Dabo Swinney has emerged as one of the most outspoken opponents of the NIL era in college football. Over the past several years, Swinney has raised doubts about the benefits of the new regulations for athletes. In a recent interview, he expressed regret that college football has “strayed from its original path.”
It appears that the Clemson Tigers coach is unlikely to be swayed anytime soon. He elaborated on his rationale in an interview with the Clemson Insider.
“In the kind of world we are in right now, the best thing for coaches is for them to be employees. The worst thing? Is for them to be employees. That is not a world we want for eighteen-year-olds…I think we lost our way,”
He continued by stating that he isn’t opposed to players receiving payment, but he disagrees with the current approach. Swinney emphasizes the importance of education.
“I think the NIL is awesome. I really am for it. I am all for enhancing the scholarship however you want, but I also understand the reality that ninety-eight percent of these kids are not going to play in the NFL. We need to educate our young people in this society. Nobody talks about the value of an education anymore.”
“I simply want to see a greater emphasis placed on incentivizing education. There are numerous options available. For instance, we could establish 401(k) plans similar to those in the real world. If individuals withdraw their funds prematurely, they face penalties. These are 18-year-old individuals leaving their homes for the first time, and sometimes, we are setting them up for failure.”
While Swinney’s idea is intriguing and not entirely unfounded, it’s clear that change is necessary. The current state of the college football transfer portal resembles free agency, with substantial amounts of money involved. While it may work out in the short term, there could be significant repercussions in the future.
