Jack Erskine

Tag: college-football

  • What is New in The NIL Game?

    What is New in The NIL Game?

    It has been a while since we talked about NIL. Last time I sat down with broadcaster Neil Everett and sportswriter Bill Plaschke about their opinions. Like everything else in the world, it has quickly changed since then.

    About two months into 2026, we have seen a few changes. NIL started as what seemed to be a free for all. Now colleges must treat NIL not as a peripheral student issue. They need to treat it as a core compliance and governance concern that impacts the student athletes.

    Likewise, revenue-sharing, which is now a major element of compensating players. You might be confused about what that actually does for athletes. Let’s break it down: Revenue-sharing means the school itself shares institutional revenue directly with the athletes. Up till this point, all NIL revenue athletes were getting their money from third-party endorsements, such as brand deals and sponsors. But now all players benefit, whether they have a sponsor deal or not. That’s the advantage of revenue-sharing. 

    As an Oregon student I am going to break it down using Oregon football as an example. Oregon football makes hypothetically $100M. Players get scholarships and TV money stays with the school. Now, Oregon makes $100M and distributes a portion of that revenue directly to the players.

    Imagine you are forming a startup company. At first, employees get a salary (scholarship). The company then gets the influencers to market the company on social media and drives their viewership, boosting TV revenue. Now with revenue-share being a requirement, the company now must give employees a share of the profits.

    But these are two different incomes. They are not combined in any way. So, another Oregon example: The star QB at Oregon signs a deal with Nike, local dealerships, and a trading card company. That money comes from those outside brands. Now in addition to those deals, Oregon can pay him directly from the athletic department revenue that comes from TV money, ticket sales and concessions.

    The breakdown for the QB might look like this:

    $1M from NIL deals and $500K from the school’s revenue share. Two separate income streams.

    Want to learn more about revenue sharing? Check out this link to an article that breaks it down even more and has charts for those of you who like visuals.

    NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

  • Reggie Bush Was Ahead of His Time: How NIL Could Have Changed Everything

    Reggie Bush Was Ahead of His Time: How NIL Could Have Changed Everything

    There are always “what if” questions in the sports world. So, what if NIL was a thing during Reggie Bush’s career? Reggie Bush was a football star at USC and won the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner. The Heisman Trophy goes to the best football player in college. Normally for Wide receivers, running backs or quarterbacks.

    What Happened?

    In 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC after finding out some illegal behavior. Bush received improper benefits from sports agents, which included cash, travel expenses, and a rent-free home. This did not just hurt Bush, it also hurt the USC football program, which was handed a two-year postseason ban and a reduction in scholarships. Bush also had his Heisman Trophy forfeited because of what the NCAA discovered.

    Screenshot from USC Football Instagram

    Reinstates of Heisman Trophy

    April 2024, The Heisman Trust gave Bush back his 2005 Heisman Trophy back because of “enormous changes in college athletics,” according to People magazine. Was the new NIL era to thank? Potentially, what Bush was found guilty of doing back in his playing days at USC was at the time illegal. But if Bush was in the sport now, it would have been perfectly okay.

    Even with his reinstated Heisman Trophy, Bush is still filling lawsuits against the NCAA, USC, and the Pac-12 Conference. The latest lawsuit was filed in September 2024, and is for compensation for his name, image, and likeness while playing at USC. He claims that these entities profited from his image, and he did not get any compensation from it.

    Screenshot of Reggie Bush Heisman Trophy via Reggie Bush Instagram

    Bush in the NIL Era

    It is fair to say that when Bush was playing at USC, these actions were illegal. But NIL now is in effect, so no one has to go through what Bush or USC did. Bush would have been the Arch Manning of his time in terms of NIL earnings. Manning’s NIL is estimated at around $6.6 million, according to On3.com. Bush would have been pushing that with the talent and the branding he had off the field. It is without any doubt that Bush would have been one of the top names on the earnings list for NIL.

    His electric highlight-reel runs, and his breakaway speed at USC was much-watch TV. His dominance on the field helped USC win two National Championships in 2003 and 2004 seasons. With that winning on the field it showed that he could help any brand win as well off the field. His media savvy was ideal for brands looking for a partnership. Playing in Los Angeles also helped. Bush appeared in commercials, magazines, and attended celebrity events before going to the NFL.

    These qualities would have translated to a one-of-a-kind NIL package if he was playing football today. Arch Manning and Shedeur Sanders are making 4 to 6 million dollars in NIL. Those guys are good athletes, but nowhere near as exciting as what Reggie Bush did on the field. His game was much more elite than both of those guys. Then you add the fact that he played at USC during peak national dominance, winning two National Championships. You could estimate that Bush would probably make at least 15 million if he stayed 3 years at USC. That is nowhere near what anyone in today’s college football world is making.

    Reggie Bush and NIL as a couple is sadly something we did not see, at least legally. But the NIL dominance Bush would have had is always going to be a “What if?” It’s Something we just have to sit and dream about.

    Links: https://nypost.com/2024/03/02/sports/johnny-manziel-wont-attend-heisman-ceremony-until-reggie-bush-gets-trophy-back/?utm

    https://people.com/reggie-bush-recallsfighting-thoughts-of-suicide-before-being-drafted-by-new-orleans-saints-8639427?utm_