Most people Kirk Herbstreit has spoken with have accepted that NIL is here to stay, and there’s a general understanding that players are going to get paid. That’s simply the reality of today’s college football. However, as Herbstreit observes, the frustration lies not in the money itself, but in the total lack of structure — no rules, regulations, or consistency. While he remains a staunch defender of the college game, even as that grows more difficult each year, Herbstreit is particularly troubled by players threatening to walk away if their demands aren’t met, whether it means skipping bowl games, playoff appearances, or, as in the case of now-former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, leveraging his status despite already securing a significant payday. Tennessee has since moved on from Iamaleava, a decision Kirk Herbstreit later applauded, highlighting how unmanageable the current landscape has become. Even highly touted, well-compensated quarterbacks can attempt to strong-arm their way into better deals or more playing time with little standing in their way.
That’s why Kirk Herbstreit turned to his good friend Pat McAfee to illustrate how absurd this would appear in the NFL. Imagine Bijan Robinson suddenly deciding midseason that he’s finished playing, or Brock Purdy declaring he’s underpaid and walking away in Week 7. Such actions wouldn’t be tolerated because NFL players are under contract; there’s accountability. But in college football, that kind of chaos is not only possible; it’s already happening.
“In college football, we don’t have that,” Kirk Herbstreit stated on Wednesday’sThe Pat McAfee Show. “You have agents, and sometimes dads playing agent, engaging in a dangerous game with head coaches and universities, trying to leverage situations. I applaud Josh Heupel for standing up, not because players don’t deserve to be paid, but due to how this situation unfolded and the timing.
One thing I continue to ponder is, if the NFL faces issues, Roger Goodell, the owners, and the NFLPA work it out through a CBA that establishes rules and regulations. Who is that in college football? Is it the conference commissioners, the presidents? Blaming the NCAA isn’t fair; they have no power over the sport. Who is truly running it? Who should we file complaints with? Who will drive change? I genuinely don’t know. We can express our frustration, but who will create the guardrails?”
“Nobody’s got the stones to become that person to take charge and say, ‘This is our path forward,’” Herbstreit adds. “Everyone is afraid of litigation and reluctant to voice their true opinions. No one’s willing to lead. That’s where we stand right now. If you do anything perceived as not giving players what they want, you become the problem. They’re terrified to make tough decisions; they’re sitting back and failing to act when what they need to do is step up, make choices, and face the backlash. The issue is that if you step out of line, you’re met with threats of lawsuits, which puts you in a hard position; players often win these debates.” He notes how some ESPN analysts, like Ryan Clark or Dan Orlovsky, tend to blame the NCAA as a scapegoat. “The NCAA is like the boogie man… Has anyone ever pointed the finger at a player?”
In this instance, Herbstreit clarified that he wasn’t targeting Iamaleava personally. He even took the time to praise the now-former Tennessee quarterback, stating, “Let me just say this about Nico. I did about four or five games with Tennessee. The first time I covered a Tennessee game, I was curious about what the production meeting would be like; what’s he gonna be like? I’d heard about the $8 million and seen the pajamas. I jumped on my first call with him during the NC State game early in the year and thought, ‘Alright, here we go.’ This dude was one of the typical Polynesian, laidback, calm, quiet, humble, and nicest guys I’ve ever interacted with. I was shocked.
“I’m not piling on Nico. I don’t know the full story. I’ve heard about his dad and his team, but I can vouch for the type of individual he is. I can only imagine how challenging it was for Josh Heupel to let him go. Nico’s a great teammate and a remarkable person. In my time with him, I’d want him in my huddle. I spoke to Jack Sawyer after the Ohio State-Tennessee game as we prepped for the Oregon matchup, and we reminisced about that week. He remarked, ‘I’ll tell you what, man, we knew we had ’em early, but I was blown away by their quarterback. We cracked a couple of his helmets; he just kept coming back. He kept competing.’ He said, ‘That kid’s the real deal.’ So, I’m genuinely impressed with Nico as both a person and a player.”
From Herbstreit’s standpoint, it has become nearly impossible to critique a player in today’s college football without being labeled anti-player or out of touch. The moment someone pushes back, they are deemed the “old head” who doesn’t comprehend modern realities. He is not against NIL—far from it. Players are going to get paid, and he’s fine with that. What concerns him is the disorder: no rules, no leadership, and no one at the helm. The imbalance has shifted dramatically from players having no power to wielding all of it, and in his view, that pendulum has swung too far.
“That’s not right,” he asserts. “It’s simply not healthy.”
