Can Harbaugh's NIL Approach Work In Today's College Football?
Transformative, not transactional. That's the experience that Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh expects his student athletes to have at the University of Michigan.
Speaking at a football camp hosted by Ferris State over the summer, Harbaugh discussed his perspective when it comes to NIL.
"Our philosophy is that coming to the University of Michigan is going to be a transformational experience rather than a transactional experience," Harbaugh said. "I've always been for student-athletes being able to profit off of their name, image and likeness. It just makes sense...I think we can all agree that's something that's fair and right."
Though Harbaugh makes it clear that he supports student-athletes profiting from their name, image and likeness, his emphasis on a 'transformational' experience suggests he's not quite ready to play in the same pool with the Jimbo Fishers and Nick Sabans of the college football world.
Just 64 miles down the road, the football program in East Lansing appears ready and willing to play ball with NIL. In recent weeks, Michigan State Football head coach Mel Tucker has been photographed parading recruits around campus with Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis. Tucker has also joined in the fun himself, posing with various rental cars and sporting a gold chain with a dog pendant.
Though it may look a bit ridiculous to the folks who still have that 'purity of the game' mindset when it comes to college athletics, the reality is that this is the stuff that sells in today's game. It's also why Michigan State currently has a top-15 recruiting class in 2023, including the commitments of eight four-star athletes (two more than they had in 2022).
Drive roughly 200 miles south from Ann Arbor and you'll find yourself in Columbus, home to another football program that is fully embracing the world of NIL. In fact, Ohio State Football head coach Ryan Day recently said it takes upwards of $13 million to maintain roster stability at Ohio State.
From Cleveland.com
Day said the Buckeyes have been gathering information by talking to recruits and their families and getting a sense of what other schools might be discussing with NIL deals. He said he believes right now top-shelf quarterbacks require $2 million in NIL money. Major offensive tackles and edge rushers he said are about $1 million.
If you can’t match that, other teams might have a chance to pluck key players from your roster. Day told the assembled potential NIL donors that every player on the team could go in the transfer portal when this season ends, and then field calls from other schools who might be offering NIL deals. Players may feel they have to take that money to help their families.
Given the fact that Ohio State has always recruited at an elite level, it's hard to gauge just now much of an impact Day's forward-thinking NIL philosophy is having on the recruiting trail - but it's a safe bet that it isn't hurting. Though it's early, the Buckeyes currently have the No. 2 overall recruiting class for 2023 - including a pair of five-star wideouts who committed within the last week.
That brings us back to Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan. Fresh off of a season that included a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff, Michigan's recruiting class is currently sitting at No. 39 overall according to 247 Sports. As it stands, Michigan has received the commitments of just two four-star athletes in the 2023 class as we approach July.
While it would be unfair to place all of the blame for Michigan's sluggish recruiting on its NIL philosophy, it would also be disingenuous to suggest it isn't playing a factor at all. For better or worse, Michigan's two biggest rivals are openly embracing the world of NIL and the results on the recruiting trail are hard to ignore. Michigan, on the other hand, appears to be taking more of a slow and steady approach - focusing more on the entire colligate experience rather than the number on a bottom line.
The question now is this: can Harbaugh's 'transformational over transactional' philosophy work in today's college football? While the answer isn't quite clear at this point, the final 2023 recruiting rankings might help give an indication of where things are headed.
