Name, Image, and Likeness, otherwise known as NIL, has become increasingly popular since being put into place in 2021. With these new rules in place, not only can NCAA athletes receive compensation through NIL deals, but no longer have penalties for transferring from program to program.While some conferences, such as the SEC, have rules in place that limit players ability to play instantly when transferring within the conference, this doesn’t stop the market for transfers. From athlete’s choosing to stay in college to reap the benefits of NIL endorsements, to using the transfer portal as a stepping stone to their potential next big pay day, the laws passed by the NCAA are ruining the sports that we love. On top of that, it is crushing the hopes for high school athletes across the country, as their potential scholarships are taken away for transfers, and higher paid endorsed athletes.
In some cases these college athletes are earning more than professional athletes. For example, former Texas Longhorns Quarterback Quinn Ewers was set to make $8 million dollars in the NIL this upcoming season, which would have made him the highest paid college athlete. Following a senior season full of career highs, rather than transfer to another school, Ewers decided to bet on himself and enter the 2025 NFL Draft. After being projected a mid-round pick, Ewers fell all the way into the 7th round. Being selected with the 231st pick by the Miami Dolphins, where Ewers is expected to earn less than $1 million dollars a year. Ewers had almost a $7 million dollar loss by entering the NFL Draft.
Shedeur Sanders, former Colorado University Quarterback, is another athlete who will have earned more as a college athlete than as a professional. During his time at Colorado, Sheduer earned an estimated $6.5 million in NIL deals alone. Some of his major partnerships included Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and Google. Only a couple months ago, Shedeur was projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The first round of the NFL Draft came and went, and Sanders was not selected. The next day, rounds two and three followed in suit, with Sanders still being available on the 3rd and final day of the draft. Ultimately, the Colorado product was taken by the Cleveland Browns in the 5th round of the draft. His potential first round salary of $10 million per year, turned into a mere $1.2 million after his 5th round selection. Yet again, just like Quinn Ewers, we see a college athlete earning more in college than in the NFL.
Athletes like Ewers and Sanders, are one of the reasons that college sports as a whole are diminishing. Athlete’s no longer care about going pro, and some are even arguing that they should be eligible for additional years of eligibility. In the past couple of years we have seen a wide variety of players over nearly every sport abuse the transfer portal as if it is free agency, playing for multiple programs in their college tenure, all to continue to earn major money in NIL endorsements.
High school basketball phenomenon AJ Dybansta, a 6’9” wing in the class of 2025, is the number one ranked player in his class. Dybansta had offers from nearly every D1 school in the country, and narrowed his decision down to his top 7 schools: Kansas, Kansas State, North Carolina, BYU, Auburn, Alabama, and Baylor. With each program being a powerhouse in the college basketball world, and him showing great interest in each school, many people were unsure where he would commit to. On December 10, 2024, Dybansta committed to BYU over Alabama, North Carolina, and Kansas. This came as a shock to the basketball world, with many wondering why he chose BYU. Later, news came out that BYU struck a deal with the highly sought after basketball recruit, offering $7 million dollars in NIL deals, which nearly doubled offers from other suitors for Dybansta. One of the top players in the country, committed to a school based on how much they were willing to pay him, rather than the days of old when athlete’s wanted to play for a certain coach, for a winning program, or the name on the front of their jersey. Dybansta is yet to step foot on campus as a college student, but is set to make more money than most professional athletes.
The story of AJ Dybansta’s commitment is yet another reason that college sports is losing its integrity and competitive edge. Throughout the early 2000’s, it was considered an honor to play for a “Blue Blood” college basketball program, with nearly every top recruit committing to elite programs. Players chose these top programs based on coaching, a winning tradition, and player development. Now, we see top recruits committing to schools not for their potential successes, nor the potential team success, but for how much money they can receive. This has created a bidding war in a sense, turning players into “commodities,” with each school offering millions of dollars. This leaves many insiders wondering why top recruits choose smaller schools, such as Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey at Rutgers, Dybansta commiting to BYU, and Tyran Stokes, who is one of the top prospects in the class of 2026, with Louisville. While these programs may have solid coaching staffs and passionate fanbases, they don’t typically carry the national pedigree or exposure of schools like Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, or Kansas. In the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), however, that means less to recruits, as they focus more on their financial benefits.
The Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball program spent nearly $8.8 million dollars in NIL money, on top of scholarships, reaching the Sweet 16 this year in March Madness. The winners of the tournament, the Florida Gators, spent roughly $8.4 million dollars. In a sense, teams are buying wins, and to no surprise it’s working. Florida, winning 12 more games this year, including a National Championship, compared to their campaign in the 2023-24 season.
With teams bidding on recruits and transfers, there is no longer a need to recruit high school athletes. The combination of NIL money and the transfer portal has turned college sports into a marketplace, where immediate impact and experience are valued significantly more than the long term impact freshman can provide a program. Programs, such as Colorado, are no longer looking at high school recruits. “I feel bad for high school kids, because we are only taking 4 to 5 high school kids this year. And they are getting the short end of the stick,” said Colorado head coach Deion Sanders (The Wire). Not only is NIL ruining the integrity of college sports, but it’s also creating a system where the richest programs have an overwhelming advantage in acquiring top talents. What was once a playing field built on tradition, coaching, and player development is now heavily influenced by financial compensation and sponsorships.
Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia successfully argued for an extra year of eligibility after suing the NCAA. According to the lawsuit filed by Pavia, he and his lawyers felt it was unfair that junior college athletes could not earn NIL opportunities during their time at these two-year schools, which would put them at a financial disadvantage compared to their counterparts at four year schools. Pavia’s legal team argued that the NCAA’s policies had negative effects on junior college athlete’s like himself. The court ultimately sided with Pavia, awarding him with an additional year of college eligibility. This case could open the door for other former JUCO athlete’s like Pavia to earn additional years of eligibility. Experts believe that this change is coming soon, and its effects may have significant issues on high school athletes as well.
With teams having less investment in the recruiting process, devoting a majority of their time in the transfer portal, high school athletes are going to have a very difficult time playing at the next level. Recently, the NCAA implemented a rule change that now allows college athletes to transfer once without being forced to sit out a year. Prior to this change, athlete’s who chose to transfer were forced to sit out a full year before being allowed to return to play. This change has given college programs more incentives to pursue experienced athletes from other schools, rather than take a chance on developing high school athletes. Rather than recruiting players each year, coaches are now able to plug holes in their roster with proven players, reducing the need to invest years of time into developing a freshman that may or may not pan out. As a result, many high school seniors, especially those outside the top national rankings, are seeing scholarship opportunities shrink massively.
The “trickle-down effect” as many insiders call it, has a significant impact on high school athletes: even talented players with solid high school resumes are finding themselves overlooked in favor of older, more physically mature athletes, who are already familiar with the college athletics experience. This shift has caused major frustration among high school coaches and families, who feel their athletes are being squeezed out of the system. Many recruiting analysts and insiders fear that unless the NCAA adjusts its policies, a whole generation of high school athlete’s could be left behind.
All of these examples, from NIL deals to abusing the transfer portal, are the exact reason that the quality of college sports are diminishing. The focus has shifted away from team development, loyalty, and long-term growth, and is now centered around personal financial success, with hopes of short-term successes. Fans too are beginning to feel the impact. It’s become harder to build lasting relationships with players who transfer to another school after one season, essentially erasing the term “fan favorite.”
The Baylor Bears men’s basketball team, who have become one of the top programs in the country recently, saw their entire 14-man roster vanish following the end of their season in March. Some players were lost due to graduation, while others entered the NBA Draft. However, several players entered into the transfer portal with hopes of better opportunities in a new program. This mass exodus as insiders call it, highlights the growing issue in college athletics: complete roster turnover is becoming the norm rather than an expectation. In an era dominated by NIL and the transfer portal, players are more willing to leave unsuccessful programs in search of more playing time, exposure, or financial opportunities.
A major tradition in college football is Texas A&M’s walk-on Kickoff. Athlete’s who fought tooth and nail to earn a spot on the team, paying their way to college without scholarships are given a chance to touch the field and make an impact. Soon, we may see this amazing story of dedication disappear, as the world of walk-on’s may become extinct due to teams pursuing athlete’s in the transfer portal. Some of the greatest college walk-ons of all time, such as Oklahoma alumni and Heisman trophy winner Baker Mayfield, will be no longer. This crushes some fans who love the sport for the underdog stories, like Mayfield who has gone on to have a successful career in the NFL.
However, many are hopeful that change could come soon. Many proposals, such as capping transfer numbers, or setting aside a portion of scholarships specifically for incoming freshmen, have been suggested. These ideas aim to restore balance in the recruiting process and ensure that high school athlete’s still have a path to playing college athletics. If this trend continues, five-star “Blue Chip” prospects may begin to see major schools shift their attention away from even the most elite high school athletes, in favor of more experienced players in the transfer portal. This is the exact cause of the “trickle down effect,” which over the next couple years could cost thousands of high school athlete’s their dreams of playing college athletics.
In the early 2010’s, Kentucky head coach John Calapari became known for his “one and done” program, where athlete’s would play their freshman season, and enter the draft the following summer. This model, which was unheard of at the time, was built around recruiting the top high school talents who, despite their inexperience, were NBA-ready in terms of athleticism and potential. The “one and done” trend quickly spread across the country, with elite programs following coach Calapari’s strategy. Today, the landscape has shifted again, this time due to NIL and the transfer portal. Players are earning more money to stay in college rather than going pro, thanks to this ridiculous spike in NIL endorsements, which has shifted the narrative of the “one and done” strategy. With the opportunity to sign multi-million dollar endorsements, promote brands, and transfer without punishment, many athletes are now finding it more financially rewarding to stay in college rather than making the jump to the big leagues.
Once again, this is taking away from the traditional values and experience of college athletics, for both athletes and fans. What was once a platform for growth, education, and team development has become a business-first environment, with teams bidding on players like prized possessions. NIL and the transfer portal are hurting college sports as a whole, for reasons that some fans may not see.
The thrilling experience of watching freshmen evolve into some of the top athletes in the country, becoming someone who represents the school for years to come and builds lasting connections within the program and the community, is fading. Instead, college rosters are now filled with athlete’s who are more focused on the financial security of college NIL money or transfer opportunities than on making a lasting impact on the program. This shift not only affects team chemistry, but the fan experience as well. When rosters change dramatically year after year and players bounce from one school to another, it becomes harder for fans to buy into their program’s team culture.
On the other hand, one of the most well known college football players, Johnny “Money” Manziel, was hurt by not being allowed to earn financial benefits while in college. As a star quarterback at Texas A&M, Manziel’s popularity skyrocketed after becoming the first ever true freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. His number 2 jersey became one of the top-selling jerseys in the country, and Manziel couldn’t earn a dime. While companies, TV networks, and the school profited from his fame, Manziel himself couldn’t legally receive a dime. This shows the downside of a world with no NIL, with athlete’s being seemingly cheated out of what is rightfully theirs. Had NIL rights existed then, “Johnny Football” could have legally capitalized on his brand, and potentially earned as much or more than the top collegiate athletes are earning today.
If these problems continue to go unnoticed, it will affect more than just one group of people. High school athletes are seeing scholarship opportunities vanish, transfers are playing additional years of college sports, and fans are no longer able to enjoy the sports of a program they love. What was once a thrilling cycle to watch, seeing young athletes turn into stars, has been replaced by a chaotic bidding war.
