KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – There’s no “I” in “team,” but there’s three in “millionaire” and one big one in NIL, or Name, Image and Likeness. It’s a system that’s causing headaches for coaches and putting money in student athlete pockets.
Since coming on the scene, NIL deals have created confusion and turned college sports into, for all intents and purposes, a professional sports league. This early into its implementation, the NIL world is also the wild west.
“It’s just so vastly different,” WVLT contributor and staple of the Volquest staff Brent Hubbs said. “We’re all trying to get our hands on the landscape, and it’s a landscape that keeps changing seemingly every year, and at this point, nothing seems really unimaginable, if you will.”
NIL was originally implemented to supplement student athlete scholarships, but as more money has come into the world of college football, student paychecks are getting bigger and bigger. In some ways, it’s created a sense of entitlement for some players.
Previous Coverage: ‘No one is bigger than the Power T’ | Tennessee parts ways with Nico Iamaleava
Most recently, the University of Tennessee went through that with the departure of Nico Iamaleava. The player recently parted ways with Tennessee after reports that he was unhappy with his pay.
ESPN’s Chris Low, who broke the news about Iamaleava, said part of the issue is the lack of regulation when it comes to what a player is worth.
“You tell me what fair market value is,” he said. “You get 40 people together. They’re going to give you different definitions of what fair market value is.”
Head Coach Josh Heupel went on the record after a Nico Iamaleava-less Orange and White game to confirm the university was moving on from the quarterback. He also spoke about the obstacles of recruiting in 2025.
“You’re looking at the physical traits and playing style of the player. You’re looking at the developmental plan, right?” he said. “You try to find the right guy at the right time and right price.”
Those last two words — right price — make all the difference.
Copyright 2025 WVLT. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
