NIL: Next In Line Sports

  On September 1 st , 2016, then San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, playing against the San Diego Chargers sat down during the nation anthem. Kaepernick stated that this move was a spotlighted plea for peace, in the wake of African American citizens being brutalized by the police.     Today, social change through sports is incredibly common and is sometimes heralded as a necessary action in order to inspire real change. In actuality protesting is extremely divisive and separates the general public into two trains of thought, those who support it and those who do not.    The backlash to Kaepernick’s actions were monumental. Many of the initial reactions, including my own, were filled with disgust believing that Kaepernick knelt because of his disdain against the country. Fans, owners and even then, President, Donald Trump publicly condemned his actions and suggested that players who disgrace the flag should be fired and ousted from the league. Tho...

 The introduction of the NIL into NCAA in 2021 was instrumental in changing the landscape of collegiate sports forever. Athletes once aiming for a scholarship and free schooling are now inking NIL deals worth millions of dollars. Each new deal that comes about outdoes the last. Since 2021 the lines between pro leagues and collegiate athletics are blurring and fast.  Colleges teams that used to entice recruits by promises of a free education and playing time now give way to teams offering millions in an attempt to outbid the other schools vying for the same talent. For instance, high school football recruiting, and the changes made to the transfer portal, now resemble the likes of NFL free agency.  Let's dive into the transfer portal and in particular Syracuse QB Kyle McCord. In the 2023 season Kyle was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. A prestigious football program one where Kyle would earn hundreds of thousands of dollars and get the chance to compet...

 The surge of NIL deals in the past two years have monumentally changed the landscape of collegiate sports forever. NIL deals have new video games, television shows documenting the day to day of collegiate athletes and have given the top athletics in each sport the change to becoming millionaires without stepping foot on professional field. It seems great! A chance for these athletes to receive financial compensation for their hard work and dedication to their sports. But what about scholarships?  Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time, attributed the addition of NIL's as the reason he stepped away from coaching. Saban stated that recruits would continually ask how much he could pay them through the NIL  Pipeline . It is from stories like this that the question has to be raised. What is more advantageous for college athletes, NIL deals or college scholarships? I understand this is a loaded question. Different sports have different opportunities. For i...

 In late July the NCAA Antitrust lawsuit was updated and filed. If settled upon NCAA will be told to pay approximately 2.78 billion dollars in back damages that had taken place over the past ten years. The settlement addressed three primary issues. First, payment of back damages claims relating to the NIL, (Name, Image and Likeness), increasing benefits from institutions to student athletes and and eliminating scholarship limits in favor of roster limits. The third point is the most interesting to me and the one we will be focusing on today. Scholarships help students in athletics pay for school and in some cases allow for these student athletes to attend school for free. Sports like football and basketball often boast about their ability to pay for a kids schooling with they attend college. Prior to this antitrust ruling division one lacrosse rosters were able to hand out 12.5 scholarships to their athletes. Often times splitting those scholarships among 55 players. This is a dram...

 Hello everyone. My name is Seamus Johnston and I am a current graduate student and lacrosse player at Salisbury University. It is my intention with this blog to discuss interesting topics that surround the collegiate and professional sports worlds. These topics may range from interesting sports stories and the ever-changing landscape of NIL deals, to the progress of collegiate athletics and everything in between.