Tennessee has certainly benefitted from the NIL. Current players are able to profit off of their name, image and likeness, as had been the plan all along. The Vols have also – very likely – received some recruiting benefits from NIL, as had not been the plan all along. That’s still, technically, against the rules.
So how long can Tennessee benefit from the NIL? Surely, there is legislation to be made that will limit the free-flowing system that is currently in place. That has to be right around the corner, right? No, not really.
Legislation of the NIL will take longer than a few days or months to be implemented. The battle to reign in the spending goes all the way to the United States Congress, not just the NCAA office. That good for Tennessee, which has the financial backing and support to compete with any program in the nation.
“We have legal outcomes and ongoing legal issues that limit the NCAA’s ability to just solve those problems,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told Off The Hook Sports. “Stated more directly, the NCAA can’t pass a rule that puts a state university in conflict with a state law. That’s untenable and impractical so you then look to congress to enact a national standard so that everyone operates under the same structure.”
So what does that mean for the current state of the NIL? It means that nothing is changing anytime soon. Sankey went on to say that the mid-term elections in 2022 will, and already has to an extent, slow the process of NIL legislation. Understandably, members of congress are more concerned about winning elections than rectifying any issues within college football.
So what does that mean for Tennessee? It means the Vols can continue to benefit for at least another athletic cycle to secure and obtain top players in every sport. Tennessee, although its coaches may disagree, should be in no hurry to see NIL legislation. Things are working great for the Vols under the current arrangement, even if it’s not ideal for all schools.
