College football has always been a topic of great interest and debate. In recent years, the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has added a new dimension to the sport. One team that has found itself at the center of this controversy is Indiana.

Anti-Indiana Rhetoric and the Media

It seems that nothing gets the teeth of college football's old guard gnashing like a good season by Indiana. Remember 2020 when the CFP Committee showed no respect to the Hoosiers while the Big Ten broke their own rules to keep IU out of the championship game. Fast forward to 2024, and the 10-0 Hoosiers are ranked No. 5 in the CFP, clearly lower than they should be. Look at the two one-loss Big Ten teams above them in the rankings. SEC Network's Paul Finebaum has become the poster boy for anti-Indiana rhetoric. He has called the Hoosiers "irritating" and "overvalued" in just a few days. This serves as a reminder of why the media's ability to vote for national champions has been largely stripped. Instead, the CFP has an expanded selection committee mostly composed of former players, coaches, and college administrators. 2: The media's influence on college football has always been significant. However, with the introduction of NIL, their role has become more complex. Finebaum's comments about Indiana highlight the divide between the old guard and the new era of college football. It shows that not everyone is comfortable with the changes brought about by NIL.

The Role of Tommy Tuberville

Former college football coach and current U.S. Senator from Alabama Tommy Tuberville has also added his name to the list of those frustrated with Indiana. He co-sponsored a failed effort to get federal NIL legislation through Congress a year ago. His concepts were not compelling enough to reach the floor for votes. But he continues to be involved in finding a federal solution for college NIL. Michael Casagrande of the Alabama Media Group reported on Tuberville's latest comments this week about the state of federal NIL legislation. Tuberville's comments about Indiana are absurd. He suggests that IU football's NIL coffers are significant in the context of Power Four college football, but this is not the case. 2: Tuberville's latest idea to "fix" NIL is not much better. He wants a federal law that penalizes college athletes for breaking their NIL contracts. This goes against the very movement that got us here. NIL and the transfer portal arose because college athletes demanded greater autonomy and commercial rights. Tuberville's thinking is outdated and does not address the real problem.

The Real Problem with NIL

The real problem with NIL in college sports has been obvious from the start. It is the involvement of boosters, collectives, and even the schools in creating so-called "NIL deals" that are really pay-for-play schemes. The schools with the richest boosters win. Real NIL deals are arms-length transactions negotiated by players, their agents, and third-parties with legitimate commercial interests. There is a profession called transfer pricing that specializes in assessing the arms-length nature and fair market value of commercial contracts. Tuberville should call them to evaluate NIL contracts and penalize the multi-millionaire/billionaire parties paying the athletes if the deals are not legitimate. 2: Addressing the real problem of NIL requires a different approach. It is not about blaming a single team like Indiana. It is about creating a system that ensures fairness and transparency in NIL deals. By focusing on the real issues, we can move forward and make college football a better sport for everyone.For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.The Daily Hoosier – "Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly"