What is NIL? How much money do college athletes make off NIL deals?
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NIL: Panel discusses FHSAA’s Name, Image & Likeness proposal
Clayton Freeman, Alex Martin, Dan LaForest and Larry Blustein comment on the FHSAA’s NIL proposal and what could happen over the next few months.
Nick Saban left college football in large part because of the changing rules surrounding NIL.
The legendary Alabama coach said as much March 12 at a congressional roundtable hosted by Sen. Ted Cruz. Saban is regarded as the greatest coach of his generation, winning seven national championships, but he shockingly retired after the Crimson Tide’s loss in January’s College Football Playoff. (FSU coach Mike Norvell nearly replaced him at Alabama.)
On Capitol Hill, Saban recounted a conversation he had with his wife in which she told him players only cared about how much they were going to get paid for the next season. “All the things I believed in for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said. “It was always about developing players, it was always about helping people be more successful in life.”
Saban has said similar things since retiring in January. And he isn’t the only high-profile coach to step down in recent years as NIL legislation has expanded across the country. College basketball greats Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun have surprisingly retired. Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley left to be the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, and Chip Kelly made the stunning move to leave as head coach of UCLA to take the offensive coordinator job at soon-to-be conference rival Ohio State, both moves that were pinned in part on the difficulties of coaching in the NIL era.
Is NIL really to blame? Why is it such a big deal? What does it even mean? Here’s what you need to know.
What does NIL mean?
NIL is short for “name, image and likeness.” Basically, a student athlete being able to sign NIL deals means they are able to enter into contracts to endorse products and make money off their personal brand. They can do commercials for TV, post branded ads on their social media channels and have companies do the same. It’s what professional athletes have been doing for decades.
Why is NIL legislation so important?
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2021 that the NCAA’s rules restricting benefits to athletes was unconstitutional, paving the way for states to decide whether to allow student athletes to profit off NIL deals. Previously, athletes were not permitted to receive any benefits except through scholarships.
That didn’t sit right with a lot of athletes and fans. Coaches, schools and conferences made millions of dollars off major college sports and especially their lucrative TV contracts. For instance, Saban made more than $11 million for his final season at Alabama. He even had a clause in his contract that basically ensured he would always be the highest-paid coach.
Allowing NIL deals allows the athletes taking part in those games a way to earn some compensation for their…
Read More: What is NIL? How much money do college athletes make off NIL deals? 2024-03-16 16:49:45