NIL Didn’t Ruin College Sports — It Finally Made Them Honest

"People act like NIL is ruining the game. No—it's making it fair. And fairness has always made people uncomfortable."

By Beau Davis | Salto Solutions

Let’s Be Real

Every time I hear someone say “NIL ruined college sports,” I can’t help but laugh.
Because the truth is, NIL didn’t ruin college sports — it just made them honest.

For decades, athletes filled stadiums, sold merchandise, and carried programs on their backs while being told their scholarship was enough. Coaches made millions. Schools built new facilities. TV networks signed billion-dollar deals. And the people actually performing on the field, court, or mat? They couldn’t profit off a single photo on their own Instagram.

But now, because those same athletes can finally earn from their own name, image, and likeness — that’s what ruined college sports?
Come on.

The Loudest Complaints Come from the Smallest Picture

Let’s be honest: most of the people yelling that NIL destroyed college athletics only watch football, basketball, or baseball.
They see a quarterback transferring for a bigger opportunity and suddenly think the sky is falling.

Did NIL create the transfer portal?
No.
Did NIL make 19-year-olds greedy?
No.
Did NIL expose how money already controlled college sports long before the athletes saw a cent of it?
Absolutely.

What NIL did was open the door for the walk-ons, the gymnasts, the divers, the Olympic hopefuls — the athletes with no professional league waiting on the other side.
Now they can earn something back for the time, effort, and passion they’ve always given for free.

If that’s “ruining” college sports, then maybe college sports needed to be rebuilt.

The “Losing the Lessons” Argument

I hear this one a lot: “These players are forgetting the lessons sports are supposed to teach — teamwork, sacrifice, dedication.”

And you know what? On the surface, that sounds noble.
But let’s really look at that argument.

Administrators leave for bigger paydays all the time.
Coaches renegotiate contracts, jump schools, and climb the ladder for better positions.
Fans switch jobs every few years for higher pay, better benefits, or a better work environment — and no one questions their “commitment.”

So why do we suddenly expect 18–22-year-olds to be the only people in this billion-dollar business who don’t get to look out for themselves?
If most of the people shouting “NIL is ruining college sports” applied that same logic to their own lives, they’d realize how hypocritical it sounds.

The values of sports — teamwork, discipline, perseverance — aren’t disappearing.
They’re just being matched with something new: self-worth.
Athletes are still grinding, sacrificing, and showing up for their teammates — they’re just no longer expected to do it for free.

The Truth Nobody Talks About

Everyone loves to throw around the word “money” when it comes to NIL — but almost no one understands how it actually works.

The truth? Most NIL deals aren’t flashy. The majority are under $100. A free meal, a small campaign, a local partnership.
But that’s not the point. Those small deals are where the real growth happens.
They teach athletes how to market themselves, negotiate, communicate, and represent a brand — all while balancing school, training, and competition.

That’s not greed. That’s growth.
NIL didn’t create selfish athletes — it created smarter ones.

And if people think that’s a problem, maybe the problem isn’t NIL — maybe it’s that college sports finally have a mirror.

Education Is the Game-Changer

Here’s what people forget: just like every sport has rules, so does NIL.
And just like athletes need coaches, they now need guidance to navigate this new game.

That’s why education matters.
It’s why we built programs like The 2-Hour Agent and NIL Business Builder — because too many athletes are diving into NIL deals without understanding contracts, compliance, or their own long-term value.

Parents, coaches, and schools should be teaching these things, not fearing them. Because the more educated the athlete, the better the choices — and the stronger the system becomes.

NIL isn’t the problem. Ignorance is.

So No, NIL Didn’t Ruin College Sports

It didn’t destroy tradition. It didn’t erase loyalty.
It didn’t break the game — it broke the illusion that college sports weren’t already a business.

NIL didn’t ruin college sports.
It just made them honest.
And for the first time, the athletes aren’t just part of the story — they’re finally allowed to own their chapter.