Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema Makes Bold Statement on State of NIL

The Illini coach said that recruiting in this new era allows some schools to "just ... buy their class"

Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema recognizes he has a small window of opportunity to consistently win with a program that has had limited long-term success.

The Illini's last Big Ten championship came in 2001, while their last national title traces back to 1951. Aware that wins have been difficult to come by for portions of Illinois football history, Bielema on Thursday discussed his newly minted 21-player signing class and the team's future.

"A lot of these guys we've signed, we've maybe been on for two, sometimes three years in the making to make this [class] happen," Bielema said. "We actually had nine [commitment] flips in this class, out of 21. I promise you, I've never had that before. I think it's just the sign of the times."

One of those aspects includes college athletics' NIL initiative. CBS Sports reported in May that Ohio State, which finished 10-2 and qualified for the College Football Playoff, spent roughly $20 million to build its football roster toward a successful season.

Illinois is in a different position under Bielema, in his fourth season as coach, though he believes that consistent winning will attract more players from around the country and allow the program to begin building a budget that, for now, amounts to only a quarter of the Buckeyes' value. That number, although not publicly disclosed by athletic director Josh Whitman during a media scrum Sunday, can help serve as a benchmark for a level playing field in the wake of a likely eventual NCAA settlement with student-athletes.

Bielema said there are some schools at a disadvantage despite their allocating the necessary resources to win consistently.

"It's National Signing Day, but in a lot of places, National Bank Day. They just ... buy their class," Bielema said. "That's why I get excited about going forward. If we all kind of use the same checkbook, I get really excited about where we can go."

In terms of ita current direction, Illinois on Sunday accepted an invite to play South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on New Year's Eve. A victory would give the Illini 10 wins for the first time in Bielema's tenure and end a 13-year drought without a bowl victory.

For his part, Whitman said earning bowl bids should be an expectation, not a reward.

"We can't get complacent with a Citrus Bowl appearance," he said. "We can't ever accept that this is as high as we will go."

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