Alabama Crimson Tide players will benefit from the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules. The payments athletes will receive are certainly deserved, particularly for the players in the NCAA ‘cash cow’ sports of football and men’s basketball. The new rules are justifiable on the basis of fairness.
Complaining how the NCAA, for many years, botched this tremendous change in college athletics is valid, but looking forward is more important. College sports will never be the same. Even with the apparent plusses for many athletes, what will transpire overall cannot be predicted. Being wary of unintended consequences is not unwarranted.