LAWRENCE — A lot of things seem to be in flux in the world of college athletics.
There are all kinds of questions about the future of NIL, where athletes can make money off their name, image and likeness. Various lawsuits are underway, as are efforts by lawmakers to get their say. That's not all.
In late February, when Kansas head football coach Lance Leipold was discussing a new contract with the Jayhawks, the state of the university's athletic department was also discussed. KU Director of Athletics Travis Goff was also there. Here are some takeaways from their remarks.
Lance Leipold talks about the importance of NIL
Leipold said NIL is very important and he thinks they understand it better. Looking around the country, he thinks there may be a trend toward putting up guardrails.
Leipold added that it is important to have a consistent and competitive NIL program across the country. That's what they need to be able to attract the players they want from the high school ranks and the transfer portal. Additionally, a program like Kansas was only focused on retaining players because they believe the best players are those who have spent years developing and sustaining the Jayhawks' culture.
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“Like everywhere else, player retention is going to be important,” Leipold said. “Especially when other people are trying to buy your services, so to speak.”
Lance Leipold says change must continue when it comes to NIL.
Leipold said sometimes it's easy when you're discussing ideas around a single topic, such as a transfer portal. How many openings are needed and for how long can be debated. But those ideas have to fit into a university's academic calendar, a high school athlete's calendar, and the College Football Playoff.
Everything needs to flow and work together, Leipold explained, and that's becoming very difficult. That doesn't mean that many of the things being discussed aren't good things. That means they need to keep working on it and keep making changes.
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“The NIL is great for the players and their families, it's life-changing, and we hope to see great benefits in the future,” Leipold said. “But there will be a story somewhere where that doesn't work so well. And I hope that we can find the right solutions for academic calendars, annual calendars, recruitment, portals, all of that to make this happen.” work. “
Travis Goff shares his vision for what KU should do.
Speaking, Goff said that what we know at this point is that no one knows exactly where things are going. He said he doesn't know if that's a good or bad thing. He added that not being able to be specific about the future could be a good thing. Because it means they know they need to adapt in an industry facing major changes.
Goff emphasized that some people are embracing the idea that revenue sharing, or employment contracts with athletes, is in their future and could happen sooner rather than later. If so, the focus will be on how to implement that model in a way that protects and preserves all programs and as many, and preferably all, athletic opportunities as possible. That would be at risk, he explained.
Goff also addressed the conversations happening around the College Football Playoff. He cited the NCAA's high-profile NIL lawsuit with Tennessee. As Leipold alluded to, there's a lot going on at once.
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“For KU, the best thing we can do every day is to focus on becoming the best version of ourselves today. And we have incredible confidence. “It helps us to compete, continue to compete, and strive to win and represent our university at the highest level wherever this model goes,” Goff said. “That’s how we look at it and that’s our focus today.”
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics for the Topeka Capital Journal. He has been named the National Sports Media Association's 2022 Kansas Sportswriter of the Year. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or @JordanGuskey on Twitter.
