Benjamin Smaroff ’27 is a student in AP English Language and Composition who participated in and won the 2026 Blueprint Op-Ed Contest.
Bo Nix, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is having a fantastic year. He has thrown for over 4000 yards and is on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance. Arch Manning is a quarterback for the University of Texas, who was supposed to be the centerpiece of the universityś return to national prominence. Instead, Manning had a lackluster year, and the Longhorns didn’t even make the playoffs. What is so significant about these two players? The disappointing college athlete is being paid more than the professional star.
The issue is fairly new. A 2021 Supreme Court ruling created a loophole allowing programs to pay incoming recruits, which has since increased dramatically. The NCAA projects this year alone, universities will spend 2.3 billion dollars on paying Division 1 athletes, according to the 2025-26 NCAA revenue report. As this process grows even bigger, who knows what it will mean for college sports. NIL money is ruining college sports and colleges themselves through three main ways.
First, the disparity between larger and smaller programs is making it impossible for some schools to compete. The two small schools that made the playoffs this year, Tulane and James Madison, both got blown out, being outscored a combined 92-44. According to a study published in Applied Economics, the average amount of NIL deals at a school in the year before is a significant predictor of a recruit’s choice of school. Schools who spend more are able to attract interest from the top national recruits, while smaller schools are left to fight over the scraps.
As these smaller schools lose the ability to compete, schools already near the top are pulling farther away. According to 24/7 Sports, 11 of the top 15 teams in NIL spending ended this season ranked in the nation’s top 25. All 4 of the teams receiving a first round bye in the playoffs were in the top 10 for spending, and 18 the top 25 ended the season with winning records. 2020 only saw 4 teams from the 2 major conferences (SEC and Big 10) in the top 10, while this year rankings saw 8 teams from those two conferences.
Second, with the introduction of NIL in the transfer portal, loyalty to the school you have committed to has become an afterthought. The number of transfers from 2021 to 2025 has increased by almost 500% according to research by Conor McLaughlin. Athletes who have committed to turning a school around can now jump ship at any moment. Fernando Mendoza in 2024 was the quarterback for Cal University, posting a losing record. After transferring to Indiana he led them to a national championship, completing the first 16-0 season since 1894, and winning the Heisman Trophy.
The ease of transferring in modern day college football has led to athletes taking on more of what the American Public University calls “a free agent mindset.” With players transferring so much, it has become increasingly difficult for coaches to build a culture. In addition, disparities in how much teammates are being paid may lead to jealousy within the team, fracturing unity. Individual players may take more attention or resources, and hinder the ideals of working as a team.
Third, NIL is taking attention away from academic programs in favor of supporting the athletic goals for schools. In an interview with Carrie Dahlquist, a consultant who works with universities such as Oregon and Marquette, I was told some donors who typically would provide funding to academic programs are instead deciding to use those funds to support the schools´ athletic teams or the players directly. This isn’t just limited to football: Mark Cuban recently donated 6 million dollars to Indiana University to help fund their rugby program.
The athletes themselves are also distracted academically by the money they are making. As NIL deals have become more widespread, students-athletes have experienced increased pressure to focus on their sport, according to the Daily Iowan. While this is good for the athletic program, it incentivizes less focus on academics and encourages more cheating on exams. Universities have done nothing to prevent this since they make money when their athletic programs do well. Recent years have seen a change to where these schools are now prioritizing athletics over academics.
A 2025 Carnegie Mellon study recently found lower class athletes, notably 2 and 3 stars, are starting to prioritize NIL money rather than academics when choosing a school. Some, including the researchers in this study, argue this is good for college athletics. It gives athletes more control in choosing their own destiny, and allows them to make money while doing so. While this may be true, it ignores the unfortunate reality. According to the NCAA, less than 2% of collegiate athletes end up going professional in their sport, and the average athlete retires in just over 3 years. The NFL reports that 78% of its players file for bankruptcy within 2 years of retiring. Ignoring the academic side is failing to recognize the large majority of players can’t live their life only on the money they made playing football.
In its short lifespan of just five years, NIL has already had a massive impact on the college football landscape. We can already see how these negative effects are beginning to ruin college athletics. If the current trends continue, within a few years we won’t see any variation in playoff teams. All the higher paying teams will be the same teams that make the playoffs every year. Not only that, but since when teams do well they make money for their school, the rich will only get richer.
While the future is grim, not all hope is lost. There are multiple solutions for how to deal with this problem. Legislators are currently working on the SCORE Act, which would work to regulate NIL deals. In addition, Division III schools are creating NIL deals that focus on creating partnerships between athletes and local communities. Fans have an opportunity to be a part of the solution by lobbying politicians to follow these examples and enact real change. Together, we can preserve academic excellence, help athletes balance their college experience, and save college football.
