Lane Kiffin Just Saying What Others Don't Have Guts to Say

Name, image, likeness creating some disparities in college football and Ole Miss coach one of few admitting it

If you think the whole name, image and likeness stuff isn't being used in recruiting, you really aren't paying attention.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is one of only a handful that has the guts to admit it.

"I joked I didn’t know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class," Kiffin said at a press conference Tuesday.

That signing class if currently sitting in the top spot in the SI recruiting rankings on the eve of National Signing Day II.

Not every school in the SEC is on a level playing field. There have been multiple reports the Aggies' class is somewhere in the $30 million range, despite denials by A&M athletics director Ross Bjork.

Lane Kiffin throws up his arms at one point in Ole Miss' win over Arkansas last October. (Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY Images)

Take that denial however you choose. Considering there is zero transparency to the fans about the NIL deals, however, there will be questions of who's doing what, but some folks are already saying they can't keep up.

"We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals," Kiffin said. "It’s like dealing with salary caps."

The pro leagues went to that to keep things on a level playing field. There currently is absolutely no limit on colleges. At least Kiffin said the Rebels don't have the same budget Alabama does.

At Arkansas where keeping everybody in the dark is a long-honored tradition, there's no idea what deals are in place for what amounts.

You can bet the players know all across college athletics ... and the schools aren't directly involved. That's so everybody can say they are doing things legally. At times, some places say that apparently in the hopes someone buys it.

"Somehow they’re going to have to control NIL," Kiffin said.

Through the 2020-21 year, Arkansas' football program was tied as the 17th most valuable in all of college football by one place ranking the net worth of teams. That tie was with South Carolina.

Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Images

Maria Lysaker / USA TODAY Sports

They placed the value at $95 million, or about $11 million more than Ole Miss. The Razorbacks and Gamecocks were tied for eighth place in the SEC and $52 million behind No. 1 Texas A&M.

The Aggies were tied with Texas, by the way. The Longhorns are coming to the SEC along with Oklahoma, who is the sixth most valuable football program at $129 million.

Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Images

Texas running back Bijan Robinson (5) outruns Louisiana cornerback AJ Washington (16) in the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter, USA TODAY Images

In November, Texas A&M approved a budget increase of $205 million for renovations to athletic facilities.

While schools can't pay the money directly to recruits, it is often a reflection of what's out there for NIL money and every high school player or transfer portal recruit gets that information.

It's legal now and there are ways that's communicated. Schools have to keep up with what's becoming a financial arms race.

"There are schools with no shot to recruit certain players," Kiffin said about the recruiting process. "If a class has an average of $25 million, that’s $1 million a person. In NFL free agency, players go to the most money.

"These players are 17 and 18, they’re going to go where they get paid most."

Right now, Sam Pittman has a highly-ranked recruiting class for 2022 and it's projected to be even better in 2023.

The trick is going to be keeping them.

Money is going to be the REAL reason a large number of players will enter the transfer portal over the next few months.

"You’ve legalized paying players," Kiffin said.

The biggest question is who can actually do anything to regulate all of it.

Mainly because nobody knows who actually can.

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