$110 million coach takes shots at SEC while discussing NIL impact on college football

A constant off-season talking point around college football is the influence of NIL and the ultimate impact on the sport. Many of the biggest voices around college football-- particularly around college football powerhouses-- tend to be negative. Clemson's Dabo Swinney grabbed headlines with a provocative press conference called ostensibly to accuse Ole Miss publicly of tampering.

But interestingly, one major program coach who signed a $110 million 10-year contract in 2022 sees things very differently. He laid out an optimistic outlook for the NIL culture and its impact on college football-- while throwing a little subtle shade at the SEC.

Riley praises NIL (and gently rips the SEC)

In an appearnce on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, USC boss Lincoln Riley fielded questions from the host about NIL. Asked if there is any part of the NIL culture that he likes, Riley pivoted to an optimistic view of the culture shift and its impact on college football.

"Now there's not just one part of the country paying players. Everybody's able to do it and it's a great thing."@colincowherd and @uscfb Head Coach Lincoln Riley talk about how NIL has changed college football pic.twitter.com/Kx7QGb6Uwf
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) February 2, 2026

"I think the parity," said Riley of the upside of NIL. "It's stories that wouldn't have happened before that are happening now." Riley then threw his shade at the SEC, trenchantly noting "there's not just one part of the country paying players." Riley and the Big Ten have now won three consecutive national titles, the SEC's longest titleless drought since the turn of the 21st century.

Riley on program investment

QB Jayden Maiava is returning to USC and coach Lincoln Riley, who signed the top 2026 recruiting class. Riley sees the parity fostered by the NIL era as good for college football | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Riley again reiterated the benefits of parity. "Everybody's able to do it and it's a great thing because I think it's created a much more level playing field and it's given schools the opportunity to really compete if they want to invest," noted Riley. USC has just nabbed the nation's No. 1 high school recruiting class for 2026, so the Trojans have clearly invested significantly in Riley and his team.

The USC boss isn't blind to the struggles with the NIL system. "We all know there's still parts of it to be worked out," Riley acknowledged to Cowherd. "It's obviously not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. But it has gotten better. There has been a lot of positives and I think you're going to continue to see a lot of great stories."

In fact, parity will likely impact Riley in terms of raising expectations around college football. If a program like Indiana can win the CFP title, USC boosters may well wonder why their school should accept mediocre returns. In four seasons at USC, Riley is 35-18 and hasn't reached the 11 wins of his first season in the three seasons thereafter. So the same parity that Riley praised might land him on the hot seat if his top-ranked recruiting class doesn't deliver more wins.