An outgoing college athletic director was quoted as saying NIL is an “absolute disaster.”
Andy Noel is exiting Cornell as he plans to retire as athletic director. Noel announced his plans to retire early last year. And Noel made it no secret recently what his thoughts on NIL are.
NIL, of course, was opened up in part so that the student-athletes of the NCAA could finally profit off their name, image, and likenesses. This has led to millions of dollars being given to the athletes, which has in turn benefitted many of them and their teammates. Despite that, critics like Noel continue to push back against it all.
Via On3, Noel made his thoughts clear. He said, “Well, I’m just forced to say nationwide, the NIL situation has been an absolute disaster. Programs can now, within the rules, buy a team. I hope the pendulum swings back, I hope it will. But it’s an absolute disaster.”
Noel continued, “I could reel off many cases where athletes have been purchased under the guise of NIL and what they bring with their name, image and likeness, which in most cases is zero, but they still get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s the worst change I have seen in my life in athletics.”
This much whiplash and reaction to student-athletes merely being paid what they are almost certainly owed continues to be so revealing. And yet, so unsurprising.
[On3]
