Big 12 Coaches Advocate Salary Cap Amid NIL Revenue-Sharing Shift

The current landscape of college football is marked by significant changes and challenges stemming from the evolving NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era. Dan Everett's ESM sports marketing company has become a major player in representing college, NFL, and even high school athletes in NIL deals and revenue-sharing agreements, highlighting the growing commercial opportunities for players before they even play a college snap. Meanwhile, Big 12 coaches, led by figures such as Deion Sanders, openly criticize the NIL system as flawed and unsustainable, calling for reforms including a salary cap, enforceable contracts, and a collective bargaining agreement to create a fair and regulated environment. Coaches emphasize the need to address tampering and maintain competitive balance, with some advocating for players to be treated as employees under contracts akin to professional sports. At the same time, the college football postseason format is under negotiation, with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti advocating for a 16-team College Football Playoff that ensures fairness, access, and competitive integrity, favoring automatic qualifiers from major conferences. These developments reflect a broader push within college football to adapt to new financial realities while preserving competitive equity and the sport’s integrity.