“It’s a Mess!!” - Rich Eisen: How NIL Blew Up the College Football World in Just One Year

Rich Eisen reacts to Nick Saban’s call for federal legislation of NIL in college football, Jimbo Fisher’s scathing rebuttal to the Alabama coach, and reflects on the “mess” Name-Image-Likeness has created in College Football in the span of just 12 months.
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[@TheJuice70]

My main issue is, coaches can complain about players entering transfer portals, but when coaches just ditch there program for another in the middle of the college season the players aren’t allowed to complain. You can’t have it both ways.

[@irmaveps4618]

Universities shouldn't even be allowed to talk to coaches until the end of the season or the end of bowl season if a school is in post.

[@btbarr16]

@@irmaveps4618 That's exactly why the NFL has tampering rules. Although, that rule probably gets broken all the time.

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

New they want to do pro and make money we just have nfl get back to letting 18 years go pro compete for the money against vets who can mentor them into taking their jobs. Tax payers and real amateurs are all protected.

[@noz_redna]

Do as I say not as I do

[@nikolatesla5553]

@@irmaveps4618 Why? By limiting the ability of a coach to talk to other institutions, you're hampering his right to market his services. Such a rule makes sense from a competition standpoint, but not from an individual's personal employment perspective

[@prod.snqwfall1347]

In one season we went from no money to a transfer portal and NIL deals all at once. That made these coaches too comfortable to say the quiet part out loud

[@shep68]

Even odds Tuberville has no idea how a bill becomes a law. Aces AL.

[@cperkins5050]

The irony of coaches with 100 million dollars contracts complaining now about NIL deals. I get it, but don’t complain now since you no longer hold control.

[@davidabbett7011]

Money, Money, Money, Money . . . . MONNNNNNAAAAAAA It’s always funny AND aggravating to see BIG money get upset when their free or extremely cheap sources of labor actually begins to earn something close to what they deserve. This takes place in every aspect of our society. ‘MERICA !!!

[@pedropintojr8920]

Could not have said it better.

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Wow, the furor that arises when power begins to shift to the players (or anyone not historically in power pose). My croc tears burst forth.

[@jonhoward4884]

The liberal mindset is ruining college football.

[@porchtalk1054]

Here’s a hot take….If these kids are getting paid millions of dollars then no more scholarships. They should have to pay for their education there is NO REASON for tax payers to be paying for this.

[@elijahtchilembe-mpovie2715]

With this, the NCAA will get superseeded by each sports' own super league or premier league.

[@JoeStoffa]

They should just bite the bullet and require a salary cap/floor and revenue sharing for any school that wants to participate in NCAA sports.

[@Gambit2051]

How dare you suggest they not be Greedy....lol

[@andrewpierce1588]

We should just have league levels like European soccer leagues or our baseball farm system. That way kids have an option to go play football professionally without going to a college where they have a quid pro quo system where the benefit the players get isn’t really what they are their for. And you can still have college football for those players who want a college education.

[@earlmenary5502]

This what I believed should of happened years ago when the NFL started to change college rules.

[@quiveringmoist7558]

Yeah but that means the NFL has to finance and run a minor league system. Ncaa is a free minor league for the NFL.

[@TylerEubank]

Yea but how are u gonna recruit for a school that’s on the verge of relegation or promotion

[@cr2565]

If players are recieving money before their names image and likness are used their being bought for instance if a company is going to use a player in commercials say 6 of them then you recieve your installments 6 times 1 time after every one

[@sjacuk65]

I've been a passionate college football fan most of my life. It pains me to say but they just need to blow it up, remove it from the schools, and turn it into the business it has become. This will never happen because of the revenue it generates for a majority of the D1 schools. Yes, the players are the ones providing the entertainment and should be paid accordingly. But to call this "College" football is laughable. It has become big business and the only thing linking the football team and college is where the games are played.

[@SamnissArandeen]

Collegiate athletics are a distraction from actual higher education. Better to just spin it all off into a minor league

[@nikolatesla5553]

It has been a business for at least 80 years. But in the past, the main beneficiaries in the past were the institutions and the coaches.

[@davidc2838]

Baloney. The reason COLLEGE football is SOOOOOO Popular is because people cheer for THEIR Colleges. Nobody cares about the USFL or any other farm league, if it is NOT attached to the Universities, it WON'T be as popular. PERIOD.

[@amarevanhook7453]

Its always been a business

[@MrLarryLessor]

@Scott Jacuk It's been big business for many years. Now we are making the business side more transparent: No more under-the-table "boosters" etc. Everything should be registered, more well known to anyone who wants to scrutinize. etc No the suggestion of turning it into a business where players are not going to school is not going to happen - and that should not happen: Mainly bc no matter how talented a player is (could be Michael Jordan, or Bo Jackson, or Paige Bueckers, Lebron James etc etc).... These are teenagers - they are still college students: Paige is great example - Their Bodies AND their minds need to grow. Paige just proved that even the most talented can get major injuries... the youngsters have to learn how to grow and bounce back up from these falls/disappointments. Lebron may very well have been better off if he had played for an incredible college coach as opposed to starting the NBA at age 18. He would still be a billionnaire today. Maybe it would not have taken him about 10 years to learn how to win a title: Magic and Larry both played in college (maybe all 4 years)... and they won titles their 1st 2 seasons in the NBA. Lebron joined a "superteam" and still needed 1 year AFTER before winning a title - and by then it was like his 9th year or whatever. You are going to need around 4 years to really learn how to handle all the pressures, build your muscles (knees, back, legs etc) And that is what college is for.

[@joegrst]

I don’t follow the NCAA can someone help me understand all of this leading back to the decision? Or like give me a recommended article to read?

[@johnnyappleseed6960]

The NFL just needs to get it over with, and sponsor a Minor League Football League where the players are drafted out of High School....

[@TFH15]

“Mike Gundy, he’s a man, he’s 50” lol

[@DaemonGeek]

The NIL ruling and Transfer portal individually were OK, imo. However, the two in combination is ruining college football and could ruin men's basketball.

[@halharris2317]

They both are ruining college football.

[@pitbull64]

So are coaches not honoring their contracts and extensions, leaving early before their season is over.

[@ericm4658]

Saban is right tho, the only way to get around that is have congress give them an anti trust exemption. Otherwise their actions are absurd. Why would you not be able to transfer at any time? And how exactly is congress going to justify this when the schools refuse to pay the players? Unlike let's say the MLB which also has anti trust exemptions.

[@7srchoed]

Players finally have the same flexibility of movement and financial incentives as coaches and that’s what is ruining college sports. What a clown comment.

[@carlosc.4683]

I'm starting to think that the NCAA is not the villain rather its the buffer between the college athletic programs with their collectives/boosters and the federal government. For years these programs have gotten away with the amateurism loophole and I think we're witnessing the beginning of the end for college athletics. If these boosters try to separate and create a professional league, I don't think it will last because of all of costs involved in running a football program. All that's left is the NFL deciding to form an NFL minor league and it will be game over for college football.

[@robertfrank9936]

Paying kids for play has always been there. Nick Saban talk like this is something new. Stop crying Coach Saban. The coaches want to control these kids. Coaches leaves there school all the time for more money.

[@t.k.1319]

It’s not a mess. It’s the free market. The guys that benefitted from the old process are throwing a temper tantrum.

[@quiveringmoist7558]

Sooooooo now coaches have to do openly what they quietly did for decades to bring in top tier talent. Oh the humanity.

[@MJM17]

The biggest “problem” I see with the theoretical creation of a super league is that it will decimate every other sport and every team not included in those schools. For nearly every university, the entire athletic department is funded by the revenue created by the football team and the men’s basketball team. And even then only the biggest schools make enough money to sustain themselves. That’s why the big programs have to pay the smaller programs $250-500k for one game! They won’t be able to create a super league because it all but guarantees the insolvency of every women’s college team in the country as well as every non-super league men’s team.

[@jjbowen3462]

The Buddy Garritty reference haha Love it

[@rickhollis6896]

How about a max NIL amount with the remainder put into a trust for access when turning 21

[@GetAlong2GetAlong]

How long until volleyball and Womens basketball players make a big issue about not getting the same NIL money???

[@jaythompson5102]

Biggest NIL deal is a pair of twin female basketball players. They are mostly for their good looks but by all accounts they are great players too.

[@majorpaindiaz]

@@jaythompson5102 I know right! LOL!

[@VorlonAngel]

Everybody beat Tuberville's @$$, so you'd be right no matter what. LMAO🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@stephendanley1858]

The participants would have to consent. No consent, no participation. You guys have been saying that D1 college football is a de facto pro league for years now. When Saban says, okay, let's treat it like one you cry foul. The future of college athletics is intramurals. Congratulations, I guess.

[@ATLKing404]

Well, the supreme court ruled that the NCAA's business model is basically illegal. I don't know how else you deal with this.

[@martymills9487]

Transfer portal and players getting $ is okay with me. Just remember how the NCAA was before this.

[@nickolascaldarera7182]

The hypocrisy in College Football. I’m an LSU fan, and I have always suspected Saban has cheated. Jimbo reminds me of a dirty car salesman. Fact, all programs cheat, some just do it better than others. Saban, is correct NIL is a mess without being regulated and enforced. Saban has now gotten people talking about NIL problems. Of course, Saban is mentioning it because system is conducive to him not getting number 1 recruiting classes.

[@davidc2838]

Baloney. He'll STILL Get No 1 Classes. So will other SEC Schools (Georgia, etc.). He's one of the best

[@robwagner7545]

I'm so shocked that this isn't working out well... So shocked.

[@tirrelldaveport3671]

That's the thing. It is going well. To the average fan nothing has changed. This season wasn't any different than most others. The problem is some College Coaches want overwhelming power over players, which they aren't getting much of now.

[@majorpaindiaz]

@@tirrelldaveport3671 "The problem is some College Coaches want overwhelming power over players, which they aren't getting much of now." 🙌

[@cr2565]

Federal gov cant do anything

[@KClouisville]

If enough players are getting paid enough money sure they can.....interstate commerce laws can be applied to pretty much any business...and it'd be hard for that model to be presented in court as "amateur athletics".

[@carlosc.4683]

I think because they're tied to "Non-Profit" higher education institutions, the Federal Government is going to get involved in some way. After all these are student-athletes participating in college athletics programs.

[@gazanever6291]

Marty Huggins would be proud!

[@angelmatos9143]

The arrogance of a broken system.

[@GetAlong2GetAlong]

NIL was rolled out poorly: Change my mind.

[@jord9308]

What’s next- a salary cap?

[@mallyallygramps]

College football Super League coming to a school near you!

[@FuzzyStayBuzzin183]

I like Jimbo Fisher way more now

[@andyinoregon]

How hard is the IRS going to monitor all of this NIL mess?

[@wisethabrain1100]

Tell that to your mansion

[@dallaswood4117]

Anyone who thinks this dumpster fire is “unintended consequences” which i have heard a thousand times doesn’t understand what unintended consequences means, anyone with half a brain could see all this coming down the tracks from ten miles away

[@stephenkasper6081]

Pay the kids instead of the lawyers, LOL. This is contract law, one of the most complicated parts of the legal field. Its going to be nothing but paying the lawyers.

[@davidc2838]

EVERYTHING Is paying the lawyers...Because the Lawyers write the laws...That's why everything Government is so crazy expensive and inefficient.

[@j.b.5230]

'please make the illegal, legal'

[@brianwallace3749]

"Mike Gundy...he's a man"

[@MaxRockatansky853]

Hes FORTY! Lol

[@FreeRoyalPowerHour]

Nick doesn’t have to be the “only” guy. He started this conversation so,stop pretending what Jimbo said was magically unprovoked

[@paulcastaldo3437]

He doesn’t want to level the playing field. He wants to maintain advantage. Hypocrite

[@davidc2838]

He'll STILL have an advantage...so will the SEC. PERIOD. He's been good to date...he'll STILL be good with these other things.

[@nikolatesla5553]

The problem Rich is what you are suggesting violates anti-trust laws. It also violates restraint of trade. It has been the problem with college sports since its inception. You are suggesting that the institutions together make rules that restrains athlete's ability to sell their services to the highest bidder.

[@samuelpancake4084]

All these nil offers are paying these 18 year old more then some rookie nfl players contact and at least the rookie in the NFL atleast proved himself .. the high school boys just proved they can play some football but still hasn't proved anything at the next level

[@AJTComicsBrand]

Jimbo just got hurt by the truth. 😂 RTR

[@txtautotxt723]

Competitively & comparatively speaking, hopefully Coach D. Sanders will partner w/a football program that provides AT LEAST the following: 1] an operating budget of $20+million 2] a profit/deficit above $5+million 3] a progressive community! Losing programs that meet the standard: {Texas A&M, Arizona, Arizona State}. Secondary considerations - Georgia Tech, Virginia, Iowa State, W.Virgina, Indiana. Notwithstanding, Colorado operates at a $17+mil deficit

[@T.R.75]

anybody with common sense knew the NIL would turn into a mess. you now have full blown pay2play, gj NCAA. what happens when the wrong kind of money starts to invade? gl policing this.

[@Gambit2051]

That is how MLB keeps its Minor Leagues...

[@mitchelll3879]

Which just voted to unionize

[@ko9655]

Saban and Belichick are the Genghis Khans of NCAA/NFL Football - they lord over the empire but add nothing in the way of culture. Seriously, 10 years down the road, we'll be looking at the best two coaches ever and asking "what did they add to the game?" They win, but I don't know what else.

[@jeremylarson9410]

I guess my car gets me to where I need to go, but what else does it do.

[@srinivassuresh466]

@@jeremylarson9410 😂😂😂😂😂.

[@litedawg]

I want some of whatever you are smoking

[@stephendanley1858]

What are you looking for? The forward pass?

[@Aggie1295]

Good comparison

[@jonhoward4884]

So everyone OK with player recruitment is devolving into a giant bidding war? Recruiting was mostly because of hard work and relationship building with coaches, but now it's becoming which every program can pay them the most. And players are entering the portal to leave their schools for larger NIL contracts. If this is the new norm then scholarships no longer need to be awarded.

[@AAblade7]

I’m laughing cause Saban is trying to talk about ‘Amateur’ athletics. Amateur athletics doesn’t have nationally distributed TV deals. Amateur athletics doesn’t make 10 billion dollars a year for a single conference. You don’t pay mandatory 5k ‘legacy donations’ for chance to by season tickets (I think I low balled that one). You don’t get paid 10 million a year to coach ‘Amateur’ Athletics. If Saban wants ‘Amateur’ then go coach Pop Warner.

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

Time to stop trying to argue informal fallacy if they want money they want to go pro and don't deserve charitable tax exemption. Protect the tax papers and the true amateurs and colleges.

[@Apprentice_of_Epitaph]

why a bad thing? im sick of watching almost every year the same games Alabama vs Ohio or Oklahoma. and let the boys have some Money the bring Billions to the Universitys

[@MrSidekick00]

NIL is not wrong and transfer portal either of the NFL Wanted to create a legitimate feeder system college football would be done ….

[@shawnsnow6413]

This isn't aging well

[@toddstewart9922]

Collage sports is a total $hit show now. NIL just made it a minor league of pro sports. People will start staying at home instead of giving it away to the semi pro league. ✌

[@winst0n888]

College football has been ruined. Where exactly is this NIL money coming from. I bet you stockholders have no idea their company is wasting money on teenage athletes.

[@blue_diamond_gem]

Saban told the truth about A&M and Fisher acted like a little school girl.

[@igainconsistentgolfassocia4010]

I'm UGA fan so I'm partial.. I agree, Saban thinks rationally and Fisher came back emotionally

[@iiRolltide]

Man said “we’re done💁🏻‍♀️” 😂😂😂

[@garyross4602]

Saban has been rigging the system to suite his needs for years and was allowed to do it because the 'powers that be' had a share of the pie. All of a sudden, he is in territory he no longer controls and he throws his teddy out of the pram as a result.

[@iiRolltide]

@@garyross4602how did he rig the system in his favor? Please enlighten me because I’ve seen people say this but they never give any example. And saban winning as much as he has is not beneficial for “the powers that be” because ratings are down because he keeps winning and fans are bored of it. So if he was cheating in any way, it would be better for them to bust him. So please explain to me with sources about how he’s “rigged the system “

[@blue_diamond_gem]

@@garyross4602 I’ll take stuff that never happened for $100.

[@Gambit2051]

Saban being pissed "Kids" want what they are being told by Many People what they are worth, thus undercutting HIS VALUE to the program...and will cause the Program to change how Coaches are paid....and imagine that...Multimillionaire Coaches (and Asst Coaches) suddenly seeing their funds going to the PLAYERS...how dare they treat them like EVERY Professional League treats its coaches and is 1 reason why some coaches remain (or come back) to College...Control.

[@larryjonnson8093]

Bullseye, Well said!

[@TomHobbes987]

Back to basics here: you are a professional talking head. You get paid for what you do on the public airways. College football IS now professional football. They get paid to play football. So get on with it. Congressional anti-trust exemption, nation wide collective bargaining agreement, players union. All fixed.

[@davidreinhart418]

Nick is complaining now because everybody is throwing money at player like only the SEC used to do. Now anybody can be like Bama and pay their players. Just like the old days when Bama and Georgia didn’t have a monopoly.

[@proudliberal605]

I'm finished with college sports. Why should I watch semi-pro when I can watch....you know.....real pros? Let the SEC fans have their own little super conference and let them watch it. Let the BIG try their damnedest to keep up. I really don't care anymore. Sports, in general, has priced itself into a class niche anyway. Going to a game costs more than a Broadway premier. This is "rich man's" stuff now. A working man can't afford to take his family to the ball game. Do people understand what generational fandom is and how fandom has historically passed from father to son, live, at the ball game? Yea, that isn't going to last because working class dad can't afford it anymore. Kill your golden egg laying goose. I don't care anymore. Entertainment for the working-class changes with time as each form of popular entertainment ultimately prices itself into a class niche. Football can join polo and tennis. I'm sure it will be quite fashionable to flaunt that team apparel as nothing more than a prestigious status symbol. Sports has been reduced to this. I give it a couple more generations of main-stream life span.

[@alexevanoski4588]

The media and a a increasing number of people don’t care anymore about that. It’s just about the $$$$$$$

[@binder38us]

Grow up. College athletes are not property of Colleges.

[@binder38us]

Nick Saban is worried he is not top dog. He whined about the up tempo offenses and now he is nervous that his monopoly is drying up. Basically is a PAB move.

[@kaioh187]

I want the NIL to ruin all college sports once and for all!!!

[@MRBell-kg4kr]

NiL saved the ncaa

[@litedawg]

Except for the fact that it killed it yes I agree

[@beesmitty3435]

Saved from what, decades of existing and growing.

[@disarmhxc2]

@Wilt Chamberlain is the GOAT what Amateur league that you know of makes over a Billion dollars a year???

[@johnathanjackson7165]

NIL is good. It levels the playing field and compensates the people who generate income for their programs.

[@Aggie1295]

Is Saban the pot or the kettle?

[@TheStrategist314]

Crazy the people who want smaller government...now want more government. Got it.

[@bofetada6841]

Come in people..what did one expect to happen. Chaos breads chaos, insanity breeds insanity. This is the beginning of the end of college sports. Chaos.

[@user-le3kt9kq2k]

Calling for NIL reparation's for all collegiate athletes, who played prior to NIL. These poor kids only received a Full Academic Scholarship, Free Room and Board, all the free food one could ever want, free gym membership with personnel trainer and popularity on campus. We demand 30k for each year played, plus a Honda Accord......... Were taking it to Congress, they'll fix it.

[@bulldogsbob]

You media guys are to blame for this crap. As someone still paying for college I had no sympathy for players who were getting their colllege education paid for by the school while living like kings. Yeah if the players at Alabama were being exploited then sign me up.

[@scattau41]

Right. Those players were no more exploited than any other person living or working at a college or university. From grad students to cafeteria workers, they are all being exploited.

[@edubbz1987]

They bring in billions of dollars for their schools. They should be compensated.

[@bulldogsbob]

@@edubbz1987 They were compensated. College degrees are expensive.

[@LewdConnoisseur]

And risk getting CTE or permanently injured while not getting paid for it? Hell naw.

[@mkhanman12345]

@@bulldogsbob so what is your issue? Seems like you have an issue with the system. Schools offer scholarships and players take them. You have to go after the school and the boosters

[@acrobaticswitches]

What is wrong with a free market for athletes? Is this because the media, the coaches, the administration will have to give up a piece of the pie for the people producing their extremely valuable product? Are their caps or rules for any of those other parties? Why athletes? It's a joke.

[@kholomalebane]

A super league would be awesome!

[@GeneralDisarray1892]

No

[@dallaswood4117]

I mean it’s basically been that forever what do you think the power five is

[@davidreinhart418]

Nick Saban would not have a winning record in a super league. Without his paid player monopoly of semi pro player he is a mediocre coach.

[@dvisiontv6897]

So long story short🤔 College Players make money of the work and sacrifice they body's and now its becoming a problem🤨 Man get da fuc outta here they can make it work if they want😑 This is just a reason to blow it up just to go bac to a all profit business🤦🏾‍♂️(my opinion)

[@ericanderson969]

This whole Saban fear out has a very Urban Meyer feel to it. Big Urb could just roll the ball out and Ohio State or the choir boy Florida Gators would win all these games. Same with Saban. He gets the best players every year with the old system. Now he’s not going to get that and he might actually have to coach. We saw how that worked out when Saban went to the NFL. The fraud alarm is sounding.

[@littlesame]

Ppl crying because students athletes are getting paid (not all players, only minimal%) and have freedom to leave a team that affects his future? NIL needs some legality policies, but these coaches and ppl who made hundreds of millions from them including injuries that ended their future, are pathetic, his beach house was from boosters pockets, let’s not act these old men are fair and never done under the table “nil” 🧼