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OKLAHOMA State head coach Mike Gundy did not mince his words when it came to where he believes college football is heading.
Name, Image, and Likeness deals (NIL) have forever reshaped the college sporting world since they were legalized in 2021.
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The ability for student-athletes to profit off their image has completely altered how teams recruit, how long stars remain with their respective programs, and the balance of power in the college sporting world.
For example, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the nation’s highest-earning student-athlete with an annual NIL value of $4.7 million, as per On3.
However, more changes appear to be on the way, and Gundy believes they could see college football teams “break away” to become “their own company.”
Gundy joined Pat McAfee on his show to discuss the college football landscape on Wednesday where both provided interesting insights into the direction the athletes as well as the schools may be heading.
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He explained that as things stand, once the transfer portal closes, any financial negotiations between the team and the player come to an end.
“We pay our players very well here,” Gundy added.
“They have certain functions that they have to take care of to be able to get their money through the NIL concepts, but the big challenge is to get players who are not used to making money to say, ‘Look, the negotiations are over.’
“When the portal opens back up, whether we like it or not, I think you’re gonna see more players going in the portal to negotiate not necessarily to try and leave.”
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What’s more, Gundy elaborated on his belief that college football players will eventually be seen as employees.
“The reason I say that is because we’re gonna be negotiating seven-figure contracts,” he said.
“I don’t know anywhere in the world where there’s seven-figure contracts that are negotiated without a contract.”
McAfee then chimed in with his view, calling for protections to be put in place for the athletes.
For example, he specifically pointed out his desire for players to avoid, “Signing bad contracts, agreeing to lifetime deals with people, [and] losing 20 percent of your money long term.”
McAfee remained hopeful that a more stable environment was approaching, building off of the proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA lawsuit.
College football’s 2024 shake-up
Oklahoma and Texas switching from the Big 12 to the SEC is one of the biggest changes to college football in recent times.
And that has set off a chain reaction which has left the Pac-12 conference decimated.
The Pac-12 has lost 10 of its 12 members and is down to just Oregon State and Washington State.
Four of those teams are headed for the Big 12 – Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Another four are going to the Big 10 – Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
And the other two teams, California and Stanford, will join the ACC conference.
No teams have left the SEC, Big Ten or ACC.
The proposed settlement is reportedly worth $2.8 billion and would be shared among athletes both past and present, as per USA Today.
The agreement would also pave the way for schools to pay their athletes.
How much a school could spend on its athletes would be capped, with the ceiling reviewed for a potential rise on a three-yearly basis at a minimum.
Also, rules could be enforced by the NCAA which mandates that athletes have to be working on a degree in order to be paid.
Gundy was steadfast in his belief that for clarity to be brought to the whole situation, the key is contracts.
“You have to have contracts to move forward,” he said.
“There’s marketing, there’s branding, there’s so many things.
“And I really believe that college football teams are going to eventually break away and become their own company.”
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