College Football

As Dabo Swinney, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart grumble about new rules, they don’t admit this

To hear college football coaches tell it, the sport is in dire straits.

Nick Saban says the game’s direction is unsustainable. Dabo Swinney bemoaned the lack of rules and guidance regarding player endorsements, telling ESPN that the situation surrounding name, image and likeness dollars is “out of control.” Kirby Smart worries fans will be turned off by athletes making decisions based on NIL deals.

I’ll buy that some of this handwringing is rooted in genuine concern for the future of the sport, but here’s the part coaches leave out amid their airing of grievances: Coaches are the people most negatively affected by evolutions that occurred within college football in the past year. But coaches aren’t admitting that.

From left to right: Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

Rule revisions last year allow athletes to profit off endorsements and also transfer without penalty. On the whole, these changes empower athletes, afford them more freedom, elevate their status, and allow them to turn their fame into dollars.

Fans seem to be adapting. Some have purchased T-shirts that incorporate athletes’ NIL, knowing athletes reap some financial benefit from those apparel sales. You’ll find fans attending autograph sessions at stores and restaurants where they can receive a signature and a photograph with athletes who are earning NIL money. Some fans have even paid for athletes to record personalized happy birthday or encouragement videos through apps like Cameo.

While the transfer rate makes it harder to keep track of who is playing for what team, it also affords a new avenue to accelerate a program. Surely, South Carolina fans appreciated the arrival of transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, who elevated the Gamecocks’ 2022 outlook.

Plus, fans and boosters now can directly influence their favorite team’s roster by donating to NIL collectives or offering endorsements that will help attract and retain talented players.

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