Wolverine Digest

Tennessee and Arkansas potentially enforcing buyouts could signal a major change in NIL landscape

With players like Bryce Underwood securing $10-12 million NIL deals, buyouts are becoming commonplace, but nobody has enforced one, that could be changing
Jerred Johnson|
Team Blue quarterback Bryce Underwood (19)
Team Blue quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Name, image and likeness (NIL) has been an evolving program since its inception in 2021. The program allows for college athletes to utilize their own name, image and likeness to earn money. In the beginning that meant podcast appearances, peddling products, and autograph sessions. It has evolved into full-fledged pay-for-play deals with collectives that have paid out millions of dollars for top athletes.

One of the biggest NIL stories of the 2025 recruiting cycle involved the Michigan Wolverines. They were in pursuit of Bryce Underwood, who was pledge to LSU at the time. Underwood repeatedly made social media posts affirming his commitment to the Tigers. Then Michigan got serious and made an NIL offer that was rumored to be in the $10-12 million dollar range. Underwood ended up committing to Michigan and the story exploded. Naysayers of the NIL program were screaming that Michigan bought their quarterback of the future. Behind the scenes there were far more variables involved in the Underwood commitment, beyond just money.

One of the biggest question marks with such a lucrative NIL package for Underwood was whether or not it would be enough to keep him in Ann Arbor. What if he did not like the new offense and decided a year later he wanted to transfer? Michigan was not the only university with those concerns.

According to Ross Dellenger, most NIL contracts now have buyouts included. Those buyouts can include money being paid back to collectives or organizations that the athlete agreed to promote. No university has enforced a buyout yet, so they have largely been a toothless legal weapon... until now. In light of the transfer of Madden Iamaleava, yes, the brother of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Arkansas collective involved in his NIL deal has signaled that they intend to seek recoupment based on the buyout clause.

This indicates a significant shift in the NIL era. If universities and collectives begin to enforce buyouts, NIL "deals" could become more similar to professional level contracts. The era of amateur sports in college will be dead. Players will sign ironclad contracts, and the transfer portal will become void of big-name transfers. The Iamaleava saga is one to keep an eye on as it has ramifications across the college sports landscape.

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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