Tommy Tuberville Details NIL Concerns, Says 'We're On Verge Of Going Bankrupt' During Conversation With Riley Gaines

NIL is out of control and Senator Tommy Tuberville wants to help. A system that was designed to allow athletes to profit from their Name, Image and Likeness while still in school has become an unregulated monstrosity that has changed the entire landscape of collegiate athletics — especially football.

Amateur sports, which were never really amateur to begin with, are now professional sports.

At its core, NIL is a great thing. College athletes are able to capitalize on their value and make money through things like paid promotions on social media, public appearances and brand partnerships.

However, as almost anybody could have foreseen, it has become something much greater. It is an unregulated free-for-all. NIL collectives are left to their own devices without anyone to check them.

NIL wealth and success have a direct correlation in the current era.

While there are some supporters in favor of the free market, there has been a lot of push back on the current system from some of the major players. Nick Saban led a group of prominent voices who lobbied Capitol Hill for NIL help in Washington D.C. last month.

The NCAA has lost all authority in putting the cat back in the bag after announcing the current NIL structure on July 1, 2021. If something is to change, it will require codification of new legislation.

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who previously coached college football at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati, is among those on the front line. He and Senator Joe Manchin of West Vigrinia introduced a bipartisan bill aimed to regulate NIL on Tuesday.

Sen. Tuberville joined the Gaines for Girls Podcast to discuss!

Tommy Tuberville is for players getting paid.

Sen. Tuberville isn't trying to stop athletes from being compensated. He just wants to see some parameters around NIL, hence the bill.

During his conversation with Gaines, Sen. Tuberville said that "we're in a state with this NIL where we're on the verge of going bankrupt."

His experience coaching on the FBS level has helped him to understand that student-athletes have two full-time jobs: school and sports. That is why he and Sen. Manchin are trying to help— to ensure fairness for everyone, at every school across the board.

As things currently stand, every state has different rules regarding NIL. Sens. Tuberville and Manchin's law would ensure that every state must operate the same way.

In addition, Sen. Tuberville told Gaines that he is concerned with sustainability.

What's gon' happen, all the money's gon' go into paying players. Which, again, I'm for players making money men and women.
But you also gotta remember, you have to have facilities. And if all of this money starts going to athletes, what's gon' happen is there's no money going into the Olympic sports, there's no money going into some of the women's sports.
You're gonna see sports drop, because it's only going to be the ones that really bring in the revenue.

Here are Senator Tommy Tuberville's full comments to Riley Gaines on NIL: