The day may come that Phil Steele pays players to appear on the cover of his annual season preview, but that is not the effect of today’s implementation of name, image and likeness rights. Steele can get those images from photo depositories or even the schools themselves. His Mike McGlinchey and Ian Book covers of recent years would not have benefitted the former Notre Dame captains.
And NIL moments will not start appearing in his annual preview, despite it being so renowned for its comprehensiveness. For all the hand-wringing around student-athletes finally having a basic right that every other one of their classmates has long had, NIL rights will not change the game on the field, at all.