re: Next up for the bribery Olympics

I'm sure the coaches don't use rankings as a determinate but they certainly are mindful of them and use them as validation or as data points. And even further, in this NIL world, they better be aware of them. You can bet the kids and their agents/handlers/trainers/parents(is there really any difference?)are using them as negotiation power.
As for pay for *s, in a business built on whimsical teenage boys, rumors, innuendo, scandal and millions of $, it would be the least surprising turn of events to take place. It's a business full of con men with no repercussions for being wrong. Big Sherm already opened the door to paid interviews, the obvious next step would be paid promotion(*s).