Eli Drinkwitz questions the guiding principles of college football

NIL and conference realignment are two of the major topics this week at SEC Media Days. Virtually every coach to take the podium thus far addressed those changes or was asked directly about them and their impact on the future of college athletics. Including Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz. He spoke Monday afternoon about his concerns regarding how those issues are being handled.

While he’s not against any specific changes per se, Drinkwitz is concerned what is motivating them.

“I do worry and I do question what are the guiding principles for college football and athletics moving forward. I sure hope it’s not, as Pat Forde wrote, about the almighty dollar. Hopefully, it’s bigger than TV deals being the college football guiding principles. Because every action we take moving forward, we lose sight of what we love about this game.”

NIL is another issue where money is obviously a primary factor. Drink is all for the athletes earning their own compensation, though.

“We’re entering, and rightfully, into a new era of college athletics with student-athlete rights. With the ability to transfer through the transfer portal. Generating of earnings through NIL. All things that were much needed and need to continue to be embraced.”

However, with all these changes do require regulation in the Missouri coach’s eyes. No longer are the student-athletes students. At least in some cases. They are professional athletes once they’re earning millions of dollars every year.

“Let’s not hide behind what the Supreme Court struck down last year, which was amateurism. It’s not amateurism anymore. But what is it moving forward? That’s the question. That’s what the leaders of college athletics need to decide.”

“But it’s also time for college athletics to set a course and a vision for the future. Let’s make sure that the core principles and guiding principles that we have reflect the values that we want it to be moving forward.”

Like most coaches who have spoken at SEC Media Days, Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t oppose NIL. In fact, he’s clearly for athlete compensation. However, he worries about the sport changing for the worse if there aren’t any guardrails on the issue. The same goes for conference realignment as well.