Deion Sanders Is Not A Fan Of The NCAA’s NIL Rules & College Athletes Making Money ‘Like Professionals’
Jacksonville State University football coach Deion Sanders has a problem with the way money earned under the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules is changing athletes’ behavior.
USA Today reports Sanders tagged the NCAA in a Twitter video explaining his position on the subject, saying the money has student-athletes acting like professional athletes
@NCAA YOU HAVE A PROBLEM! I’m trying to help before it blows up in your face. Money Makes You More Of Who You Really Are. Now think about that for a minute. God bless u all. #CoachPrime pic.twitter.com/ZbncNK2PDt
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 11, 2022
“When you start paying athletes like they’re professionals, you get athletes acting like they’re professionals,” Sanders said. “And you don’t have staffs large enough and equipped enough to handle a young man with money. Let me go deeper. Handle a young man that’s making more money than some of the coaches on staff.”
Sanders’ solution to the NIL problem is for schools to add more football staff members.
“I suggest to you to allow college teams to hire more qualified men. Qualified. That can handle these young men that’s getting this money,” the two-time Super Bowl champion added.
Last year, the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to earn money off their NIL. The move came after several lawsuits and amid states drafting legislation allowing students to earn money. At the time, the move was celebrated by student advocates.
However, several coaches, including University of Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban, have complained. Additionally, multiple players have transferred or have threatened to transfer to other schools where student-athletes are making more NIL money.
Sanders, who has convinced top talent to transfer from Power Five schools to Jacksonville State, added that HBCU and smaller schools could not compete with the amount of money those schools are paying their student-athletes.
“See, with the NIL, which really ain’t NIL because it ain’t no name, image, and likeness, it’s just pay-per-view right now,” Sanders added. “That’s what they’re doing at the big boys, little boys we can’t compete with that. But anyway, you’ve got a problem.”
Sanders has been coaching Jacksonville State’s football team since 2020, and the former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers cornerback has brought a significant amount of press and popularity to the team and HBCU sports programs.