The college football NIL debate just got a lot more heated. Deion Sanders wants salary caps, Dan Patrick thinks that’s naive, and coaches across the country are losing their minds over what recruiting has become. When Coach Prime and a veteran broadcaster can’t agree on the solution, you know this mess is far from over.
Why Does Deion Sanders Want a Salary Cap in College Football?
During the 2025 Big 12 Media Days, Sanders made his case for bringing some order to the chaos. Speaking alongside Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, the Colorado coach expressed frustration with the current system.
“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said during the roundtable discussion. “Like, the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does.”
Sanders believes the current model creates unfair competition, where less-talented players can secure massive payouts from wealthier schools. His concern centers on talent evaluation getting thrown out the window when money talks louder than ability.
“You got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he could go to another school and they give him a half million dollars,” Sanders added. “You can’t compete with that.”
“All you gotta do is look at the [CFP] and see what those teams spent, and you’ll understand darn well why they’re in the playoffs.”
Deion Sanders on NIL and the current state of college football. pic.twitter.com/y6A5C3dWUP
— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2025
However, Dan Patrick didn’t buy Sanders’ solution. Reacting on his show, the veteran broadcaster delivered a reality check about what salary caps would accomplish.
“There is a salary cap, but that doesn’t stop collectives or boosters from getting money,” Patrick said. “It’ll be back to the way it was years ago when you paid people under the table. You got NIL, but that doesn’t matter. There’s way too many windows.”
Patrick raised a concern that cuts to the heart of the issue: any attempt at regulation, without robust enforcement, would just push money back into the shadows. This would reintroduce the secrecy and underhandedness that NIL was supposed to eliminate.
What Other Coaches Are Saying About NIL Frustrations?
Sanders isn’t the only coach feeling the heat from the current system. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart expressed similar frustration earlier this offseason, though his approach differs from Sanders’ salary cap proposal.
When asked during a press conference if recruits ask the Bulldogs to match NIL deals from other programs, Smart admitted he shuts those conversations down immediately.
“I’m over that, because if that’s all that matters, you need to send out a bid like they do for jobs and say, supplement your bid, let me take visits, and I’m going to go to the bid and go to the highest bidder,” Smart said. “I really believe there still does matter a relationship. And if relationship doesn’t matter, then I’m probably not going to have a kid that wants to play hard for Georgia.”
Smart also identified what he sees as missing in the current NIL landscape: “But I’ll pay a premium for fire, passion, and energy, because in the market we’re in, there’s a lack of that.”
Smart’s comments highlight a broader concern among coaches that the current system prioritizes financial incentives over the intangible qualities that traditionally defined successful college programs.
Can Anyone Fix the NIL System Before It’s Too Late?
Despite recent changes, the fundamental problems remain unsolved. While the July 1 House v. NCAA settlement allows schools to distribute up to $20.5 million directly to athletes, it doesn’t address the deeper issue. NIL remains uncapped and wide open to interpretation.
Schools with deeper pockets or more aggressive collectives continue to dominate the recruitment battles, and the promise of parity feels further away than ever. Sanders, who connected the dots between spending and success, hasn’t escaped this reality.
Sanders also took issue with the College Football Playoff selection process, pointing to financial clout as a driving force behind which teams consistently make the cut.
“It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25-30 million to a freshman class,” Sanders said, calling for more transparency and fairness in how players are compensated.
With more deals, expanded playoffs, and rising stakes ahead, the question remains: Can the NCAA, or any new governing body, get a grip before the gap between the haves and have-nots grows too wide to close? With SEC and ACC Media Days scheduled, more voices against the NIL and transfer portal will be heard.
