Sports

Texas A&M AD Shrugs Off NCAA NIL Warning

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A Texas A&M logo on a football.

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Many around the college football world believe NIL has essentially turned recruiting into the Wild, Wild West, and to some extent, that’s true. Seven-figure offers are being made to 18-year-old kids as boosters attempt to convince prospects to make that commitment.

Texas A&M is a program that’s been under fire since the introduction of NIL, going back to the 2022 recruiting class. That group became the highest-rated cycle ever recorded by the recruiting services, and it included six five-star and 19 four-star players.

This, coming after going 8-4 the year prior and not having much in the trophy case dating back the last three decades.

Many were skeptical of the Aggies’ tactics in landing that historic cycle, with some going as far as to say boosters agreed to $30 million worth of NIL deals for those signatures. Other SEC coaches like Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin have also been vocal on the subject.

On Monday, it was reported that the NCAA sent letters of clarification on NIL practices to its members with Texas A&M being included. The school’s athletic director has responded to the warning, though it doesn’t appear that much will change moving forward.

What did the NCAA send to institutions regarding NIL clarification?

As reported by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, these letters “strongly clarify [the NCAA’s] NIL policy by warning schools that (1) they must follow NCAA rules even if they conflict with state laws and (2) entities such as school foundations are prohibited from NIL and offering donor incentives for NIL giving.”

In a short Q&A-type memo, the NCAA laid out its guidelines on how NIL was intended to be used. Essentially, it’s not pay-for-play.

Some of those questions include topics of boosters contacting recruits for NIL offers, donors receiving special benefits for specific donations, and newly introduced state laws.

Those state laws are a particular point of interest as they differ from school to school.

In Texas, for example, Dellenger reports that “Texas A&M donors will earn priority points through the school’s fundraising arm for donations that eventually funnel to athletes.”

States like Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma have also introduced new legislation that could benefit local programs in recruiting. And many of these laws push to “prohibit enforcement from the NCAA.”

So, at what point does the NCAA overrule state law, and what’s the punishment for those who follow local guidelines that may differ from NCAA recruiting rules?

The NCAA seems to be saying, “These are the rules, and you must abide,” but it’s not seeming to sway some from straying away from these guidelines.

Texas A&M AD addresses NIL warning.

Ross Bjork recently responded to the NCAA’s NIL guidelines by saying, “The state law is going to govern how we do business… In terms of this, the state law will reign. And that’s how we’ll move forward.”

And why wouldn’t he?

The odds are stacked in the Aggies’ favor if they follow that state legislation while others outside of Texas are forced to stick to the NCAA restrictions. And we’ve seen how little the organization cares about punishing rule breakers.

Many are reacting to Bjork’s recent comments on social media. They see his response as a big “F— you” to the NCAA.

Will the NCAA do anything?

Can they do anything?

It’s a route that many others around college sports might follow.

The NCAA has already taken aim at the Texas A&M concerning its NIL practices. The two sides now appear primed for a head-to-head showdown.