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Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions on how NIL improved College Football parity
Renowned football analyst and former Michigan Football staffer Connor Stalions believes that NIL has brought parity to college football. Parity between the SEC and northern schools that execute well in the NIL space, that is. He recently tweeted about NIL changing the landscape based on the wealth that resides in the northern schools, particularly with schools like Michigan and Ohio State.
Certainly there are some southern schools such as Texas and Texas A&M who do quite well in the NIL landscape, and Stalions concedes that. But overall, his stance is the northern schools are benefitting the most from the NIL era. For instance, a school like Michigan is able to tap into one of the largest and most wealthy alumni bases in the entire nation. Those alumni, as we saw firsthand in the Bryce Underwood recruitment, have plenty of money and are dedicated to ensuring the Wolverines trot out a championship caliber team every Saturday. Ohio State famously bragged about spending over $20-million dollars to fund their 2024 team that will be playing for the national championship on the Jan. 20.
I’d get used to northern teams running college football now that NIL is above table. The last 2 national championship games:
– Michigan
– Washington
– Ohio State
– Notre Dame… with Oregon & Penn State knocking at the door.
Big Ten finished 5-1 vs the SEC this postseason.
— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) January 11, 2025
I will add this thought:
Yes, there are “southern” schools (however you want to define that) with big time alumni. USC, Texas, A&M, Miami, etc. I’m not saying southern schools are going away in cfb. And yes, there are plenty of variables for success in college football. However,…
— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) January 11, 2025
Stalions points to the Big Ten going 5-1 against the ‘mighty’ SEC this year as evidence that NIL has changed the playing field, a playing field which had been titled towards the SEC for decades. With last year’s championship game featuring northern schools, and this year’s championship game following suit, it looks like a theory that may have solid legs.
While northern schools are certainly making some noise in the new era of NIL, the SEC is not going away. A quick glance at the recruiting rankings shows that SEC schools still have seven of the top ten 2025 recruiting classes, proving that the south will remain strong in the world of college football. But that longstanding dominance of the SEC appears over, and there’s no question that NIL had plenty to do with it.
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Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions recently spoke out about how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities have improved parity in college football.
Stalions, who worked for the Wolverines for several years before transitioning into a role promoting NIL opportunities for student-athletes, explained that allowing players to profit off their own image and brand has created a more level playing field in college football.
“Before NIL, the top programs with the most resources and biggest budgets were able to attract the top recruits and dominate the college football landscape,” Stalions said. “But now, with NIL opportunities available to all student-athletes, players from smaller schools or less prestigious programs have a chance to earn money and build their own brand, leveling the playing field.”
Stalions pointed to examples of players from non-Power 5 schools who have been able to capitalize on their NIL rights and gain national recognition, leading to increased exposure for their programs and more competitive matchups on the field.
“NIL has brought a new dynamic to college football, allowing players to profit off their hard work and talent, regardless of where they play,” Stalions said. “This has led to more parity in the sport and a more exciting product for fans to watch.”
As college football continues to evolve with the implementation of NIL, Stalions believes that parity will only continue to improve, making the game more competitive and enjoyable for all involved.
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- Michigan football
- College Football
- Name, Image, Likeness
- NCAA
- Student-athletes
- College sports
- Connor Stalions
- NIL in sports
- College Football parity
- Michigan athletics
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