Mario Cristobal highlights Miami's NIL efforts: 'Utterly responsible and accountable all the time'

As recruiting battles in the state of Florida continue to heat up, Miami coach Mario Cristobal was quick to point out his program’s robust NIL offering, perhaps even taking a subtle dig at rival Florida at the ACC Media Days.

Cristobal was asked about his program’s NIL approach, and he was quick to point out everything is on the up and up.

“So in terms of NIL we have a really, really not only an excellent NIL program but one that is completely and utterly responsible and accountable all the time,” Mario Cristobal said. “They run it like an unbelievable business.”

So where’s the dig? Well, Florida is currently embroiled in a lawsuit over its recruitment of Jaden Rashada, a recruitment that also impacted Miami.

Rashada ultimately ended up at Arizona State, but not before a $13.85 million contract with the Gator Collective was voided.

On Tuesday, Florida coach Billy Napier and two others filed a motion to dismiss Rashada’s suit. The 29-page motion argues that nothing in the complaint from Rashada “supports the notion that Napier participated in any wrongdoing.”

In any case, Mario Cristobal was happy to highlight his own program’s NIL efforts.

“There’s a collective, right? Because we’re not allowed to, as of right now, deal with those inner conversations,” he said. “But all in all there’s nothing that Miami cannot offer a student-athlete. You know the education, private school, Coral Gables. I mean, we can get in a recruiting show later if you want to bump that up.”

But while Miami has cultivated its NIL offerings to attract top recruits and transfers, Cristobal said NIL ultimately comes down to one thing.

You have to play well to earn well.

“Well you know, we’re not allowed to discuss NIL opportunities with people, you know what I mean?” Mario Cristobal said. “I know this, if you don’t play well, no one knows your name, your image stinks, no one likes you.”

Cristobal is certainly doing his best to sell his program, and the results so far speak for themselves. Miami’s current 2025 recruiting class currently ranks No. 9 nationally, boasting 14 four-star recruits.