Deion Sanders doesn’t have a problem with NIL. Collectives, on the other hand? If you listen to the Colorado coach, that’s where the problem lies.
Sanders made big news this off-season when he went from Jackson State to Colorado. The Buffaloes have been mired in mostly mediocrity and futility for well over a decade now, and Sanders has his work cut out for him. NIL and the transfer portal are two new factors that may make rebuilding less difficult, but issues remain with collectives.
The Colorado coach made it clear where he stands on the issue after going on The Joel Klatt Show.
“NIL is not a problem with me, collectives are,” Sanders said via On3. “Collectives, you could be Tom, Dick, Harry, and Larry, and you just put a bag together, boosters or whatever, whoever does it, and try to solicit these kids to come to your university. Who is that helping?” Sanders asked. “I want the kid to get compensated, I want the kid to be straight, by all means. But you’ve gotta balance the fine line,” Prime said. “Is he still going to want it like that when you’ve just given him that, and he didn’t have to earn it?”
Recently, collectives have come under fire, and the IRS might be targeting them. NIL collectives that claim charity status have caused huge concern since the collectives have been used to funnel money to the players, which isn’t charity, clearly.
Deion’s point centers a lot around the psychology of the collective. And he’s not necessarily wrong, either, to express concerns. At a young age, motivation can be influenced by so many things. So Sanders’ issues with collectives, in this case, feel more than fair.
