On July 1, 2021, the college sports landscape changed forever. The National Collegiate Athletics Association finally allowed college athletes to officially monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). This move was made after decades of infamous under-the-table payments usually followed by sanctions against athletes and athletic programs. Athletes were paid for their NIL in various illegal ways. Reggie Bush had his 2005 Heisman Trophy stripped in 2010, until the trophy returned to the University of Southern California in 2024. Players and coaches alike were demanding for athletes to receive compensation especially after the NCAA generated nearly $1.3 billion in revenue in the 2022-2023 year. While the move has benefited athletes, it has greatly altered the collegiate environment, arguably for the worse.
Most recently, University of Tennessee Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was ousted from the Volunteers’ program after requesting an increased salary of $4 million. His current contract was set between 2.2 to $2.5 million. After a fallout in negotiations, Iamaleava who led Tennessee to their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, entered the portal and has tentatively signed with the University of California, Los Angeles. On Iamaleava, Head Coach of Tennessee Josh Heupel declared that “There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T.”
The NIL effect on college football is profound and has essentially reshaped the system. The changes has been mostly beneficial for the NCAA as revenue has continued to increase as broadcasting rights, boosters, and conference realignment have led to money flooding into the NCAA’s pockets. There are extreme legal issues with this increase in money, as the NCAA has not effectively outlined how payment processes should work. This issue falls under the responsibility of everyone involved in the matter, but the shady work of agents and coaches has complicated the process.
In October, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Quarterback Matthew Sluka left the program amid an NIL dispute after leading the Rebels to a 3-0 start. Sluka transferred from Holy Cross in the offseason and was promised $100,000 in NIL money per his agent Marcus Cromartie and his father Bob Sluka. This claim supposedly came from what they heard from a member of the coaching staff at UNLV. However, the Quarterback only received $3,000. UNLV Athletics argued that Sluka’s demands were a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules as well as a Nevada state law. Unsurprisingly, a debate over this issue erupted across the country. Sluka left before his fifth game meaning he was able to preserve his final year of eligibility by using a redshirt season and has since committed to James Madison University.
The transfer portal tied with the lack of NIL regulations has proven to be a dire situation. In December, former Charlotte 49ers Quarterback Deshawn Purdie committed to the Florida Gators. To many this was a confusing decision because the Gators have star Quarterback DJ Lagway, who is expected to make a sizable $3.8 million in NIL with endorsements from Gatorade, Nintendo, and Epic Games. Unsurprisingly, Purdie proceeded to transfer to Wake Forest just weeks after committing to Florida. It is unclear if Purdie’s agent or he made these decisions personally. His situation amongst others has emphasized the calamity of errors that has led to clear manipulation of money and rosters.
In a Sports Illustrated article from January 23, 2025, Excel Sports Management’s founder, president, and manager partner Jeff Schwartz warned the country about the perilous evolution of NCAA athletics. Even though Schwartz primarily focuses on basketball, his concerns over the agency of athletes and their representation is critical. “You do have to worry about families getting taken advantage of if they’re not with the right people,” he told Sports Illustrated. Currently, there are no qualifications, certifications, or exams regarding the framework of governing NIL agents. Rumors have swirled about agents admitting to taking a 20% cut of college players’ NIL deals, the article reports. In Sluka’s case, this may have been the issue.
Schwartz’s concerns were proven right with NIL agent Noah Reisenfeld, who is the executive vice president of BIL and business development for Lil Wayne’s sports agency. Reisenfeld helped negotiate Tulane Quarterback Darian Mensah’s shocking move to Duke, where reports revealed he agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract. The claim that a 20% charge for agents is the collegiate standard does at all compare to the NFL or NBA standard of 3-5%.
Reisenfeld, who does not appear to be a certified agent, states that his agency believes a $10 million deal in the NFL would equate to a $1 million contract in college. On that deal, an NFL agent would make $300k compared to $200k on the college level, a major proportional difference. Agents and their companies have acted predatorily taking advantage of athletes and their families. Without proper regulations, it is likely these exploitative agents will continue to use NIL as a way to disportiantitty make money as an agent.
Even with the issues, NIL has been a vehicle for good. University of Michigan Running Back Blake Corum used his earnings to donate 100 turkeys to people in need during Thanksgiving. Jack Bech, a Tight End at Louisiana State University, partnered with the non-profit organization Dreams Come True Foundation that supports children in Louisiana battling life-threatening illnesses. NIL also provides athletes and families that come from a poorer background the ability to receive financial stability and security. Its supposed main goal is to actually have athletes profit on their name and likeness, but as we have seen, there have been some high profile cases of early roadblocks.
It will be worth following if regulations on this newfound system will be put in place in the coming years. The current House vs. NCAA settlement would provide a cap on the amount of revenue schools can share with athletes to prevent booster clubs from taking over. Another argument within the case is that former athletes who were not participating during the NIL era should receive a higher payout to compensate what they missed under the past NCAA policies. Even though U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken granted the preliminary approval in October, it is uncertain that the settlement will take effect in July. The future of college football and NIL is murky, but this settlement could possibly provide a foundation of clarity for college athletes.
