At the recent Pac-12 Media Day, Arizona State’s first-year head coach, Kenny Dillingham, spoke passionately about the impact of NIL on today’s college football recruiting landscape.
According to Dillingham, a significant portion of recruiting now revolves around the almighty dollar, estimating that “75-80%” of the recruiting process is influenced by NIL opportunities.
Dillingham stressed the crucial role that NIL plays in shaping the recruitment of top talent, saying, “NIL is 80% of recruiting. 75% of recruiting. So to think that it’s not is naive, but the way you do it is different.”
He expressed his hope that players who choose to join the Arizona State program receive the maximum financial benefits they can possibly obtain.
His vision is for businesses to flock to support his players, rewarding them for their commitment to the university and team.
“I hope I do such a good job that businesses flock to pay our players,” Dillingham continued. “NIL is essential, but I want to reward our guys who are here. I want people to get NIL who wanted to be here. Not getting a kid here, illegally by the way, to entice them with NIL.”
The head coach also emphasized his desire to see the NIL money invested back into the Tempe community, making a positive impact beyond the football field.
Dillingham expressed his wish for the city to fully embrace the football team and utilize its resources to benefit the community.
“I want the city to wrap around this team and use this team,” Dillingham said. “There’s a company, MVP Foundation, that’s going to get behind our players, and they’re going to start paying our athletes to be mentors for inner-city youth. That’s what it’s for. That’s what I want people to think about Arizona State.”
As for the team’s 2023 recruiting class, Arizona State secured the 35th-ranked class in the nation. One of the notable additions to the Sun Devils roster was the signing of four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, promising to bring new talent and energy to the program.
There’s no doubt NIL is a very slippery slope.
What are your thoughts on NIL and the crazy new world?