'Get On Board or Get Run Over By the Train': Indiana Football Coach Tom Allen on NIL

Indiana football coach Tom Allen went on a spirited rant about NIL in college athletics on his weekly radio show "Inside Indiana Football" with play-by-play announcer Don Fischer.

Jack Ankony | Nov 17, 2022

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football coach Tom Allen appeared on his weekly radio show "Inside Indiana Football" on Wednesday night alongside play-by-play announcer Don Fischer.

Fischer asked Allen about the recent news that Indiana could receive up to $1 million in matching funds from an anonymous donor, which elicited quite the response from Allen. He addressed the impact of name, image and likeness (NIL) on the Indiana football program and how that has changed the world of college athletics.

Here's the full transcript from Allen, as well as his comments at Thursday's press conference. Former Indiana offensive lineman Dylan Powell chimed in, as well.

Allen: "There's no question, and that's the key part and we're very appreciative and thankful [of the $1 million donation]. Like you said it's anonymous, I don't know who it is, but really, really thankful for that. It's a huge thing for us, but it's a good beginning point.

"Everybody's been talking about this, it's been in effect for over a year and a half now back in July of '21 was when it started, so this is the first season of guys where it's affected play on the field because I have a whole class of guys, either transfers or freshmen that were brought in with that premise. And so that's where it's a game changer and it's the way the game is played, the game of recruiting. Both getting them to your school and retaining them, which is a whole other level of things.

"Ryan Day was very clear with what he said at the last Big Ten media days before the season started. He said he needed $13 million to keep his team intact and that kind of got a lot of people's attention, but that's the reality for them and where they want to be at. You get different responses and we talk about the big three in the Big Ten, which is Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State, who historically have been the top three most winningest programs. Coach Harbaugh said I think we can do better than that and Coach Franklin said we better be at least right there because that's what these other guys are doing and then everybody else is kind of like 'Man, I'd love to have half that,' but bottom line is when the season started we had I think eight players that were maybe about $150,000, that was it. Just being truthful, being honest.

"Here's the thing, that's how the game is played, and if you're not in the game and you're not on the train, you're going to get left out and run over, and that's the way it is right now in major college athletics, so we've got to get behind this and I appreciate it, we've got a good infrastructure for that in place with the collectives we have set up and we've got to give to them. That, to me, is a big part of this. Right now you go through and you're recruiting guys and it's now become a variable in the recruiting process. It's a variable now, and it never used to be. It changed in a very short amount of time, and so if you're not a part of that variable, then you're out of the loop on those guys. You won't get 'em. We've already started seeing that with this last class. We've not brought anyone here with that premise, and so that has to change in the future. And I know there's ways to do that legally, and you have to do that the right way and we're going to follow the rules exactly the way they're supposed to be.

"But it's now, when you talk to players and recruits, it's, 'Okay, what are my opportunities in that area?' And if you don't have those opportunities then, 'Okay, I'm not going to Indiana. I'm going to the next place.' And obviously you've got to play against teams that have a really big budget right now. You're talking about $13 million is a lot. What we have right now is like one percent of that, but you've still got to play 'em and you still got to put the guys out on the field and you still got to play against their players. And so, it's a whole different ballgame, whole different variable. We've got administration doing the things they're doing to give structure and get in place, but people have got to give to it. You gotta give to it, you gotta give to Indiana football and we got to get people to invest in it, financially because now, it is how the game is played in recruiting and that affects performance.

"It's going to continue and it's going to keep growing and it's not going to go backwards. We're not going to go to the point where that's not a part of sports anymore and we're talking major college football, major college basketball, that is the name of the game and the bottom line is that's now how you've got to play it. You talk about certain positions, and coach Day talked about it takes $2 million to get an elite quarterback, $1 million to get an elite tackle, and elite pass rusher. You know what? That's proven to be true as this thing has played itself out this past year. We're still trying, we're still not even close to that and not even in the conversation of that right now, and so I get that. I get that they have their own little setup and whatever they're trying to do, but they're still in our division last time I checked and so we still play them every year last time I checked and there's a lot of other teams that because of that, they've changed and elevated that. So we've got to be able to get on board with that. It's a huge part of this thing now, and I get it, it's not everything, but it's a big part, and it's a major part and I believe in that.

"Scott [Dolson] and I have talked at length and he understands that we have got to get this to a whole other level, and I know some people are not really on board with it, they don't believe in it, they don't agree with it, but you know, there's things about it I don't like about it either, but that's how the rules are played right now. That's how the game is played in order to attract kids.

"I still want guys that fit with us. I want guys that have high character and have the kind of values that we value and they want the things we want and they care about their education and they're going to play their tails off, but at the same time now, you have to have all that and then the opportunity to allow them to maximize their NIL opportunities when they come to college, because that's the way it is everywhere else. Like I said, it's not everything, but it's a variable and if you don't have that variable, I'm telling you, they can love you as much as they want, they can think you're the most awesome person, they can love your culture, and then say, 'Coach, it's been great to meet you, I'm going to go somewhere else and get my money.' And that's the reality and so I struggle with that a little bit, just being real with y'all. I struggle with that because I know why I do this, but I also know how the game is being played right now and it's not illegal.

"Some people say NIL stands for "Now It's Legal," you know, to be able to pay players. And so that's not what it was supposed to be – pay for play – but when they started telling us about this before it happened, you knew this was going to happen. I mean come on now. You knew. So that's the way that it is and you, like I said, you either get on board or just get run over by the train.

Don Fischer: "Tom, do you get any scuttlebutt from other coaches or people that you talk to in the business that tell you there's going to be anything done about regulating it in some way, because there are no rules, per se, right now?"

Allen: "Well they're vague, very vague, and so basically we know this. You can't promise a young man a certain amount of money, but you can say, 'Hey, we've got guys on our team that are making this range. There's guys at your position that have this range or whatever.' And you talk about that, but you need to be able to have that to talk about it because eventually they're going to – that's the thing we've already figured. If you just tell them a bunch of stuff, and then they come here and they don't get anything it's like 'Okay, adios, I'm going to be in the portal.' So you've got to follow through with what you say. So you follow the rules, but they re very open-ended right now and it's like it's really challenging without question, we're always going to do things the right way in this program and at this university, which I love and that's awesome, but there's obviously a lot of flexibility because of that ambiguity a little bit and to be able to do things in that realm.

"But the bottom line is this, and this is what I get asked this all the time and so it's like there's two variables here. You have to have to things in order for this to be successful. Number one you have to have people that have the resources to support it financially and then they have to have that passion to want to give to it. They have to want to give to whatever sport it is, whatever organization it is. So number one they have to have the resources, and then they have to have the passion to be able to support it and so you've got to get both of those and so to me, that's what the key is and you have to find the people that you can get everyone involved as possible – former players, alumni, boosters, everybody to give to help us.

"It's what is demanded now to get your roster and not just to get them here, to keep them. You get a kid that's a really good player and as a matter of fact the word "poach" was already used in our conference for one of the best players in the Big Ten right now. Another school there was rumors about the head coach had to address it about another school poaching his players. And I'm telling you, that is the reality. Develop a guy and now you've got to keep them because someone is going to come take your best players. I don't like that. Once again, that's not really how it's supposed to be, but that's what's going on. So that's where it gets tough, but at the same time, the whole NIL piece is also keeping your best guys. You work so hard to get them here and now you got to keep the ones we got, so that's all part of competing to be able to be at the highest level."

Allen held a zoom press conference on Thursday before the Hoosiers travel to Michigan State for Saturday's game. In light of his comments on Wednesday night, Allen answered a question regarding his approach to keeping players at Indiana for next season.

Allen: "I think it's all about the relationship piece and being able to continue to connect with them once they get here and then show them that it wasn't just about recruiting, that the recruiting talk that was made at that point and their process was not just talk, this is how it's going to be when you're here. There's obviously some differences when you're actually here every single day and not getting steak dinners on official visits. I think that is big and continuing to develop them and show the that they can be developed and prepared in your program to the level that they want to play at and that you want them to play at. It's constant. Relationship building never stops and you can't take any of that for granted and I think that's a big part of it without question and everything that we talked about, as well, last night. It's a continuous process of making sure that they know that they picked Indiana for a reason and those reasons are still at the heart of why they want to stay here and be here. I get it, sometimes things work out for certain guys and sometimes they don't and that creates some change. But the bottom line is that I think it's just being true to who you are and what you're all about and that they see themselves being able to grow and develop here."

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen coaches during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. — Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen coaches during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Dylan Powell, who played 20 games with 14 starts on the Indiana offensive line in 2020 and 2021, shared his thoughts on the situation.

Powell: "It helps to have an athletic department that actually invests in the program to keep building the momentum off of several record breaking years. It is asinine to think a program in the toughest division in college football can compete without that same firepower/budget/facilities."

Powell: "Coach Allen is the right man for the job. If there is 10 million dollars that can be spent to buy out a basketball coach there is no excuses for the lack of investments in our program/facilities. Can’t fight a huge battle in our conference with weights strapped on the program."

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