Money Impacting College Sports

For many Americans, college sports are a big part of their lives. Whether it’s a Saturday afternoon football game or some late night basketball, Americans love college sports. A big reason for this love is because of the diversity of competitions, and the love that each player puts into their respective sport. Only two basketball teams since 1974 have won back-to-back championships, and these were some of the greatest dynasties ever. With the addition of NIL deals as a way for student-athletes to make money, these beloved qualities will likely disappear.

For anybody that doesn’t know, an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal is an agreement in which student-athletes can receive financial compensation for using their brand in marketing and promotional activities. Yet this rule change only affects a select few of major college athletes. Washington Commanders and former North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell formerly stated to the New York Times that letting players make a profit from deals they negotiated would unfairly favor players like him, who play flashy positions in marquee sports like football or basketball. NIL deals can also be signed by players in high school or even middle school! This is important because colleges are putting their money into players very unlikely to have successful careers in their respective leagues. A player like Bronny James, son of basketball star Lebron James, has already made $7.5 million in NIL money without playing a single minute of college basketball. However, many schools have already broken rules by paying players. For example, the University of Auburn is under investigation for paying future #1 overall pick Cam Newton during the recruitment process. The University of Kentucky basketball program is under investigation for paying freshman Jarred Vanderbilt, among others.

You might be asking yourself, how much are the athletes actually making? According to Inside highered.com, the average compensation for a D1 athlete; however, is only $471per year. This number shrinks down to $81 in Division 2, and $47 in D3 (Inside highered.com). This amount of money barely makes a difference, and is nothing to be driven by.

Another problem with NIL is the separation they will make between schools of different sizes. Football programs like Alabama and Texas, which bring in considerably more money than smaller schools, will be able to lure even more recruits in with the prospect of an NIL deal in place. Donors to the college can now even give money directly to the athletes which will make money an even bigger part of the game. The colleges themselves are being driven towards money. USC and UCLA have been members of the Pac-12 since 1928 and 1922, respectively. They are abandoning the Pac-12 for the Big Ten — for the sole reason that the Big Ten has a 7 billion dollar TV deal. A larger TV deal means more money for the colleges, which will be poured into creating NIL deals for upcoming athletes.

The same thing is happening with Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the lucrative, money focused SEC. The Washington Post has been informed of rumors that the major, money-making football universities are considering breaking away from the NCAA organization to create their own league where players have a salary. Doing that essentially turns college football into a professional league with younger players, and that would almost certainly ruin the sport. Much of the American obsession with college athletics revolves around the fact that the players do not get paid and are playing for their love of the game.

For the athletes good enough to get large NIL deals, professional leagues offer more than enough money. An average quarterback in the NFL is making $130 million over the next four years. A below-average shooting guard named Markelle Fultz is making $17 million a year. That is more money than most people would see in 10 lifetimes. My point is that the athletes that are good enough for sizable NIL deals will make a lot of money later in their careers. NIL is taking college, which many adults call the best times of their lives, and making it all about money.
Ultimately, the injection of money into the college sports world is very harmful. Next time you are watching a college event of some kind, I want you to ask yourself why these players are really playing and if the universities are really focused on anything but the cheddar coming their way.