ESPN’s Tom Luginbill Talks NIL and CFB Transfer Portal

The world of college sports changed drastically on July 1, 2021. On this day, state legislation and NCAA rules went into effect granting college athletes the ability to profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Now, nearly 32 states have laws allowing this practice and the number continues to grow.

As someone who deals with this topic on a regular basis, Tom Luginbill talks all things NIL. Luginbill serves as the National Recruiting Director for Scouts Inc., ESPN’s college football recruiting service. Combined with the transfer portal, he believes that they are “the two most transformative forms of legislation over the last 45 years of collegiate athletics.”

Luginbill on NIL

While this legislation favors the athletes, it comes with a plethora of issues for everyone else involved because of how suddenly it was announced.

On the topic of the transfer portal, Luginbill comments on how it has essentially created a culture of giving up when things don’t go your way. For example, if an athlete feels that they aren’t getting enough playing time, the transfer portal gives them the option to just take their talents elsewhere. Consequently, this disorganization creates issues for coaches, players and everyone else involved.

Shifting back to NIL, Luginbill feels that we will be “stuck with it for awhile” because no one seems to have a handle on what to do moving forward.  Luginbill criticizes all parties involved by commenting on how companies are “dolling out money without anyone having to earn it.” As someone who looks for talent, he wants to see the players earn the money they are being given. This becomes difficult when the players are getting paid before they go out onto the field and prove their worth.

College athletics will continue to change as legislation continues to pass all around the country. As of right now, though, the future is unclear.