with college athletes having the ability to get paid through their name, likeness, and image, but I do not agree with the fact that kids are no longer choosing the “right” school for them; they are choosing the one with the bigger NIL deals.

Even the most successful coach in college football has a problem, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban in a recent interview has said this about NIL: “The concept of name, image and likeness was for players to be able to use their name, image and likeness to create opportunities for themselves. That’s what it was,” said Saban. “But that creates a situation where you can basically buy players. You can do it in recruiting. I mean, if that’s what we want college football to be, I don’t know. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more somewhere else than they can get at your place.” 

Nick Saban is explaining that they wanted NIL to be about creating opportunities not buying players.

Former Juco player, and avid college football fan, Brady Belliston believes that the NIL is not being fair. Belliston stated, “Although this is America, and I believe in the American dream. When it comes to amateur sports, it is very hard to maintain fairness between schools when NIL deals are allowed”.

Folks, the NIL will have a drastic and long effect on college sports so fans are just going to have to get used to it.