NIL refers to the name, image, and likeness of the college athlete. It was added to give college athletes income but has quickly gotten out of hand. Many athletes are suddenly getting millions, and this could be a risk to the future of professional sports.

NIL deals, in some cases, can be a light ten thousand, or they could be millions. Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado State quarterback, made 4.7 million dollars off of NIL, and he was a fifth-round pick. Carson Beck, a quarterback who transferred from Florida to Miami, has received nearly 10 million in 12 months.

It’s not just football players securing NIL deals, either. Basketball star Cooper Flagg has secured around 4.8 million worth of NIL deals in his freshman year at Duke University. Baseball players and most other sports also make a significant amount of money in NIL.

So why is it a bad thing? If players make this much money in college, what is their motivation to go professional? For example, Carson Beck was eligible for the NFL draft in 2025 but instead transferred from Georgia to Florida and was given four million to do so.

That is also the case for players who get greedy for more money. Nico Lamaleva is a prime example of this. Lamaleva was earning 2.4 million for being a quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. He then held out from practice until he got the four million he was asking for. Except instead of getting his four million, Tennessee parted ways with him.