Not so long ago, the idea of college athletes making money off their own name was a dream. But ever since 2021, that dream is a reality, and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has taken over college sports. From social media deals to mustard endorsements, athletes are cashing in. And this is no side hustle, it is reshaping everything.
But NIL now stands amid lawsuits, state-by-state power grabs, and the Power Four’s hush-hush proposals. Amidst the hullabaloo, a former NBA star has stepped in with a fix that’s blunt, and maybe brilliant.
‘Protect These Kids’: Rashad McCants’ Bold Plan for NIL Reform
The former UNC star and NBA player Rashad McCants has seen enough. While the world continues to argue over revenue splits and cap limits, McCants is proposing something that could actually work. “We just need a union,” McCants said on “Gil’s Arena.”
As McCants sees it, “To establish an allegiance and an alliance to protect the athletes in college when they’re going through this type of ****.” They might not be polished words, but they stand true because in a system where teenagers are thrown into multi-million dollar marketing deals with no safety net, McCants says the predators are circling.
“You bring in the agents. You bring in the manipulators. Money’s going to go all over the place,” added Rashad McCants.
And that is precisely what is happening today. Top athletes rake in millions with big-brand partnerships, while others get offered free chicken sandwiches and sneakers. And behind it all, boosters, agents, and “collectives” are making backroom deals with barely a rulebook to follow.
McCants sees the union as a bridge.“You implement education behind it, teach them how to spend their money, and invest. There’ll be more smarter kids… than a bunch of dumb ***** spending money and acting like they didn’t know what they was doing,” added McCants.
The system has stalled with legal fights like House v. NCAA dragging into July, and McCants’ solution makes more and more sense.
Especially considering the fact that even the Power Four is trying to make proposals that pin athletes down with rules they didn’t help write. Meanwhile, the State looks like it is also trying to get involved in college athletics, making laws of its own. In all of this, nobody’s asking the players what they want. And Rashad McCants wishes to change just that.
Right now, the NIL landscape is less March Madness and more of a game with no rules. It is all power plays with cowboy boots. According to industry insiders, schools are stuck trying to act like CEOs without a clue, while boosters loop around the rules.
Even with the proposed July 1 revenue-sharing start, there’s no guarantee anything will actually change. States can override rules, and schools can ignore caps. The problem is evidently the lack of a structure that guarantees protection and lets players have a voice.
McCants believes a union could be that voice. Not just to guard against shady agents, but to build a system that’s fair, future-focused, and finally, centred on the athletes.
KEEP READING: Top 10 NIL Deals in Men’s College Basketball
After all, it is when the institutions stop treating players like problems to manage and start treating them like people to empower that the real game begins.
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