NIL rules have forever changed college sports, so high-profile coaches who ruled the old regime won’t necessarily love the new landscape.
Unsurprisingly, two of college football’s top coaches feel threatened by players gaining empowerment. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney called the current NIL system “out of control” in an ESPN interview last month, and Nick Saban is under heavy scrutiny after directly accusing Texas A&M and Jackson State of buying recruits.
When discussing the issue on ESPN’s First Take (h/t 247Sports), JJ Redick said their opposition is all about “control.”
“For decades, college football and high-level college basketball has not been an amateur sport,” Redick said. “And so now, instead of coming up with an equitable solution for the top athletes at the top schools, the NCAA, conferences and schools basically kicked the can and opened up the Wild, Wild, West. And that’s where we are right now.
“It’s why a number of coaches have retired. It’s why Dabo Swinney has spoken out so vehemently against NIL, and it’s why Nick Saban has a real problem here. It comes down to control.”
Redick said they’re “acting out” after losing “a little bit of control of the situation.” He later added that there was likely a better method of handling player payment, but the NCAA was “unwilling to share the pot” from TV revenue and high coaching salaries.
As Redick suggested, regulations will come eventually. For now, everyone is swimming in unchartered waters.