Before NIL became legal, the Ohio State football program had an advantage over most other programs in the country. They didn't have to worry about other programs swooping in at the last second to offer more money to a recruit to take him away.
The Buckeyes were able to recruit on the power of their tradition and development. That was a powerful motivator for a lot of players, and it helped Ohio State win the 2014 national title. They have been near the top of the championship race almost every year.
On Friday afternoon, several college sports administrators made their way to Washington, D.C. to talk about the future of collegiate sports. Those in attendance included former head coach Urban Meyer. After that meeting, it seems President Donald Trump wants to give the Ohio State Buckeyes its advantage back.
President Donald Trump could help Ohio State football program have a massive advantage
A big piece of contention across college sports right now is the rules surrounding NIL. There is no definitive structure on how to handle that or enforce rules. Based on what happened during the roundtable, President Trump seems to want to do away with NIL altogether.
The President mentioned that he will be signing an executive order next week. What will be included in that order is still unclear, but it seems pretty clear he doesn't like NIL. Whether or not that goes through is another matter. Rolling back NIL would certainly help the Buckeyes take their advantage back.
Whether rolling back NIL rules is good for college sports is another matter. Players have been able to be compensated for the revenue they bring into these programs. A cap seems to be the best way to fairly compensate athletes while also not letting spending get out of hand.
However this shakes out, Ohio State is going to do its best to still be one of the best programs when it comes to football. They have won many national championships before the NIL era started, and they have won one while using NIL to fill out their team, as well.
Ohio State will likely figure out a way to stay on top. Ryan Day understands how to coach his team, and Ross Bjork will help navigate things the best he can with whatever rules are in place. It is still unlikely that NIL rules will fully go away after this roundtable.