The Clemson football program has been on the top of mountain for the half-decade or so, competing in six-straight CFB Playoffs and winning two National Championships.
The Tigers have been the dominant force not just in the ACC, but the major competition with Alabama for the top spot in the nation year-in and year-out.
As we head into the summer, though, the tides of College Football are changing in a big way.
What are we talking about? The introduction of NIL.
Why NIL could wreak havoc on the Clemson football program
I want to go ahead and preface this letting you know that I’m not saying I’m against players being paid for their name, image and likeness. However, the truth is that there is a major shift coming and there are a lot of uneasy questions in how we’re currently implementing it.
The state of Georgia is set to allow athletes to be paid for NIL beginning in July of this year. Interestingly enough, the Georgia Bulldogs already have 12 commitments and have the nation’s top class currently. Is that just a coincidence?
The state of South Carolina, however, hasn’t officially signed a NIL bill into law and the one that has passed through the state legislature isn’t set to go into effect until July of 2022, a full year later.
But it’s not just about the short-term implications of Georgia being able to use the ‘NIL pitch’ in its recruitment over the next two cycles that should be worrisome. It’s the lack of uniformity and the major dollars that are going to be floating around in a big way.
With no governing organization- the NCAA’s power is far gone- we’re set to let individual states determine what they will and won’t do. In the end, there’s going to be no way to stop recruiting violations from happening in broad daylight and, as a result, the schools with the most money will get the most talent.
That’s always been the case- to a point- but now we’re going to see it on an even larger scale.
Recruits are going to actively look at the NIL in each state. They’re going to look at how much they’re set to gain from endorsements and local deals, and that’s going to become a major factor in their decision- especially for big time 5-stars. The schools with the larger alumni bases with more financial stability- like Ohio State and Alabama- are going to have no trouble finding ‘outside forces’ to come in and offer money for ‘marketing partnerships.’
That’s where all this gets tricky.
Eventually it might even out, but those who say only the top few players will be affected by NIL aren’t necessarily seeing the whole picture, at least when it comes to recruiting.
Who’s to stop a car dealership owner in Tuscaloosa from going to a 5-star and telling him they’ll offer him a deal worth *insert amount here* if he signs with Alabama. That 5-star may not even ever go on to play a snap for the Crimson Tide, but he’ll still be making money off the NIL partnership.
And then when he doesn’t play and that outside deal is ended, what’s going to stop him from entering the Transfer Portal and finding another car dealership owner in, say, Texas that will offer him a deal to come play at Texas A&M?
It’s going to lead to a system where players are more focused on themselves as individuals- without care about team or program- than ever before. You might say that’s not a bad thing and point to the fact that we have many with that same attitude in head coaching positions today, but there’s potential for this whole thing to implode if it’s not done carefully.
So, what about the Clemson football program and how the Tigers might be affected?
In the end, this could wreak havoc on the Tigers because of one simple reason: Alumni base and outside money.
Clemson alumni are some of the proudest in the world and the Tigers have always done an excellent job when it comes to fundraising and to have donors readily available. That being said, Clemson isn’t going to be able to compete with the money that bigger schools like Ohio State have and that’s going to make it difficult for the Tigers to get an ‘in’ with some of the top prospects in recruiting classes year-in and year-out.
Perhaps I’m overblowing this whole thing, but it seems to me that we’ve opened up a can of worms that is going to result in the rich getting richer and with no uniformity, fairness and competitive integrity are about to fly out the window.
Clemson football will still compete, no doubt, but the Tigers are going to have to adjust to this new world and it’s going to take some time.