College football currently lacks a salary cap, but imagine if it did. At present, Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers rely on offering Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) financial incentives to athletes in order to attract top recruits to play football in Louisiana.
Many within the college football community have voiced concerns about the existing system, questioning how fair it is and suggesting there should be a cap on how much money can be spent.
“Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and other players are all seeking signing bonuses. We recruit high school seniors looking for their freshman signing bonuses, while transfer portal players want free-agent bonuses. Current roster players expect retention bonuses,” Kelly explained. “The NIL money is divided into three categories similar to what the NFL offers, but we’re doing it without a salary cap, which is just absurd.”
Coach Kelly is among the skeptics, believing that college football’s approach to NIL money is “crazy” without a salary cap, similar to other professional sports like the NFL.
Kelly’s primary concern seems to be the fairness of the system. As an LSU coach, he benefits from a more favorable position compared to many of his colleagues at smaller programs outside the SEC.
Additionally, Coach Kelly’s own salary is much higher than any of the top athletes he has coached over the years, yet there are no calls for a salary cap on college football coaches.