Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz didn’t sugarcoat the reality of the Tigers’ situation when it comes to NIL. He acknowledged that Missouri’s current NIL resources simply aren’t at the level required to consistently contend with the financial strength of the SEC’s top programs.

During his press conference, the Tigers’ coach emphasized the need for broader corporate support from within the state. He specifically encouraged Missouri-based companies, many of which employ large numbers of Mizzou graduates, to play a more active role in NIL growth.

“I believe it’s 11 Fortune 500 companies in the state, which is fourth largest among the SEC footprint, and we’ve got to continue to develop the relationships with those companies and get those companies to invest in our athletes, whether we’re talking about football, basketball, women’s basketball, softball, women’s soccer, wrestling, volleyball, baseball,” Drinkwitz explained.

“We need their support. We are the institution of this state. We provide those companies with a lot of workers, so it would be awesome if we got to see some reciprocal investments in that,” he added.

He went on to highlight how Fortune 500 partnerships could streamline NIL approval and provide more reliable opportunities for players.

“The No. 1 way to get through NIL GO is a Fortune 500 company. If a Fortune 500 company does an NIL contract with a student athlete, it’s automatically guaranteed to go through. It’s approved because of the fiduciary responsibility that Fortune 500 company has to shareholders. So if we want to get more and more opportunities for our student athletes, then that’s something that we need to lean into. So I’m always going to be pushing and trying to create whatever advantages we can at Missouri in the NIL space,” Drinkwitz said.

Missouri currently ranks 10th in the SEC in average NIL value per player at $88,000, as per Rivals, and Drinkwitz believes expanded NIL backing is essential for taking the next step. But the broader question becomes whether the state’s corporate landscape will fuel the program’s future trajectory in an increasingly competitive NIL era.

While on field, the Tigers sit at 7-3 and remain competitive, with a Week 13 matchup against long-time rival Oklahoma (8-2),  a series dating back to 1902, Missouri enters a defining stretch.