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The changing landscape of college football and all of college sports into something similar to the Wild West. The latest decision by UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka to leave team based on an unfulfilled verbal NIL promise for $100,000 from a Rebel assistant coach seems to illuminate the state of the sport. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban assessed the way things are progressing and is not pleased with the direction.
Saban was discussing the current environment on the Pat McAfee show, and says there have been quite a few changes that were not anticipated once NIL became reality. The legendary coach does not believe there is anything wrong with players being able to make money off their name, image or likeness, but it's difficult to understand where NIL ends and play for pay begins.
“I don’t really want anyone to think I don’t want players to make money but Name, Image, likeness has kind of turned into pay for play,” Saban said. “So if we’re going to do that, why don’t we just revenue share with the players. And they can still have Name, Image, and Likeness but it’s got to be something that creates marketing value for some company or whatever and they get paid for. Like it’s Bryce Young doing a Dr. Pepper commercial or whatever.”
Saban believes cash is main emphasis for many college football players
Rather than considering the state of a college program and the coaching staff, a number of college players are now using the amount of money they can put in their pockets as the most important factor when deciding where to play college football.
As a result, college sports in general and college football in particular is similar to free agency in professional sports.
Saban sees that idea as a factor that is not helping players as they complete their college experience. “The way we are right now where everybody is a consistent free agent, you don’t have any contract, you don’t have any responsibility or obligation to your team,” Saban said. “Like the player at UNLV that’s opting out, what kind of value is he really creating for his future based on what he’s doing. I don’t know that he really is.”
The idea behind NIL when it became reality was to give players a chance to make some money to help with their living expenses while competing in their chosen sport and getting an education. However, the reality of the situation is more similar to an unregulated version of professional sports free agency than it is to the previous version of college sports.
