We’re still in the early days of name, image and likeness licensing compensation in college athletics. In college football especially, the lack of regulation for NIL has resulted in a volatile atmosphere in the sport.
The Oregon Ducks have been at the top of the NIL conversation since Rick Neuheisel, the former coach of the UCLA Bruins, claimed Phil Knight, the founder of Nike and an Oregon alumnus, has given the Oregon football program an unlimited NIL budget.
Neuheisel wasn’t the only one. During SEC media days, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart spoke about the NIL resources Lanning has access to at Oregon, joking he wishes he could have the same at Georgia.
“I wish I could get some of that NIL money that he’s (Knight) sharing with Dan Lanning,” Smart said. “But that’s another note.”
After his early morning press conference during Big Ten media day in Indianapolis, Dan Lanning headed across town and joined “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday. During his appearance, Lanning took a sarcastic jab back at his friend and former boss.
“I think it’s impressive that guys like Kirby (Smart) have been signing the No. 1 class in the nation without any NIL money this entire time.”
Last season, both Oregon and Georgia finished in the top three of 247Sports’s high school recruiting rankings, and both will be near the top again this year. NIL compensation is a big part of that success for both schools, and it will continue to become a more ingrained part of the sport after every season. The idea that Oregon buys players isn’t likely to go away, since that sentiment dates back much further than the NIL era, but maybe the idea that Dan Lanning has Phil Knight’s checkbook will cease.