Badgers Football 2025-2026

[Pokerbrat2000]

This is the AI search on payments to Wisconsin OL through NIL. The most lucrative contracts which aren't shown are those that are nationally recognized brand involvement, like Adidas, Nike, and clothing companies. But, the Badgers $50k on up is in line with the majority of schools. Of course, the 4- and 5-star athletes on the line make more but that stands to reason.

The average Wisconsin kid who has a 3-star ranking will still get that $50k, along with a lot of other perks, and opportunities to make money. Like almost every other program, if they want to go above that they have to earn it by contributions on the field. The fact is that there are kids from Wisconsin going elsewhere to play football who should have never escaped and are getting less NIL money somewhere else than the Badgers could give them. As a matter of record, the team that started this whole thing, Texas, still has a $50k package for offensive linemen and if they contribute it goes up from there. So, that's a fairly level playing field.

Like I say, the problem is in the money available to skill players, but it's exacerbated by the fact that the Badgers can't get top level offensive linemen because they won't do their homework under Fickell. These OL kids are ending up playing elsewhere.

Fickell seems to have taken these kids more seriously this year and it looks like he might snag a few really good players with potential for '26 & '27.

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Wisconsin Badger offensive linemen typically earn estimated Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) valuations ranging from roughly $50,000 to $150,000+ per year, depending on the player's seniority, starting status, and on-field performance. However, these are unofficial, independent projections rather than public contract disclosures. [1, 2, 3]
The compensation breakdown differs based on a few key factors:

• Valuation Estimates: Star veteran linemen and established tackles on the roster, like Riley Mahlman and Jack Nelson, often command top-tier valuations within the position group. Younger or rotational linemen generally fall closer to the lower end or middle of this spectrum. [1, 2]
• Collective and Revenue-Share Funds: Historically, Wisconsin’s overall football NIL war chest (estimated around $3M to $21.7M depending on the metric) has lagged behind massive Big Ten rivals like Ohio State and Penn State. To combat this, the university expanded its commercial support via Badger Athlete Partners and implemented regulated athletic-department revenue sharing to remain competitive. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• General Appearances: Beyond massive collective payouts, linemen also earn micro-transaction NIL money through platforms like Badger Stripes, charging anywhere from $20 to $45 for autographs and short video shoutouts. [1]

Good stuff thanks.

I still would say that NIL money and how it is collected and distributed is being kept behind a veil of non-transparency. Most of the numbers we are able to see are very general. The bottom line for me is that I view NIL as the new Salary Cap for College teams. With the limit on that cap only being what the school can raise through its donors. I also view it as a growing issue in major sports like football. Just compare the numbers below with what is being "predicted spending" in 2026.

These are the top 25 Schools in 2025, for reported NIL money used in their football programs.

25. Illinois Fighting Illini: $9.3 million

24. Washington Huskies: $9.4 million

23. Louisville Cardinals: $9.44 million

22. South Carolina Gamecocks: $9.5 million

21. Iowa Hawkeyes: $9.6 million

20. Florida State Seminoles: $10 million

19. Oregon Ducks: $10.6 million

18. Kentucky Wildcats: $11.2 million

17. Arkansas Razorbacks: $11.5 million

16. Auburn Tigers: $11.58 million

15. Tennessee Volunteers: $11.6 million

14. Virginia Cavaliers: $12.7 million

13. Michigan State Spartans: $13 million

12. Indiana Hoosiers: $13.6 million

11. Penn State Nittany Lions: $13.7 million

10. Oklahoma Sooners ($14.8M)
9. Clemson Tigers ($15.2M)

8. Florida Gators ($15.8M)
7. Alabama Crimson Tide ($15.9M)

6. Michigan Wolverines ($16.3M)

5. Texas A&M Aggies ($17.2M)

4. Georgia Bulldogs ($18.3M)

3. LSU Tigers ($20.1M)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes ($20.2M)

1. Texas Longhorns ($22.2M)

Reported 2026 College Football Roster Values​

Program	Reported 2026 Roster Value	Source Type
Texas	~$50M	Aggregated estimates and industry sourcing
Texas A&M	~$50M	Aggregated estimates
Ohio State	$40M-$50M	Aggregated estimates and reporting
LSU	$40M+	Anonymous GM sourcing
Miami	$40M+ range	Industry estimates
Oregon	Top-tier nationally	Industry estimates
Texas Tech	$25M-$30M	Reporting tied to donor backing
Penn State	~$18.4M rev share disclosed	Public filing (revenue sharing only)
Illinois	~$20M range discussed	Industry estimates

 

[Voyageur]

Good stuff thanks.

I still would say that NIL money and how it is collected and distributed is being kept behind a veil of non-transparency. Most of the numbers we are able to see are very general. The bottom line for me is that I view NIL as the new Salary Cap for College teams. With the limit on that cap only being what the school can raise through its donors. I also view it as a growing issue in major sports like football. Just compare the numbers below with what is being "predicted spending" in 2026.

These are the top 25 Schools in 2025, for reported NIL money used in their football programs.

25. Illinois Fighting Illini: $9.3 million

24. Washington Huskies: $9.4 million

23. Louisville Cardinals: $9.44 million

22. South Carolina Gamecocks: $9.5 million

21. Iowa Hawkeyes: $9.6 million

20. Florida State Seminoles: $10 million

19. Oregon Ducks: $10.6 million

18. Kentucky Wildcats: $11.2 million

17. Arkansas Razorbacks: $11.5 million

16. Auburn Tigers: $11.58 million

15. Tennessee Volunteers: $11.6 million

14. Virginia Cavaliers: $12.7 million

13. Michigan State Spartans: $13 million

12. Indiana Hoosiers: $13.6 million

11. Penn State Nittany Lions: $13.7 million

10. Oklahoma Sooners ($14.8M)
9. Clemson Tigers ($15.2M)

8. Florida Gators ($15.8M)
7. Alabama Crimson Tide ($15.9M)

6. Michigan Wolverines ($16.3M)

5. Texas A&M Aggies ($17.2M)

4. Georgia Bulldogs ($18.3M)

3. LSU Tigers ($20.1M)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes ($20.2M)

1. Texas Longhorns ($22.2M)

Reported 2026 College Football Roster Values​

Program	Reported 2026 Roster Value	Source Type
Texas	~$50M	Aggregated estimates and industry sourcing
Texas A&M	~$50M	Aggregated estimates
Ohio State	$40M-$50M	Aggregated estimates and reporting
LSU	$40M+	Anonymous GM sourcing
Miami	$40M+ range	Industry estimates
Oregon	Top-tier nationally	Industry estimates
Texas Tech	$25M-$30M	Reporting tied to donor backing
Penn State	~$18.4M rev share disclosed	Public filing (revenue sharing only)
Illinois	~$20M range discussed	Industry estimates

There are several lists out as to how money flows in for NIL. School directly, 3rd party collectives, local advertisement, outside sponsors, like the deals we see that Manning got down in Texas. The independent donors who use specific athletes for advertising purposes usually have a caveat attached to the deal that the player must be with a specific team or the agreement is null and void. I know of one Texas offensive lineman who is buried at the second level this year, as a sophomore, but is making a ton of NIL money because his uncle happens to be a very wealthy oilman and he's giving the kid huge bucks to advertise a specific product he has even though the kid has never stepped onto an oil field and wouldn't know the difference between a logger and biscuit cutter.

Wisconsin does have some well-heeled supporters, but none are willing to put up money like we see going into Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, etc, as well as Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, and Michigan in the Big 10. Even Illinois is starting to enter the picture as a "player."

That's why I say Wisconsin needs to recruit those home-based kids that are flying under the radar but could be diamonds in the rough. As far as the blue chippers, put in a bid but don't count on the kid becoming a Badger. When enough money is on the table, it's going to speak louder than home loyalty.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

When enough money is on the table, it's going to speak louder than home loyalty.

I think for most athletes, both college and pro, this is the creed.

 

[Voyageur]

I think for most athletes, both college and pro, this is the creed.

True, not only in sports but the real world. You go out and get it or you never will.

 

[Voyageur]

Hiring Eichorn as the new AD was a mistake, in my opinion. Don't look at what happened at Texas, he was the assistant AD and raising money there is easy. You just say you need more and it starts rolling in from the good old boys. Look at his record before reaching Texas for 8-years. It was abysmal. This was hiring a local boy not a good move. All I keep hearing is how he's from Lone Rock, welcome home.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

My first reaction to the Shawn Eichorst hiring was..."Meh". But as I listened to Jim Polzin talk about him, I've warmed up to the hire a bit (video below).

I think Badger fans can focus too much on the success of the Football team. Barry Alvarez is proof of that on the positive side, Chris McIntosh is proof of that on the negative side. However, an AD oversees all of a Universities Sports. Personally, I think McIntosh made mistakes with the football program, but other sports were still thriving or improved (Men's Hockey) while he was at the UW.

Let's face it, NIL and the Transfer Portal has really altered the major sports in College. I think when it comes to the Badger Football program, they got caught with their pants down when it comes to both of those changes. I also think that it is pretty obvious that the UW doesn't attract the big money that some other schools have been able to attract. Until they do/can, not even the second coming of Barry Alverez is going to save the Football program.

I hope fans give Eichorst some time to try and improve how things are being done, but they shouldn't just grade him on the success of the Football Team.

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[Voyageur]

My first reaction to the Shawn Eichorst hiring was..."Meh". But as I listened to Jim Polzin talk about him, I've warmed up to the hire a bit (video below).

I think Badger fans can focus too much on the success of the Football team. Barry Alvarez is proof of that on the positive side, Chris McIntosh is proof of that on the negative side. However, an AD oversees all of a Universities Sports. Personally, I think McIntosh made mistakes with the football program, but other sports were still thriving or improved (Men's Hockey) while he was at the UW.

Let's face it, NIL and the Transfer Portal has really altered the major sports in College. I think when it comes to the Badger Football program, they got caught with their pants down when it comes to both of those changes. I also think that it is pretty obvious that the UW doesn't attract the big money that some other schools have been able to attract. Until they do/can, not even the second coming of Barry Alverez is going to save the Football program.

I hope fans give Eichorst some time to try and improve how things are being done, but they shouldn't just grade him on the success of the Football Team.

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

I'd agree with you except for one major flaw in handling the job. The only real positive money flow in all of Badger sports is the football program. Essentially every other sport finds themselves operating with a negative ledger. Therefore, the football program is more than self-sustaining, it's part of the lifeblood of other sports.

I had a conversation with people who know the inside workings of the University of Texas, Austin program, and they said that Eichorst was not really a mover and shaker in finding money for programs, or even as an organizer, but an excellent second level organizer in putting the pieces together that others had gathered, but definitely not the type who emanated strong leadership as a leader.

One person likened it to a factory. The guy working on the assembly line putting 8 pieces of a product together might be a whiz at his job, in fact the best, but if he had to manufacture the 8 individual parts themselves, he'd be at a loss, and not able to direct others on how to do it either. It's a little bit like the situation in pro football. A great offensive or defensive coordinator doesn't necessarily relate to a person becoming a great head coach, and a great head coach may not be as technical as a coordinator and might not succeed at that level.

Remember, he's already shown he was a lousy AD, moving to Texas as an Assistant, where he could hide his flaws from being exposed. The question the group seems to believe is that he's learned his lesson, but in all honesty, they don't have a clue as to how the good old boys of Texas work their magic, and quite honestly, there's no way he was even close to being part of that group. To them, behind his back, he was always, "The Yank." I felt it myself with work many years ago, even as I moved rapidly up the ladder with a company. At each level I had to contend with good old boys and their little circle of control they thought was theirs.

But that's just my opinion. I hope he does well, but I don't think it's even as good a hire as Fickell was and we all know how that is working so far.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'd agree with you except for one major flaw in handling the job. The only real positive money flow in all of Badger sports is the football program. Essentially every other sport finds themselves operating with a negative ledger. Therefore, the football program is more than self-sustaining, it's part of the lifeblood of other sports.

I think NIL money has changed the bolded portion of your comment. Yes, the Football programs at many major colleges bring in the lions share of income and I doubt that has changed at the UW. However, in order to be a top 25 program these days in college football, your budget needs to reflect the ability to pay top NIL money for top players. I would guess that the UW doesn't have that. Not having that kind of money has had a direct impact on the Badger Football teams ability to compete on the field.

So yes, we can talk about revenue streams and expenses, but in todays college sports, you have to add NIL money into that conversation. No longer is it really "How good of a recruiting school is X", but "How much NIL money does school X have to spend?"

As far as the job of the AD, he/she should be pushing hard for a large NIL department within each sport to combat this issue and to maintain a competitive edge. Maybe in the early years of NIL money it was viewed as a job of the AD to go out and help gather those funds. However, the magnitude and effect of NIL money has grown way past that.

 

[Voyageur]

Here's where Wisconsin stands with NIL. An accurate reading. We have 2 players in the top 400 in football, that's it. The #1 NIL player is a men's basketball player, who gets nearly 20% of the entire men's basketball money and is under $1 mill.

Not too impressive. Never will be if they don't improve their NIL posture.

Wisconsin Badgers — Scores, Schedule, NIL & News

Wisconsin Badgers 2026: live football, basketball, and baseball scores, full schedule, per-player NIL valuations, transfer portal moves, and team news. Big Ten program coverage on The Sideline.

thesideline.co

 

[Heyjoe4]

Here's where Wisconsin stands with NIL. An accurate reading. We have 2 players in the top 400 in football, that's it. The #1 NIL player is a men's basketball player, who gets nearly 20% of the entire men's basketball money and is under $1 mill.

Not too impressive. Never will be if they don't improve their NIL posture.

Wisconsin Badgers — Scores, Schedule, NIL & News

Wisconsin Badgers 2026: live football, basketball, and baseball scores, full schedule, per-player NIL valuations, transfer portal moves, and team news. Big Ten program coverage on The Sideline.

thesideline.co

The Badgers - football and BB, and Marquette BB just haven't played the NIL/portal game very well. I admit I don't understand it well, but well enough to know it's how successful college programs are now being built.

I think after last season Shaka Smart admitted he had to get better at using the portal. UW's BB team always seems to put good teams on the floor. But Badger football - well it's been a lousy few years. I don't expect them to win a national title. I do expect them to finish in the AP Top 25, with one big upset each year, and they haven't been close to that mark.

Kind of a bummer because I used to enjoy watching the Badgers on Saturday. I don't remember the last time I did that…..

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Here's where Wisconsin stands with NIL. An accurate reading. We have 2 players in the top 400 in football, that's it. The #1 NIL player is a men's basketball player, who gets nearly 20% of the entire men's basketball money and is under $1 mill.

Not too impressive. Never will be if they don't improve their NIL posture.

Wisconsin Badgers — Scores, Schedule, NIL & News

Wisconsin Badgers 2026: live football, basketball, and baseball scores, full schedule, per-player NIL valuations, transfer portal moves, and team news. Big Ten program coverage on The Sideline.

thesideline.co

Thanks for posting that. Those are some crazy numbers. The Badgers punter is getting $79K? I guess he probably will see more than an average amount of work.

 

[Voyageur]

Thanks for posting that. Those are some crazy numbers. The Badgers punter is getting $79K? I guess he probably will see more than an average amount of work.

I find it frustrating how the Badgers are applying NIL money. The highest paid deal is Aleksas Bieliauskas, in basketball. I wonder if he's worth it?

 

[Heyjoe4]

Thanks for posting that. Those are some crazy numbers. The Badgers punter is getting $79K? I guess he probably will see more than an average amount of work.

Damn $79k in NIL money for a punter on a weak team. How does that happen? I truly don't understand how NIL money is generated - although it's probably from sponsors and alumni. How it gets doled out to the players is a bigger mystery to me.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Here's where Wisconsin stands with NIL. An accurate reading. We have 2 players in the top 400 in football, that's it. The #1 NIL player is a men's basketball player, who gets nearly 20% of the entire men's basketball money and is under $1 mill.

Not too impressive. Never will be if they don't improve their NIL posture.

Wisconsin Badgers — Scores, Schedule, NIL & News

Wisconsin Badgers 2026: live football, basketball, and baseball scores, full schedule, per-player NIL valuations, transfer portal moves, and team news. Big Ten program coverage on The Sideline.

thesideline.co

Thanks V, very interesting link. I clicked on "Portal" and it shows each team by "players in, players out". I take that literally - these are the players added and lost through the portal.

Are there limits on how many a team can add, or lose? Thanks!

 

[Voyageur]

Thanks V, very interesting link. I clicked on "Portal" and it shows each team by "players in, players out". I take that literally - these are the players added and lost through the portal.

Are there limits on how many a team can add, or lose? Thanks!

No limits from what I understand.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I find it frustrating how the Badgers are applying NIL money. The highest paid deal is Aleksas Bieliauskas, in basketball. I wonder if he's worth it?

This will give fans a new topic of discussions/frustration. Instead of going after a programs recruiting tactics, College Sports will be discussed much like Professional Leagues. "You waisted how much on that guy/gal?"

I am already getting turned off by College Sports with the Transfer Portal and NIL Money. Is this how fans of the Olympics felt when it was watered down with money and amateur status being a thing of the past?

Why even require these kids to go to classes anymore? Why even require them to qualify academically to enroll in or stay in a college? Doing so seems just like the Russian ruse when they hid all their professional athletes in the military and called them "amateurs".

 

[Voyageur]

This will give fans a new topic of discussions/frustration. Instead of going after a programs recruiting tactics, College Sports will be discussed much like Professional Leagues. "You waisted how much on that guy/gal?"

I am already getting turned off by College Sports with the Transfer Portal and NIL Money. Is this how fans of the Olympics felt when it was watered down with money and amateur status being a thing of the past?

Why even require these kids to go to classes anymore? Why even require them to qualify academically to enroll in or stay in a college? Doing so seems just like the Russian ruse when they hid all their professional athletes in the military and called them "amateurs".

I agree. The last time I really rooted for a US men's Olympic hockey team was in 1980 when our amateurs won the gold medal. I remember reading about the Russian hockey team arriving back home in Moscow and for the first time in history had their luggage searched and the "illegal merchandise" like Levi's, and other items that came from the West were seized. That was their "reward" for being beaten by the amateur Americans.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Despite their new flashy uniforms, I have very little interest/anticipation of watching the Badger Football team this season. That interest has been sliding downwards for the last 5 or so seasons. Some might attest that to the program being in a terrible spiral downwards back to the Morton Days, but for me its just really not liking the College Landscape and where its headed.

 

[Heyjoe4]

This will give fans a new topic of discussions/frustration. Instead of going after a programs recruiting tactics, College Sports will be discussed much like Professional Leagues. "You waisted how much on that guy/gal?"

I am already getting turned off by College Sports with the Transfer Portal and NIL Money. Is this how fans of the Olympics felt when it was watered down with money and amateur status being a thing of the past?

Why even require these kids to go to classes anymore? Why even require them to qualify academically to enroll in or stay in a college? Doing so seems just like the Russian ruse when they hid all their professional athletes in the military and called them "amateurs".

Agreed. College sports, especially football, just don't interest me much anymore. There were perennially good schools with good programs who were championship contenders (I'm thinking of Alabama and OSU). Now it seems like the top 5-10 contending teams change very little from year to year.

And why play the charade of having these "kids" take classes? They aren't learning much, and the portal and NIL have destroyed any idea of them as "amateurs". It just sucks and I don't see how that former allure of amateur athletics gets restored.

I do still follow college BB, but that's going in the same direction as football.

Finally, I do support NIL just because it's fair. These players make or break the success of a school in sports, and the school certainly makes plenty of $$$ from advertising, broadcast rights, and on. The players deserve a cut.

 

[DoURant]

Damn $79k in NIL money for a punter on a weak team. How does that happen? I truly don't understand how NIL money is generated - although it's probably from sponsors and alumni. How it gets doled out to the players is a bigger mystery to me.

Hopefully this doesn't become a trend, students shouldn't have to fund the NIL.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://mndaily.com/sports/umn-to-charge-200-fee-for-twin-cities-students-following-athlete-pay-settlement/07/29/2025/eicmndaily-com/&ved=2ahUKEwiv0MWagtCVAxWa0cMFHR4pDgcQFnoECB8QAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw3AYJjfzkTne6uJKYeo9zHC

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Finally, I do support NIL just because it's fair. These players make or break the success of a school in sports, and the school certainly makes plenty of $$$ from advertising, broadcast rights, and on. The players deserve a cut.

My biggest issue with "NIL" is that it was originally implemented to allow a student athlete compensation for someone using its "Name, Image and Likeness". It was intended to allow an athlete the ability to profit from their personal brand and identity.

Fine, you are a super star on your team and Nike wants to pay you $1M to do some ad work, go for it! That isn't how it works anymore.

Now a punter, who's name I did not know, who's image I had never really seen, and who's likeness, I could care less about, is getting $79K to play for the Badgers? Tell me exactly how said player is entitled to $79K via NIL?

Seems to me that NIL has just opened up a whole can of worms. Worms that now will just be doling out money to every Tom, **** and Harriet that they feel could make them a better team.

 

[Voyageur]

My biggest issue with "NIL" is that it was originally implemented to allow a student athlete compensation for someone using its "Name, Image and Likeness". It was intended to allow an athlete the ability to profit from their personal brand and identity.

Fine, you are a super star on your team and Nike wants to pay you $1M to do some ad work, go for it! That isn't how it works anymore.

Now a punter, who's name I did not know, who's image I had never really seen, and who's likeness, I could care less about, is getting $79K to play for the Badgers? Tell me exactly how said player is entitled to $79K via NIL?

Seems to me that NIL has just opened up a whole can of worms. Worms that now will just be doling out money to every Tom, **** and Harriet that they feel could make them a better team.

There are two levels of NIL. The direct payments from school and collective and on the other hand, the national brand advertising which falls into the hands of super star athletes who go to the "right school" where they will gain more national exposure than they would at a school that draws less national attention.

Such is the case of Manning in Texas. His NIL cut from the school's war chest is big but dwarfed by the national brand advertising he's doing because of his national exposure.

According to people I know, within the program, who haven't been wrong yet from day one when they told me about the instant approach they had with NIL, Mr. Manning had thought about transferring twice to other schools, but in both instances, it was pointed out to him in his national NIL contracts, if he did so, the deals were null and void and he would have to renegotiate a deal with them, and it wouldn't be nearly as lucrative. It's all about their brand reaching the right people. I'd estimate he would have lost 2/3 of his NIL money because of it.

When you're guaranteed more money for 3 or 4 years of college football than you'd make in the pros, you have a chance to put enough aside so if you flop in the NFL, you still have a nice nest egg to lay back and enjoy while you go into semi-retirement at age 26 or so.

 

[Heyjoe4]

There are two levels of NIL. The direct payments from school and collective and on the other hand, the national brand advertising which falls into the hands of super star athletes who go to the "right school" where they will gain more national exposure than they would at a school that draws less national attention.

Such is the case of Manning in Texas. His NIL cut from the school's war chest is big but dwarfed by the national brand advertising he's doing because of his national exposure.

According to people I know, within the program, who haven't been wrong yet from day one when they told me about the instant approach they had with NIL, Mr. Manning had thought about transferring twice to other schools, but in both instances, it was pointed out to him in his national NIL contracts, if he did so, the deals were null and void and he would have to renegotiate a deal with them, and it wouldn't be nearly as lucrative. It's all about their brand reaching the right people. I'd estimate he would have lost 2/3 of his NIL money because of it.

When you're guaranteed more money for 3 or 4 years of college football than you'd make in the pros, you have a chance to put enough aside so if you flop in the NFL, you still have a nice nest egg to lay back and enjoy while you go into semi-retirement at age 26 or so.

Your last paragraph is eye opening. A player could make more from his college days than from his days in the NFL. It's significant of nothing really, other than irony.

I don't begrudge athletes wanting a cut of the $$$ schools bring in. That part should be money available to all players on a team.

An individual player, with a large and devoted fan following, should be able to cut an additional deal that will likley pay him much more.

As long as the university is making money from a sport(s), the players should get a cut of that. All of the players.

 

[Heyjoe4]

My biggest issue with "NIL" is that it was originally implemented to allow a student athlete compensation for someone using its "Name, Image and Likeness". It was intended to allow an athlete the ability to profit from their personal brand and identity.

Fine, you are a super star on your team and Nike wants to pay you $1M to do some ad work, go for it! That isn't how it works anymore.

Now a punter, who's name I did not know, who's image I had never really seen, and who's likeness, I could care less about, is getting $79K to play for the Badgers? Tell me exactly how said player is entitled to $79K via NIL?

Seems to me that NIL has just opened up a whole can of worms. Worms that now will just be doling out money to every Tom, **** and Harriet that they feel could make them a better team.

I don't begrudge an individual player - who has established a marketable brand identity for himself - from making money for that. That meets all the initials in N-I-L.

There is another thing to consider. Schools make a lot of money from athletics, at least some schools do. In those cases, all players should get some kind of compensation. The school makes money from the players, the players should make money from the school. I realize that this pretty much destroys the notion of an "amateur" college athlete - well at least for some sports and some schools.

Even so, that should not result in a P on a well-below-average team to earn $79k - at least not intuitively.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I don't begrudge an individual player - who has established a marketable brand identity for himself - from making money for that. That meets all the initials in N-I-L.

There is another thing to consider. Schools make a lot of money from athletics, at least some schools do. In those cases, all players should get some kind of compensation. The school makes money from the players, the players should make money from the school. I realize that this pretty much destroys the notion of an "amateur" college athlete - well at least for some sports and some schools.

Even so, that should not result in a P on a well-below-average team to earn $79k - at least not intuitively.

Let's not forget that most of the players are getting free tuition, as well as food and board. Out of State tuition at UW Madison is currently $42.5K, add in food, board and other side benefits and well, I think athletes are being compensated.

Using the guise of "NIL" money to lure players into the TP or just to enroll in a University, doesn't fool me one bit. NIL money is no longer compensation for Name, Image and Likeness. It is just a ruse used to flood a program with money to buy as many players as it can afford.