‘Name, Image and Likeness’ payments have already proven to be a game changer for collegiate sports.
Ohio State fans are already pondering the likelihood of the Buckeyes pulling off another College Football Playoff National Championship win in the upcoming year, despite it being just a few weeks since their recent victory.
The potential impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) payments on the team’s chances is under scrutiny, as these payments have significantly altered the landscape of collegiate sports. The ongoing development of NIL regulations has even attracted the attention of lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse.
State Representative Adam Mathews, a Republican from Lebanon, emphasized the importance of ensuring that universities can adequately support student-athletes to succeed both on and off the field within the current dynamic environment of college sports.
Rep. Mathews was part of introducing legislation to make that happen. H.B. 315, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine and soon to take effect, allows universities to pay players directly, without using state funds.
“Now that Ohio State has won the College Football Championship, there will be even more attention on these athletes and more sponsorship deals,” said Rep. Mathews.
Fans and analysts see the need to make room for that growth.
“This is now transitioning to essentially a pro-style model in college football,” said Jay Richardson, a former Ohio State Buckeye and Oakland Raider.
He’s been watching this evolution closely, not just as a football analyst, but as a former player who understands the intricacies of a “pro-style model.”
“It does make it a little more competitive now for the collectives and just for the schools to now go and get the players they want,” said Richardson, expanding on his NIL prediction. “There’s going to be a salary cap, almost like in professional football of somewhere between $21-22 million per club and I assume teams will be hiring GMs just like NFL teams do.”
Collectives like THE Foundation support OSU athletes using NIL while also promoting charitable causes. The effort has already made a difference by uniting Buckeye Nation in raising the money needed to stay competitive.
“Might get more expensive,” said Brian Schottenstein, co-founder of THE Foundation. “But, I think obviously it’s really great, because now businesses and donors and the community – they’re going to buy in even more because they see that the dollars went to good use, because of the National Championship.”
He acknowledges there is criticism about the way that NIL is changing the game. Some fans accuse teams of “buying rosters” with NIL money. Schottenstein is undeterred.
“NIL is here to stay,” he says. “So, you can either not get involved and get left behind or get involved and win.”
While NIL certainly played a role in this year’s championship, the Buckeyes also showed there was much more to this team.
“All they talked about was their faith. All they talked about was their togetherness. All they talked about was wanting to do it for each other,” said Jay Richardson. “That is a rare thing in sports, especially in today’s climate — to see a team so bonded and so together, and I’ll be honest with you — I think that’s hard to replicate.”
Buckeye supporters plan to try.
“We’d love to win it again,” said Brian Schottenstein. “We’re going to see if we can try to pull together a nice roster and make that happen for next year. But, the ultimate goal has been accomplished – winning this year.”
