Steve Sarkisian on NIL: ‘That should be the last reason you choose to go to a school’

NIL has fundamentally changed college sports, and probably for the better. Student-athletes spent decades getting exploited by universities, colleges, and, especially, the NCAA. That they’re getting a piece of the pie – even while dealing with numerous issues along the way – is an improvement over the old ways. Like others, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has been benefitting from this uptick. But Sark wants everyone to understand that there should be some measurement involved as well.

Sarkisian joined Joel Klatt on Big Noon Conversations this week. Klatt and Sarkisian discussed several relevant topics to Texas, including their looming move to the Southeastern Conference. Sarkisian and Klatt discussed NIL, its impact, and how Sarkisian navigated the waters.

“I think, one, why did you choose to come to Texas? There’s a formula to that. If you lead with NIL to get a young man to come to your school, then a year from now, what’s he going to ask about first? NIL,” Sarkisian told Klatt.

“And so, our perspective on this and our approach to this is we’ve got an amazing product here. The history and tradition at Texas Football is second to none. The education and quality of education at UT is incredible. The coaching staff we have, the development of our players, the trajectory of what we’ve done … the city of Austin. All these things that we’re talking about, that’s why I want you to come to the University of Texas. NIL doesn’t come up,” he admitted. “That should be the last reason to choose to go to a school. Whether it’s Texas or any other school.”

Sarkisian‘s culture at Texas has led to success, and it will be interesting to see how they navigate with this formula going forward. It’s worked for now, but what works now may not always be the way. It’s clear college football is changing every day, and it’s all about how you can stay at pace.

[Joel Klatt Show]