Dan Lanning Gets Real About Current State of NIL Enforcement in College Football

When it comes to the modern era of college football, navigating the business of name, image, and likeness is a must.

The Oregon Ducks are one of the programs at the forefront of this industry, with the athletic department partnering with longtime sportswear ally Nike to create the "Division Street" and "Ducks of a Feather" NIL programs.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) draws back to pass Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's Recent Dealings with NIL & Dan Lanning's Thoughts

Back in February, the College Sports Commission, which is in charge of monitoring and approving NIL deals, served a letter to a handful of teams including Oregon in regards to unreported deals. According to Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger, the Ducks cleared up this issue with the CSC.

After Thursday's practice, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke further about the current state of NIL regulations as the team not only prepares for their spring game on Apr. 21, but also continues to recruit class of 2027 targets.

"I try to focus on what I do control. So, we adjust to the rules as they adjust. It's something we don't currently control," Lanning said. "I think it would be great if there's some uniform, but again, I'm always going to say, before we make a new rule, let's make sure we have a plan to enforce it."

"I would say, based on the previous 12 months, I don't know where the enforcement piece is playing into this and what it looks like, so we'll continue to adapt and adjust. That's college football," Lanning added.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi talks with head coach Dan Lanning during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dan Lanning Has Always Been Outspoken

Whether it's his comments about the current schedule of the college football regular season, the playoff structure, or NIL, Lanning hasn't been shy about sharing his personal critiques of the sport he coaches in. After bringing in the class of 2025, Lanning opened up about balancing the draw of NIL for recruits while continuing to target athletes that wish to join the Ducks to develop.

"But nobody is a finished product when they get to college. You're still developing, you're still growing as a person. But you want to find people that are about growth mindset. You can identify if this somebody that is gonna have the strong characteristics to handle tough when it gets tough," Lanning said.

"You're never gonna be 100 percent when you're evaluating those things, but what you can do is be open and honest to communicate what that looks like," Lanning added. "I think we've done a really good job of that in the past and certainly have developed some great guys on our roster currently."

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

What the Oregon Ducks Navigate for NIL

Though NIL rules are constantly in flux from year to year, the latest came shortly after the House v. NCAA settlement, which in a grand overview, opened the doors for universities to directly pay their athletes. That settlement also established the CSC and the NIL Go program ensuring fair market value, attempting to eliminate "pay for play" deals.

According to the latest NIL Deal Flow Report from the CSC in Jan., NIL Go denied 524 deals with a total value of $14.94 million. Through this new regulator, 10,848 athletes from across 40 different sports secured at least one NIL deal.