It’s not out of control. What’s out of control is the misinformation out there that six figure deals are the norm.
The problem is not that people have the impression that six figure NIL deals are normal. It's the reality that there are six figure NIL deals out there, and they will distort the recruiting balance, because the majority of schools will not have that kind of booster clout. The problem is simply becoming that there is no longer even a facade of parity in recruiting because of it.
As we all know, there hasn't been parity since.... I don't remember when there was, and I've been around the game, and seen what's happening, for over 60 years. It's just that now, with NIL being acceptable, those institutions that had boosters playing the game under the table can now do it above the table, and they'll be more than happy to spend even more, because they will find ways to make it tax deductible. The majority of schools? A kid might get a free pizza every other Monday, 3 topping maximum.
They will find a handle on this eventually. It might mean that the Power 5 goes their own way, and the rest of the lot work within certain guidelines, that establish parity. It might also be that the Power 5 realizes that their well will eventually run dry, and they will join the rest, and sort of push for the student athletes to end up as sort of a "consortium," or union, if you will, where the money from NIL is spread across the board, for the entire spectrum of institutions. Who knows? It's all a question of how much greed will play into the picture on an almost daily basis.
But, I'd say for close to a decade, this thing will be with us as a major distraction, and pointed at as the reason some teams are winners, and others become perpetual losers. It's probably going to be closer to the truth than we'd like to admit.
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