“Crazy A** Coaches Chasing Money”: NIL’s Impact on NCAA Wrestling Exposed During Transfer Portal Decision by UNC Head Coach

The USA’s collegiate sports scene has changed dramatically in recent years, with Olivia Dunne being the pioneer to Angel Reese and many more college athletes helming their entrepreneurial side. The decision by the NCAA to allow athletes to financially profit through the NIL (name, image, and likeliness) regulations has given rise to a new generation of stars who experience an added finesse on their repertoire like never before. Like every other sport, NCAA wrestling stars also benefit immensely through the NIL, even though not every stakeholder approves of the same.

Collegiate wrestling is, arguably, one of the most successful and followed sport in the USA. Unsurprisingly, for a sport with such a huge fanbase churns a lot of money through its apparatus, and many stars use the NIL to its fullest potential to bolster their careers. However, some purists still hold their reservations, proclaiming it as a capitalist endeavor.

NCAA wrestling veteran not a fan of the NIL

A recent episode of Athletor podcast on YouTube saw UNC head coach Rob Koll making his views of the NIL clear. Talking about how money has flooded the NCAA circuit, the veteran coach seemed to be upset that it has become a sort of distraction for the wrestlers while making way for businessmen to make more profits. “….it has not changed the sport at all it’s the exact same thing,” said Koll about the NIL, noting how the programs that used to dominate collegiate wrestling continue to do so despite the introduction of the new rules.

On top of that, Rob also claimed that many coaches have become fixated on bringing in more money to the school instead of helping wrestlers to become better athletes. “it’s just a bunch of crazy a** coaches chasing Dollars around for kids you know,” Rob’s disappointment wasn’t hidden when he talked about how some coaches get together and try to make the regulations work beneficially for themselves.

“I think I know seven billionaires like who that crazy number of billionaires and unfortunately they’re spread out amongst these damn teams and if they really want to get involved,” said Rob underscoring how the money-making schemes have likely become an inherent part of the whole deal. Despite Koll’s skepticism, many others would probably be happy that the NIL has become such a crucial factor considering how it helps out the athletes as well.

The all-expansive impact of the NIL

Stars like Olivia Dunne and NBA legend Born James’ son Bronny James make tremendous use of the NIL, upping their star wattage like crazy. Leveraging this, many stars have landed some incredible deals that have increased their overall valuation significantly. The NIL offers several benefits, including entrepreneurial freedom, brand-building, and community engagement, and stars scurry to reap its benefits. While there are regulatory bindings to the NIL, athletes seem to do better with it than without. Colorado’s football QB Shedeur Sanders is currently the highest-valued collegiate star in the country with an estimated valuation of $4.6 million.

On the other hand, the reigning NCAA champion, LSU’s Livvy Dunne also received a major bump in her rankings thanks to the NIL. The benefits can be amplified even further if they have a large social media following and involved in overtures like community service, outreach work etc, much like the Tigers’ gymnastics star. While the pros and cons of the NIL prevail for our discerning eye, it remains to be seen if the program manages to outweigh its problems in the coming days to ensure all-around benefits for every stakeholder involved in developing their respective sports.