re: Unpopular question..Besides seeing your team do well on the field, what is benefit of NIL?

quote:

---

Perhaps this is a lesson young professionals and these athletes need to learn early: true fulfillment and long-term success often come from roles/schools that offer growth and development that is best for you rather than just a higher paycheck.

---

I agree, but don't expect 17/18 year olds to understand and many probably aren't getting good direction.

quote:

---

The thing that I’m hung up on is that most people do this in their careers and are applauded for it. “ I quit company A because company B offered me more, or I started my own business because I can do better financially”. What’s the difference?

---

I agree here 100%

quote:

---

NIL is now just pay for play. NIL money, for the most part, comes from rich donors and grassroots efforts like the Bayou Traditions. Rich donors just have that money the give growing in their bank accounts...it isn't a big deal for them to part with it.

---

And money being spent is money being used as intended. Hoarded money becomes worthless once only a few people have it and no one else no longer has the ability to get it.

quote:

---

The one time I made a career decision based solely on money, it was a disaster. I was miserable, and within a year, I switched to a company that prioritized my development, challenged me, and supported my growth both personally and professionally. Recently, I transitioned to a new company due to growth opportunities. Despite taking a pay cut initially, within 1.5 years, I've been promoted and received raises that surpass what I earned after six years at my previous job. Perhaps this is a lesson young professionals and these athletes need to learn early: true fulfillment and long-term success often come from roles/schools that offer growth and development that is best for you rather than just a higher paycheck. I know my opinion doesn't count for much but hopefully, it helps answer your first paragraph

---

You might would have a point if in this particular case the “job” in question is basically 3 years max for most of the players before moving on to an “even bigger corporation” (NFL).

quote:

---

Sports leagues need competitive games to make their product interesting. If there's no regulation, a few big-money teams will just buy all the good players. That's not good for the overall health of the league.

---

Then there are too many teams. If it truly is an “industry” as you describe it, it’s the equivalent of “flooding the market” with production by having too many teams that can’t compete.

quote:

---

I would surmise they get a tax break as well

---

yes, but they aren't getting on by donating to Bayou Traditions...

Maybe they hire the player to come over and give a speech or make an appearance for a group of people...or they use the player's likeness somehow, but a Bayou Traditions contribution is not tax-deductible.

NIL is only fans without the butthole photos.

quote:

---

And these players get a completely free education, if they choose to play?

---

Yes, a bunch of college classes that won’t really contribute to a career is worth risking millions

quote:

---

The money has been out there for DECADES, as have top recruits/players being paid. That didn't just start with NIL. Really, the biggest thing NIL has done is increase the payment "floor" for marginal/average players. The big names were ALWAYS getting paid. It was just under the table.

---

I’m not really buying this.

SMU got the death penalty for paying a total of $61,000 to 13 players in 1985. That would be like $180k today (an average of about $14k per player), adjusting for inflation. Eric Dickerson, probably the most famous SMU example, has said he received $500-1,000 a month. That would be somewhere between $18-36k/year today. The money has certainly grown since then but even Cam Newton was only accused of taking like $180k.

It’s not just the “floor” that has been raised. Sure, there have always been bag men. NIL has legitimized those under-the-table payments which (IMO) has dramatically increased the pool of potential bag men. I don’t think someone like Larry Ellison is getting involved at Michigan without that legitimacy.

It’s also reduced the risk for the original bag men. If I’m a booster who wants to buy a player pre-NIL, I have to be very careful. Maybe that means envelopes of cash (see SMU) that can’t really be traced. Maybe it means some sort of arrangement with a family member that obfuscates the source of the money. The more money changes hands, the more careful I have to be. There has to be a certain level of trust with the player and any other middlemen to make sure the school doesn’t end up getting burned in the long run. I imagine it’s way harder to keep $2 million concealed than $200k.

Now they don’t really have to worry about that. Putting it out in the open means they can pay larger sums without the risk of NCAA scrutiny.

quote:

---

. If there's no regulation, a few big-money teams will just buy all the good players. That's not good for the overall health of the league.

---

I’m with you on NIL but nobody will ever have all the players because every mother fricker and their cousin is transferring because they can’t play right away