NIL Archives - National Football Post

Report: Gamecocks LB Dylan Stewart to be among highest paid in ’26

Posted on 24 December 2025 | by Field Level Media

South Carolina linebacker Dylan Stewart is returning for his junior season and reportedly will rank among the nation’s highest-paid players in 2026.

The All-Southeastern Conference edge rusher confirmed his decision to remain with the Gamecocks via a three-word message posted Tuesday on Instagram: “Run It Back.”

Stewart is not draft-eligible but there was concern he could enter the transfer portal. According to ESPN, his name, image and likeness deals will rank among the most lucrative in college football next season.

For perspective, the highest-paid players in 2025 included Texas QB Arch Manning ($5.5 million NIL valuation), Miami QB Carson Beck ($4.9 million) and Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith ($4.2 million), based on multiple reports.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Stewart recorded 4.5 sacks, 12.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 11 games this season for the Gamecocks (4-8, 1-7 SEC). His two-season totals include 11.0 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss, 56 tackles and six forced fumbles in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

James Franklin: Virginia Tech not going to ‘lead with money’ in NIL era

Posted on 19 November 2025 | by Field Level Media

New Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin said he still plans to build the football program on long-term player development and old-school values, despite the significant recent shifts in college sports in the NIL era.

“I’m a big believer that this is still a developmental game for young men — developing them on the football field, developing them in the classroom, and developing them to be prepared for the next phase of their lives,” Franklin said in his introductory press conference Wednesday.

“I still believe you can run your program with an old-school perspective. I want this to be transformational, not transactional.”

Franklin, 53, was hired Monday to replace Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, who was fired in September after going 0-3 this season and 16-24 over four seasons with the Hokies.

Franklin boasts a 128-60 record over 15 seasons at the helm of Penn State and Vanderbilt. He took the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff and won the 2016 Big Ten championship. His 104 wins in 12 seasons at Penn State were second-most in school history, and he is one of just three active FBS coaches with a winning percentage at 68% or higher over the past 14 seasons.

The Langhorne, Pa., native, who served as an assistant at Maryland and James Madison, heavily recruited the I-95 corridor while at Penn State, including the DMV area — a major recruitment area for Virginia Tech.

While saying that Virginia Tech must stay competitive in the NIL environment, he also said money is not going to be one of the top three selling points when it comes to recruiting players.

“We’re not going to lead with money,” he said Wednesday. “I want young men to choose our program because it’s where they want to be. But we do need to be competitive with other schools, because it doesn’t make sense to ask these young people to walk away from significant money.”

Franklin acknowledged the challenges created by the recent dramatic acceleration of movement within the transfer portal and the related focus on NIL by many athletes. However, he said he doesn’t believe the Hokies have to abandon previous ways of building a solid program and that he doesn’t want to become too dependent on the portal.

“In Year 1, we’ll probably use the portal differently than we will in future years,” Franklin said. “… If you’re a portal team and you live by the portal, then every year you’re going to have to live by the portal. It’s hard to ever get out of that cycle.”

Virginia Tech last won 10 games in 2016. Frank Beamer led the Hokies to 10 or more wins in each season from 2004-11.

Philip Montgomery is the interim coach after the firing of Pry. The Hokies are 3-4 under Montgomery with games against Miami and Virginia Tech remaining.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) breaks up a pass intended for Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy (5) during an NCAA college football playoff game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (This is not a great photo but it is a good example to a too close-up action shot.)

Tip line set up for anonymous reporting of NIL violations

Posted on 8 October 2025 | by Field Level Media

The College Sports Commission launched a tip line for reporting potential NIL violations on Wednesday.

The commission called it an important information-gathering tool as it oversees thousands of name, image and likeness deals that have transformed the college sports landscape.

“One of the foundational aspects of any compliance program is reporting methods,” CSC CEO Bryan Seeley told The Associated Press. “And it’s important to have reporting methods that people feel comfortable using, which often involves providing anonymous reporting.”

Student-athletes, coaches, administrators and others can call (571) 576-2272 or submit anonymous reports via text message, email or web form at www.collegesportscommission.org/report.

All phone numbers and identifying information are masked to protect the reporter’s identity, according to the CSC.

The CSC has contracted with the technology firm RealResponse, which offers similar reporting tools for issues relevant to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, NFL Players Association, Major League Baseball and others.

“Since NIL has become a reality, it has heightened the opportunity for bad behavior and cheating to occur in college athletics,” RealResponse founder and CEO David Chadwick said, per the AP. “Everyone agrees the rules need to be followed, there needs to be accountability and enforcement. The reality is that for that to happen, there have to be reporting mechanisms in place and there has to be good technology that allows people who want to report anonymously to do so.”

The watchdog CSC was created out of this summer’s $2.8 billion antitrust settlement between former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and the NCAA and the nation’s five biggest athletic conferences.

The CSC examines third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more that are submitted through its “NIL Go” app. As of last month, it said it had approved more than 6,000 deals valued at more than $35 million.

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) runs the ball as Baylor Bears safety Tyler Turner (17) defends during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Auburn shifts 2026 game vs. Baylor to Atlanta for NIL boost

Posted on 6 October 2025 | by Field Level Media

Auburn shifted its 2026 matchup with Baylor from Jordan-Hare Stadium to the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, set for Sept. 5, 2026, the school announced Monday.

The game had been slated as the Tigers’ home date in the home-and-home series following the 2025 meeting in the season opener in Waco, Texas. As part of the new arrangement, the Peach Bowl and Aflac Kickoff will tie event promotions to name, image and likeness opportunities for Auburn players.

“Any time we have the ability to advance Auburn student-athletes’ ability to earn third-party NIL compensation, we will take that opportunity,” Auburn athletic director John Cohen said. “The exposure of playing on a national stage against a Power Four opponent in one of the premier neutral-site games in the country will not only benefit our student-athletes financially, but it will also enhance their brands.”

Peach Bowl, Inc. COO David Epps called the plan a new template for neutral-site games.

“As college football adapts to the new NIL world, we have to find creative ways to make sure everyone gets a win in games like these,” Epps said. “We worked in partnership with Auburn to create a new model for neutral-site games — one that moves the chains financially for the universities and student-athletes.”

The Tigers last played in Atlanta in 2018 and have appeared in the kickoff event three times previously (2012, 2015, 2018). The move trims Auburn’s 2026 home slate to six contests (Southern Miss, Jacksonville State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Florida and LSU).

Auburn and Baylor opened this season in Waco, where the Tigers won 38-24. The series dates to 1954 and stands 2-2-1 after that result.

–Field Level Media

Palm Beach Post writer Tom D'Angelo, left, Brian White, Vice president and director of athletics at FAU,
Eric Kresser, former Palm Beach Gardens, UF and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback,
Kevin Anderson, West Palm Beach-based sports agent and Jon Santucci, Gannett Florida's recruiting writer, right, answer questions during the Palm Beach Post's NIL, Name, Image and Likeness forum in West Palm Beach, Florida, on August 27, 2025.

College Sports Commission approved $79.8M in NIL since June

Posted on 5 September 2025 | by Field Level Media

The College Sports Commission, charged with overseeing revenue sharing over the current “Power Four” conferences, issued a report on Thursday touting over 8,000 deals totaling nearly $80 million since the implementation of a name, image and likeness (NIL) system on June 11 of this year.

More precisely, the report said there have been 32,729 registered users, 8,359 deals cleared, 332 deals not yet cleared and $79.8 million in cleared deals.

Aimed at addressing the $2.8 billion settlement of the House vs. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, the Commission was established in June with the participation of every school in the current Power Four: the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 Conference.

Several schools outside of those leagues also opted into the arrangement on a case-by-case basis.

The result of those moves establishes a revenue-sharing cap of $20.5 million that those schools are allowed to pay their athletes.

The entity gained notoriety in July for issuing guidance to schools that all deals involving NIL collectives — typically school- or booster-affiliated money raising operations — would be rejected.

That guidance was later amended to allow for collective deals, but only if the athletes involved promote “for-profit” goods or services.

The new report attributed the most common issues for clearance as being a delay in attesting to or providing required information, contradictory deal terms and/or mistakes made in entering said terms and deals that didn’t satisfy the valid business purpose requirement.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2), Ohio State offensive linesman Connor Smith (77) and Ohio State offensive linesman Scott Sika (72) sing Carmen Ohio after beating Ohio University during the second half of their NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on September 18, 2010. (The Columbus Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron)

Former Ohio State QB’s lawsuit over lost NIL opportunities dismissed

Posted on 19 July 2025 | by Field Level Media

A lawsuit seeking compensation from the NCAA for thousands of former Ohio State athletes was dismissed.

The class action suit against the NCAA, Ohio State, the Big Ten and others brought by former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was not done in a timely manner, according to Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah Morrison.

Pryor’s suit, filed in October, alleged that by not allowing student athletes to profit from the commercial use of their names, images and likenesses, the NCAA and other defendants violated antitrust law.

Pryor argued in the lawsuit that he “would have been one of the highest paid collegiate athletes in the country” if NIL had been legal while he was playing at Ohio State. He also claimed the NCAA and the other defendants continue to make revenue from his name, image and likeness.

Under U.S. antitrust laws, plaintiffs generally have a four-year window to bring a claim. Pryor was the quarterback at Ohio State from 2008-10.

“Mr. Pryor knew the material facts underlying his antitrust claims long before the four-year limitations period had run,” Morrison said in her ruling.

Additionally, Morrison ruled that as a public school and arm of the state, Ohio State was immune from the lawsuit.

Similar lawsuits were filed by former Southern California running back Reggie Bush, several former Michigan football players, and basketball players from Kansas and North Carolina State.

Since 2021, and under pressure from states and the courts, the NCAA has allowed student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). Student-athletes can now be compensated for merely showing up to play and can earn a profit for spokesperson gigs, clothing and autograph sales and more.

Additionally, a legal ruling on June 6 allowed colleges to directly pay players via revenue sharing for the first time. The settlement of House v. NCAA marked the end of the NCAA’s previous model of amateurism, in which athletes were not allowed to earn money while in school. Schools can now share up to $20.5 million of their revenues with their athletes.

–Field Level Media

President Donald Trump shakes hands with legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban before delivering a special commencement address to University of Alabama graduates at Coleman Coliseum on May 1, 2025. Graduation occurs over the weekend.

Reports: Donald Trump to sign executive order for NIL standards

Posted on 16 July 2025 | by Field Level Media

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order setting national standards to better control the name, image and likeness landscape in college sports, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

The reports of an upcoming executive order come one day after a House subcommittee advanced a bill along party lines that would establish national standards for student-athlete sponsorships. Called the SCORE Act, the proposed legislation would supersede current state laws regulating NIL.

The White House has not commented on the latest report of an NIL-related executive order, but President Trump has a long history of expressing interest in sports. He has attended many major sporting events, including several prominent college football games like the Army-Navy football game last December.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday on “SEC This Morning” that he had no details or further information about an executive order but that he believes the President is generally supportive of college sports.

“It’s not a secret, I had a chance to visit with the President … his interest is real. My takeaway, he wants to be supportive of college athletics, make sure that it’s sustainable, the Olympic program and the Olympic development,” Sankey said.

“The President clearly has an interest in sports, big picture, has an interest in college sports, has been at our games. The notion of an executive order has been mentioned before. There were some reports of a commission or an executive order back to like, April, I think, is when that started to bubble. So we’ll wait and see.”

Reports surfaced in May that Trump had asked his aides to begin researching the idea of an executive order related to NIL after a meeting with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where Trump was the school’s commencement speaker.

Saban has been critical of the NIL funding in the past, largely because he was concerned about the effect on college football. The NIL era also has brought a rise to the transfer portal era, with thousands of students across all sports seeking to move schools — some of them for bigger paydays.

“Each year, it’s gotten a little worse,” Saban said last December on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. “The first year we had name, image and likeness four, five years ago, we had a $3 million (roster), and everybody was happy. Then the next year it was $7 million, then the next year it’s $10 million. Then this year it’s $13 million. Now they’re looking at $20 million. I mean, where does it end?”

Per a report by The Wall Street Journal in May, Saban told the president that he wasn’t trying to put an end to NIL funding for players but instead wanted to see the creation of a more level playing field between the schools with deep pockets and those that didn’t have as much money available.

Saban has previously said the current model is unsustainable for college sports, and Trump apparently agreed.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Former Texas A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel looks on prior to the game against the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Johnny Manziel believes NFL would have been ‘pay cut’ if NIL available

Posted on 15 July 2025 | by Field Level Media

Johnny Manziel believes he would have put the NFL off longer if Name, Image, and Likeness had been available during his career at Texas A&M.

Manziel declared for the 2014 NFL Draft after his redshirt sophomore season with the Aggies. He went on to sign a four-year, $8.2 million rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns, who selected the polarizing quarterback with the 22nd overall pick.

Dubbed “Johnny Football,” Manziel believes he would have stood to earn considerably more in NIL over his final two years of eligibility than going to the NFL.

After becoming the first-ever freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award while throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns as a freshman, Manziel threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns the next season.

“I tell people this all the time, and they asked me this, I really feel like I would have taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” Manziel said on Always College Football, per On3.com. “I mean, that’s really what it would have been. I mean, it is crazy times that we’re living, and I think, you know, in a lot of areas, still figuring out exactly how to make it work the right way, where it’s not just the biggest boosters and the richest schools. If you look at A&M, you know, I feel like we’ve put a ton of money in it to our NIL, and it hasn’t necessarily translated onto the field.

“So, you know, I feel guys who are playing at a high level, who are really noticeable and really marketable, are making a great amount of money off the field, to the point where guys have the opportunity to stay in school rather than having to go to the NFL early.”

Following two controversy-laden seasons, Manziel was released by the Browns and did not throw another pass in the NFL. After being out of football for two years, he played for Hamilton and Montreal in the Canadian Football League in 2018 and spent time with the AAF’s Memphis express in 2019.

Manziel later played two seasons in the Fan Controlled Football League from 2021-22.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) runs the ball against Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Joe Barna (43) in the first quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers offered $8M to transfer, dad says

Posted on 16 June 2025 | by Field Level Media

South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers is expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference this season and, potentially, a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

According to his father, Sellers’ stock was so high following his breakout 2024 campaign that schools made the family lucrative offers to induce him to transfer.

In a story published by The Athletic on Monday, Norris Sellers said his son’s highest offer was for two years and $8 million. The schools that reached out were not identified.

“He was offered all kinds of crazy numbers,” Norris told the outlet. “I told him he could say, ‘I’m gonna stay or I’m gonna go.’ (But) my two cents: It was to get into college on a scholarship, play ball, get our degree and go on about our business. This NIL deal came later. We didn’t come here to make money. We came here to get our education, play ball, and with schools calling, we’re not gonna jump ship because they’re offering more than what we’re getting. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

In his sophomore season — his first as a starter — Sellers completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 674 yards and seven scores on the ground.

Most notably, Sellers helped the Gamecocks upset intrastate rival Clemson 17-14 on Nov. 30. He threw for 164 yards and rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score on a third-and-16 play with 1:08 to go.

Sellers earned third-team all-SEC honors (behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Texas’ Quinn Ewers) while helping South Carolina finish the regular season 9-3 before a Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois. NIL endorsement deals poured in over the offseason, but his father advised him not to chase more money from rival schools.

“You’re 19,” Norris said. “You don’t need ($8 million). You’re in a great spot. There were several talks, but it never really crossed his mind (to leave). It’s a challenge with colleges offering younger guys that kind of money. Who’s gonna say no to $8 million for two years? They’re gonna be swayed if you don’t have the right people in your corner.”

–Field Level Media