Matt Leinart gives his take on NIL, what it means for college sports

With Colin Cowherd out on vacation, Matt Leinart joined his show, The Herd, with Joy Taylor to discuss burgeoning college football topics. Not the least of which is NIL and the circus that has come along with it.

Leinart expressed his unwavering support for athletes being able to benefit on NIL deals. He had some skepticism regarding the mechanics of the new era of athlete compensation but still maintained he thinks it’s great for college sports. You can read his full comments below regarding the NIL landscape. Plus, how a certain pair of Pac-12 schools may have set themselves up to crush the NIL world after a recent change.

Here was Leinart’s full answer on NIL:

“I’m fully supportive. I actually work for Hall of GOATs, which is an NIL company, an NFT platform that I work for. I’m all for it. It’s giving an opportunity, not for just men but for women’s sports, all sports too, to make money. Now, not everyone’s going to make the same amount of money we’re seeing some of these football players make, some of these basketball players make. But the opportunity is there.”

He then went on to discuss how UCLA and USC can take advantage following their move.

“And I think with like USC and UCLA — what they’re doing for their student-athletes, it’s only going to enhance those opportunities playing in the Big Ten. Playing teams like Ohio State, Michigan. Those schools coming out to the west coast in the LA market. The exposure for the Big Ten and for USC and UCLA is great.”

Leinart re-emphasized his support for NIL, but did ask one big question.

“NIL in general, I’m all for it. I’ve been a part of a lot of conversations, with marketing agents, with parents. I walk away from some of these conversations like…Oh my gosh, this is wild, is this really what’s great for amateur athletes and high school athletes, the amount money that’s getting thrown their way. But it’s the new norm and it’s happening, it should happen. I think the market will set itself in the next couple years. The money that’s being thrown out, no one really knows. They’re just doing this because it’s like hey, we want these players to come to our school.”

He finished by saying, “I think the opportunities are endless if you do it the right way. It’s here to stay so we have to get used to it.”

NIL creates a lot of questions that need solving. But, as Matt Leinart said lastly, NIL isn’t going anywhere.