Florida Football: Pros and cons of reformed NIL for the Gators

One of the areas that Florida football has been lacking, at least from a public perception standpoint, has been adapting to the world of NIL. The Gators have taken a conservative approach, especially when juxtaposed with the approach of some other notable programs.

But recognizing that NIL has been nothing short of the Wild Wild West, an old Gators foe is the one leading the charge to make some reforms.

 Florida Football: The Times They Are A-Changin’

We don’t need to rehash the NIL nightmares the Gators have experienced since opening up shop in the summer of 2021, and one of the narratives surrounding Billy Napier is that his recruiting would be even better if not for NIL.

Nationwide, NIL has been nothing short of a free for all, and when combined with the transfer portal, there is nothing stopping college football from turning into a game of one-year mercenaries that are constantly looking for the highest bidder.

Enter former Auburn coach and current United States Senator Tommy Tuberville to introduce legislation alongside fellow United States Senator Joe Manchin to try and address these issues.

Dubbed the “Protecting Athletes, Schools, and Sports (PASS) Act of 2023,” the duo has introduced a series of reforms that include, among other things:

• Requiring collectives and boosters to be affiliated with a college or school
• Requiring agents and collectives to register with a regulating body
• Requiring all NIL contracts to be disclosed within 30 days
• Requiring student-athletes to complete their first three years of academic eligibility before allowing them to transfer without penalty, subject to a few exceptions
• Guaranteeing health insurance for sports-related injuries for uninsured student-athletes for 8 years following graduation from a 4-year institution

The first part about collectives needing to be affiliated with a college is something Florida is already ahead of with Florida Victorious and not something the Gators would need to worry about.

Requiring all NIL contracts be disclosed isn’t something that will work in Florida’s favor in the long run as it will just further encourage the bidding wars for players, something that Florida football hasn’t seemed willing to engage in, at least from a public perception standpoint.

Stabilizing the transfer portal would be a give-and-take for the Gators. Caleb Banks, Deuce Spurlock, and Kiyaunta Goodwin (before his family hardship) wouldn’t be in Gainesville this season if they were forced to stay at their original school for three years. Likewise, Corey Collier, Chief Borders, and Donovan McMillon would still be a Florida Gator under these new rules.

And the three year rule would probably face the stiffest legal challenges if enacted as questions of what legally can bind an athlete to a school when normal students who are not athletes can change schools at will.

But also ignoring the irony that Tuberville is the one seeking NIL reform after the way he bailed on Texas Tech, the current state of college football is a knee-jerk reaction to the decades of neglect that the NCAA gave towards athletes.

There is a sustainable middle ground, but it is going to be a complicated road to get there.