In the 118-year history of the NCAA, there have been many challenges and changes to college sports, yet none compare to the difficulties that Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals pose to the college sports landscape. NIL deals were first approved in 2021, allowing players to earn sponsorships and money from their celebrity as college athletes. This new system has dramatically changed collegiate sports that have historically profited from the performance of their amateur players. Proponents have heralded the movement as a way for athletes to earn their fair share of the huge sums of money that universities have profited from, expanding athletes’ rights. However, even with its benefits to players, many have criticized the system as having degraded the quality of college sports and being too wide-reaching. As colleges and universities continue to adapt to the environment of NIL, it has been clear that the movement has significantly hurt the quality of college sports by expanding the disparities that already exist between rich and poor schools.
One of the biggest criticisms of NIL is how it has turned college sports into a minor sports league. Schools use NIL and the transfer portal as the equivalent of NFL free agency, which creates a constant round-about of players between teams and increases the prevalence of older players transferring into major programs. This is especially true in college basketball because of the conditions facing athletes. Some have the opportunity to go professional and earn a respectable salary if they are a top twenty pick. Others have to decide between going pro and fighting for a rooster or staying put, allowing them to make a similar amount of money while having greater opportunities in the future, with many choosing the latter. This reality isn’t inherently bad, but it has shaken up the game in two significant ways. First, as college players stay in school, the average age of college players increases, making the sport look more like the NBA’s defunct G-League Ignite. It also makes it so that players are incentivized to move around through the transfer portal for money and opportunities, which makes the sport have less recognizable stars and a shifting moral compass. Former Alabama Coach Nick Saban recently told ESPN that part of the decision for his retirement was that 70 to 80 percent of his roster was focused on demanding more money or transferring right after the conclusion of the 2023 season. This direction isn’t necessarily a good one for college sports and could create many more problems as NIL expands.
Another significant issue with NIL is the disparities that it creates between schools as gaps in resources and legal abilities cause some schools to have competitive disadvantages. There are many examples of this currently, with some schools like Arkansas using a five-million-dollar NIL fund to attract players, which many schools cannot afford to compete with. Additionally, some schools are handicapped by the various laws that exist, since there is no single set of laws governing NIL on a national scale. This has made the NIL era almost like the Wild West, with few restrictions and minimal regulators, allowing some programs to abuse the system in the new environment that is emerging. Without proper regulations, schools may be put at a near-permanent disadvantage because of NIL.
NIL has significantly harmed the structure of college sports, making what was once an amateur game into a money-oriented business. This shift harms the spirit of what college sports were meant to be, degrading the experience of everyone involved. While athletes earning their fair share is important, we need to consider the implications of the current system that is developing in college sports. As the sport shifts from personal achievement to financial achievement, it threatens to redesign the sport in an unfriendly way. Name, Image, and Likeness is here to stay, but the NCAA must focus on preserving the integrity of the shining moments of the sport.