Money talks
A recent sports headline caused me a moment of reflection. Carson Beck, a college quarterback who played for the Georgia Bulldogs this past season, made news by transferring to the University of Miami, accompanied by a substantial NIL deal reportedly worth between three to four million dollars.
Projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Beck stands to make more money playing in college rather than going professional due to NFL rookie contract structuring. Another collegiate quarterback, Darian Mensah, received a reported two-year deal worth eight million dollars to play for the Duke Blue Devils after transferring from Tulane.
These stories are a shock to my system. I grew up in an era where paying college athletes was considered a huge taboo and programs that did so were greatly shamed and paid steep penalties if they were caught.
Hollywood has even made movies about the topic of paying college athletes under the table and giving their families gifts as incentives to play for a certain school. Blue Chips, a 1994 film starring big name professional athletes, highlighted fictional coach Pete Bell’s (played by Nick Nolte) struggle to toe the line between what then was considered right and wrong. Coach Bell experienced a decline in his program and pressure to turn things around, ultimately succumbing to scandal.
If you were a sports fan in the early 90’s, you’ll likely remember the “Fab Five,” the University of Michigan’s famous freshmen starting lineup that consisted of future NBA stars Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, and Chris Webber.
The Fab Five were the cool kids on the block, extremely popular in American culture at that time. Everyone wanted a piece of them. The group reached two NCAA championship games in the early 90’s, ultimately losing to Duke (92) and North Carolina (93). The Michigan program was later investigated after star player Chris Webber was found to have taken money and gifts over a number of years from program booster, Ed Martin, who was involved in illegal gambling and had been funneling money to young athletes in exchange for loyalty and influence. Michigan’s final four appearances in the early 90’s were ultimately vacated by the NCAA, and the program faced stiff sanctions in the years that followed.
With recent changes in the collegiate sports landscape in which players are paid and compensated for their play, should Michigan’s Final Four banners once again hang from the arena rafters?
One could argue that if the Fab Five had been allowed to control their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), Weber would have amassed quite a fortune given his impact and influence on popular culture and he wouldn’t have needed the help of a booster. Regardless, with the amount of money elite collegiate athletic programs bring in, it’s hard to argue against players getting a cut, as they are the ones driving the demand. What was once considered the ultimate sin is now the accepted norm.
