The introduction of the NIL has vastly changed the landscape of college football and truly all sports as a result. In a constantly changing world, the world of sports is always at the forefront of that mindset. Whether it’s cap space, active roster spots, days of the week they play, nationally televised deals being made every decade or so, and most importantly individual salaries, nothing stays the same over the course of a season or offseason for any sport. The biggest change in recent years has come from the college football world.
In recent weeks with the NFL draft quickly approaching NIL has been at the forefront of a lot of scouts, coaches, and general managers. A lot of chatter has come out about more and more players seemingly relaxed as opposed to nervous or anxious in pre-draft interviews. No one has taken more scrutiny on the matter than Shedeur Sanders, former Colorado quarterback and Deion Sanders’ son.
One source has even publicly stated that during his interview Sanders seemed almost overly confident and cocky. Is it really him and other players’ overall attitude and mindset, or is the subject matter really about the NFL personnel no longer having total control in the situation?
It is common knowledge that being drafted in any sport that you play by one of the major leagues is a dream come true for athletes everywhere. Until recently it was also common knowledge that when you had pre draft interviews with team personnel that they also held every bit of the players future, and in most cases a chance to escape their present, in the palm of their hands. Those however are now the old days in the NFL.
Table of Contents
NIL Already Having an Effect on the Pros?
With the arrival of NIL, now college athletes are already making roughly the same amount of money if not in some cases more than they would be getting off of their rookie deal in the NFL. This has resulted in what I believe is a shift in power and control that nobody from the NFL wanted to have to give up. Gone are the days of players having to kiss up to the right people in order to have a chance at having their dream team draft them. Now kids go into the NFL Interviews with NIL money in their pocket.
No more are there anxiety or depression attached to these interviews because players who are being looked at as the top athletes are already being taken care of financially. With this, players now have more power and also have legitimate ground to stand on, something that all pro sport leagues have shown many times before that they do not want their players to have.
For this writer, it has me wanting to ask the question, is it really the players who are acting out of control or overly cocky? Or is what really has these coaches and scouts up in arms is the realization that they no longer hold 100% of the power when they walk into that room? Of course power struggles have happened in the past with players being drafted by one team and refusing to play unless they are traded to another team and there have always been holdouts for better salary for as long as this generation of football fans can remember. However this could happen much more often with the NIL money being thrown around.
This new era in college football and subsequently the drafting process and how players transition to the NFL is uncharted territory to an extent. It will be interesting to see the growing pains that the future holds until this new understanding of shared power is properly balanced out. How will NIL affect the NFL Draft long term? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Check out our other Content here.
YouTube
Please also help us continue growing on our YouTube Channel by subscribing if you haven’t already. Also like and comment on any videos you enjoy! Thank you for your support and we hope you continue to tune in!
Sponsor: HoneyStinger
Honey Stinger is a the snack to keep you moving. Whether you just finished a workout, powering through a long day at work, or you’re just at home on the couch, honey stinger can kill your cravings, and give you the boost you need. Click the link below, and use our code at check out: rfrl.co/9n96p
Join the Conversation on Discord, Facebook, or Reddit
Are you on discord or facebook? Join our server/groups to jump in the conversation, stay up to
date on your favorite leagues and give us your hot takes. You can also promote your content!
Fantasy Reports Facebook Group
Discover more from Shady Sports Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
One thought on “NIL: The Power Struggle in 2025 and Beyond”