Greg Schiano believes in the impact of Name, Image and Likeness as potentially being a good thing for college football players. However, the Rutgers football head coach cautions that there needs to be structure to the whole process.
In an appearance last week on WFAN’s ‘Tiki and Tierney,’ Schiano talked about the importance on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). While embracing the idea that college athletes can and should pursue compensation, he also provided some perspective on things.
Schiano said during his WFAN interview that there needs to be some structure in place for the benefit of the student-athlete and the institutions as well.
“It is really tough, but you’re right. And I’ve always felt the players deserve more and they deserve their share. What the problem I believe is that, you know, things just went from zero to no limits, no boundaries,” Schiano told WFAN.
“And you can’t do that, you know, pro sports has proven the only way it works is when you have a salary cap and you have a collective bargaining agreement. So if players are going to be paid, you know that they’re saying it’s for the Name, Image and Likeness. Well, the reality is, it’s about how well they are as players, how well they play and then their name, image and likeness becomes more valuable. Now people don’t want to say that but that’s reality, right? So if you’re going to have a systemthat’s based on things like that you need to have controls, and that’s why the NFL works. You know, people say ‘Well, Greg, it’s like being in the NFL.’ Like the heck it is. In the NF, there’s a contract and you know what the limits are and you know, how long you have the player.”
Because NIL is so new and rolled out with very little oversight, the complaint among many college coaches and fans is that the sports has become a ‘Wild West’ of sorts. There are no rules and it is simply becoming a time period where the highest bidder often wins.
There has had to be an adaptation from Schiano in his approach to things like NIL and the transfer portal as he looks to rebuild Rutgers football.
“It’s a strange time. But as I always say, there’s something on my desk that it says ‘If you don’t like something…change it or change the way you think about it.’ Yeah, and I want to coach and I want to coach college football, so I have to change the way I think about it,” Schiano said.
“And we are trying to be competitive in that in that space. But it is a challenge for sure.”
‘Tiki and Tierney’ is hosted by former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney, a well-liked personality on WFAN.
[lawrence-related id=27290,27273,27259]