From Alabama’s Nick Saban to Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Power 5 football coaches nationwide are begging boosters to provide more NIL opportunities so they can compete in recruiting.
The latest coach to join the mix: Rutgers’ Greg Schiano.
Last Thursday, Schiano reportedly asked a group of boosters for “millions” in NIL dollars. He told the group that if money wasn’t raised in the next four months, other schools could begin “poaching” top Scarlet Knights.
Donors have already responded.
- A Rutgers NIL collective called The Knights of the Raritan announced Sunday that they’re starting the “Four Month Challenge,” inspired by Schiano’s warning.
- An anonymous donor committed to matching subscriptions made to the group that are over $25 up to $5,000, according to Twitter.
- On Monday, another donor committed to matching an addition $1,500.
These requests by football coaches, however, come with a significant dose of irony.
At the same time that they’re encouraging boosters to shell out NIL deals, many are also calling publicly to curtail NIL activities — suggesting NIL is creating an “unfair” recruiting landscape.
But for now, coaches appear to be in survival mode.
“This is the cost of doing business in the Big Ten,” Schiano told NJ Advance Media.
