August 25, 2025 • 8 mins
The rules of college sports just changed forever — and not everyone’s playing fair. In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen pulls back the curtain on NIL — Name, Image, and Likeness — to show how athletes are getting paid, how the NCAA is fumbling the playbook, and why the smartest deals still come down to authenticity. From Bryce Harper’s clean-label fit with Just Ingredients, to Sprouts investing in women’s sports, to a high-school quarterback’s million-dollar headline that wasn’t what it seemed — this is the full story, no booster spin. If you’ve ever wondered what NIL really is today… here’s your answer, in plain English, with a few plays the NCAA would rather you didn’t notice.
Stay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslight
Read and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
The scoreboard finally changed.
For the first time in history,college athletes are cashing
real checks with their names onthem.
A$2.8 billion settlement rewroteamateur sports in ink, but the
rules of the game stillscribbled in pencil.
This is Think First, where wedon't follow the script.
(00:21):
We question it.
Because in a world full ofpoetic truths and professional
gaslighting, someone's got tosay the quiet part out loud.
They called it a breakthrough, anew era for college sports.
But behind the press releasesand podium speeches, the numbers
don't add up.
(00:41):
The NCAA promises fairness whilecapping payouts.
Athletes chase millions whilebrands chase headlines.
And all of it, wrapped in thelanguage of progress.
I've seen the NIL era from bothsides of the glass.
Nike elite gyms, ESPN cameras,NBA owners, Power 5 coaches.
I've been in the rooms where thedeals are made.
(01:03):
And here's the truth.
The headlines celebrate freedom,but the contracts scream
control.
The NCAA isn't leading this newera.
It's clinging to it.
And the gap between what'spromised and what's real is
where the story lives.
The House v.
NCAA settlement says schools cannow pay athletes directly, about
(01:26):
$20.5 million per year startingthis year and rising annually.
It's historic.
It's headline-worthy.
And the poetic truth being sold?
Finally, athletes are being paidwhat they're worth.
But look closer.
That cap?
It's not freedom.
It's control.
The money still flows from theinstitution down.
(01:47):
Progress?
Maybe.
But autonomy?
Not even close.
Title IX?
The guidance on equal revenuesplits was quietly rolled back
in February.
The gaslight?
Calling it flexibility.
Reality?
Equity is now optional untilsomeone sues.
(02:08):
Collectives?
First, they were banned aspay-for-play.
Then, a few weeks later, theCollege Sports Commission
reopened the door.
The gaslight?
Calling that modernization.
Reality?
Same money.
Different costumes.
Executive orders?
The White House declared itwould save college sports.
(02:28):
The gaslight?
Selling enforcement as if astrongly worded memo had
handcuffs attached.
First, the arms race math.
$20 million sounds like awindfall, until your football
program clears$100 million.
Then, it's just a budget line.
Everyone else?
Fighting for leftovers.
(02:49):
Second, women's sports risk andopportunity.
The poetic truth, schools arefree to innovate.
The gaslight, freedom isderegulation, which usually
means we'll deal with equitylater.
And third, compliance is the newrecruiting.
The NIL GO system promisesintegrity.
The gaslight, it's the samepay-for-play system, just
(03:12):
written in a cleaner font.
Arch Manning,$6.8 million in NILdeals before taking a single
snap at Texas.
The poetic truth?
He's finally being paid whathe's worth.
The Gaslight, those valuationsare inflated and marketed as
fact, sold back to fans andboosters as reality.
(03:35):
Michigan's freshman QB BryceUnderwood projected$3 million in
NIL before his first collegepass.
The poetic truth?
Top recruits cash in.
The Gaslight, It's speculativehype turned into paychecks
before performance even entersthe equation.
High schoolers aren't off limitseither.
The NCAA is drafting a rule thatwould force recruits to disclose
(03:59):
all NIL deals they signed inhigh school.
The poetic truth?
Transparency.
The gaslight, a power grab thatdrags 16-year-olds into NCAA
jurisdiction before they eversuit up.
Not all NIL is smoke andmirrors.
Some deals actually work becausethe story matches the substance.
(04:21):
At the University of Texas, thebrand Human, a health supplement
brand born in UT research labs,just became the first outside
sponsor allowed to put its logodirectly on the field turf
itself.
That's not hype.
That's alignment with theschool's identity.
Paige Buechers, UConn superstar,crossed the million-dollar NIL
(04:42):
mark with Gatorade, Bose, andVerizon.
But more than that, she'sbuilding a foundation to tackle
food insecurity.
The poetic truth here?
When NIL money extends beyondthe athlete into purpose.
In women's soccer, Gotham FCpartnered with Dove in the
largest deal in NWSL history.
(05:04):
Their campaign?
Keep her in the game.
Not just about visibility butabout keeping girls in sports
despite pressure to quit.
That's partnership with teeth.
And in softball, Nigeri Kennedysigned a record-breaking$1
million NIL deal, the richest inher sport.
She's still dominating on themound, proving that women's
(05:25):
sports value isn't justsymbolic.
And lastly, the legacy reminder,body armor.
Kobe Bryant invested$6 million,not for exposure, but equity.
Years later, Koch bought thebrand for$5.6 billion, turning
that investment into about$400million.
(05:47):
That's what I call clarity.
Alignment and ownership beathype every time.
The gaslight?
Boosters throwing millions intocollectives for players who
transfer, underperform, or leaveafter a year.
Burning cash for the illusion.
of a championship roster.
Just ask three questions.
(06:09):
One, who's really benefiting inthe next 12 months?
The athlete, the brand, or justthe headline?
Two, is there a real product,real audience, real plan, or is
it just a collective in acostume?
And three, what happens to thenon-revenue sports if the cap
money keeps clustering at thetop?
(06:29):
Who's protecting them?
Because modernization oftenlooks a lot like tradition with
better lighting.
This is where I think this goesnext.
Multi-year NIL contracts willbecome standard.
Athletes will push for long-termstability.
Federal regulation is coming,whether to shore up equity or to
(06:50):
restrain booster free-for-alls.
Athlete tax literacy willseparate winners from horror
stories.
Because this isn't W-2 money,it's 1099 chaos.
Institutional systems likeUCLA's Article 41 will spread.
NIL won't be a side hustle it'llbe a campus department.
(07:10):
AI-powered matchmaking willemerge, pairing athletes with
brands, flagging sketchycontracts, and automating
compliance.
And yes, legal chaos will spikefirst.
Lawsuits over high school NIL,Title IX challenges, and
tampering disputes could freezethe system overnight.
So if NIL still feelscomplicated, here's the
(07:31):
shortcut.
It's athletes getting paid fortheir name, face, and game,
While the NCAA gaslights youinto thinking it's still about
school spirit, that's the gapbetween poetic truth and
reality, and that's where youneed to think first.
You don't need all the answers,but you should question the ones
you're handed.
(07:53):
Until next time, stay skeptical,stay curious, and always think
first.
And for those who want to takethis further, my new book,
Distorted, is on the way thisOctober.
It unpacks the gaslighting andpoetic truths shaping not just
sports, but politics, culture,and everyday life.
(08:14):
You'll find it at Barnes& Noble,Amazon, Apple, and Kindle.
Or grab it first with anexclusive pre-order at
jimdetchin.com.
The scoreboard finally changed.
For the first time in history,college athletes are cashing
real checks with their names onthem.
A$2.8 billion settlement rewroteamateur sports in ink, but the
rules of the game stillscribbled in pencil.
This is Think First, where wedon't follow the script.
(00:21):
We question it.
Because in a world full ofpoetic truths and professional
gaslighting, someone's got tosay the quiet part out loud.
They called it a breakthrough, anew era for college sports.
But behind the press releasesand podium speeches, the numbers
don't add up.
(00:41):
The NCAA promises fairness whilecapping payouts.
Athletes chase millions whilebrands chase headlines.
And all of it, wrapped in thelanguage of progress.
I've seen the NIL era from bothsides of the glass.
Nike elite gyms, ESPN cameras,NBA owners, Power 5 coaches.
I've been in the rooms where thedeals are made.
(01:03):
And here's the truth.
The headlines celebrate freedom,but the contracts scream
control.
The NCAA isn't leading this newera.
It's clinging to it.
And the gap between what'spromised and what's real is
where the story lives.
The House v.
NCAA settlement says schools cannow pay athletes directly, about
(01:26):
$20.5 million per year startingthis year and rising annually.
It's historic.
It's headline-worthy.
And the poetic truth being sold?
Finally, athletes are being paidwhat they're worth.
But look closer.
That cap?
It's not freedom.
It's control.
The money still flows from theinstitution down.
(01:47):
Progress?
Maybe.
But autonomy?
Not even close.
Title IX?
The guidance on equal revenuesplits was quietly rolled back
in February.
The gaslight?
Calling it flexibility.
Reality?
Equity is now optional untilsomeone sues.
(02:08):
Collectives?
First, they were banned aspay-for-play.
Then, a few weeks later, theCollege Sports Commission
reopened the door.
The gaslight?
Calling that modernization.
Reality?
Same money.
Different costumes.
Executive orders?
The White House declared itwould save college sports.
(02:28):
The gaslight?
Selling enforcement as if astrongly worded memo had
handcuffs attached.
First, the arms race math.
$20 million sounds like awindfall, until your football
program clears$100 million.
Then, it's just a budget line.
Everyone else?
Fighting for leftovers.
(02:49):
Second, women's sports risk andopportunity.
The poetic truth, schools arefree to innovate.
The gaslight, freedom isderegulation, which usually
means we'll deal with equitylater.
And third, compliance is the newrecruiting.
The NIL GO system promisesintegrity.
The gaslight, it's the samepay-for-play system, just
(03:12):
written in a cleaner font.
Arch Manning,$6.8 million in NILdeals before taking a single
snap at Texas.
The poetic truth?
He's finally being paid whathe's worth.
The Gaslight, those valuationsare inflated and marketed as
fact, sold back to fans andboosters as reality.
(03:35):
Michigan's freshman QB BryceUnderwood projected$3 million in
NIL before his first collegepass.
The poetic truth?
Top recruits cash in.
The Gaslight, It's speculativehype turned into paychecks
before performance even entersthe equation.
High schoolers aren't off limitseither.
The NCAA is drafting a rule thatwould force recruits to disclose
(03:59):
all NIL deals they signed inhigh school.
The poetic truth?
Transparency.
The gaslight, a power grab thatdrags 16-year-olds into NCAA
jurisdiction before they eversuit up.
Not all NIL is smoke andmirrors.
Some deals actually work becausethe story matches the substance.
(04:21):
At the University of Texas, thebrand Human, a health supplement
brand born in UT research labs,just became the first outside
sponsor allowed to put its logodirectly on the field turf
itself.
That's not hype.
That's alignment with theschool's identity.
Paige Buechers, UConn superstar,crossed the million-dollar NIL
(04:42):
mark with Gatorade, Bose, andVerizon.
But more than that, she'sbuilding a foundation to tackle
food insecurity.
The poetic truth here?
When NIL money extends beyondthe athlete into purpose.
In women's soccer, Gotham FCpartnered with Dove in the
largest deal in NWSL history.
(05:04):
Their campaign?
Keep her in the game.
Not just about visibility butabout keeping girls in sports
despite pressure to quit.
That's partnership with teeth.
And in softball, Nigeri Kennedysigned a record-breaking$1
million NIL deal, the richest inher sport.
She's still dominating on themound, proving that women's
(05:25):
sports value isn't justsymbolic.
And lastly, the legacy reminder,body armor.
Kobe Bryant invested$6 million,not for exposure, but equity.
Years later, Koch bought thebrand for$5.6 billion, turning
that investment into about$400million.
(05:47):
That's what I call clarity.
Alignment and ownership beathype every time.
The gaslight?
Boosters throwing millions intocollectives for players who
transfer, underperform, or leaveafter a year.
Burning cash for the illusion.
of a championship roster.
Just ask three questions.
(06:09):
One, who's really benefiting inthe next 12 months?
The athlete, the brand, or justthe headline?
Two, is there a real product,real audience, real plan, or is
it just a collective in acostume?
And three, what happens to thenon-revenue sports if the cap
money keeps clustering at thetop?
(06:29):
Who's protecting them?
Because modernization oftenlooks a lot like tradition with
better lighting.
This is where I think this goesnext.
Multi-year NIL contracts willbecome standard.
Athletes will push for long-termstability.
Federal regulation is coming,whether to shore up equity or to
(06:50):
restrain booster free-for-alls.
Athlete tax literacy willseparate winners from horror
stories.
Because this isn't W-2 money,it's 1099 chaos.
Institutional systems likeUCLA's Article 41 will spread.
NIL won't be a side hustle it'llbe a campus department.
(07:10):
AI-powered matchmaking willemerge, pairing athletes with
brands, flagging sketchycontracts, and automating
compliance.
And yes, legal chaos will spikefirst.
Lawsuits over high school NIL,Title IX challenges, and
tampering disputes could freezethe system overnight.
So if NIL still feelscomplicated, here's the
(07:31):
shortcut.
It's athletes getting paid fortheir name, face, and game,
While the NCAA gaslights youinto thinking it's still about
school spirit, that's the gapbetween poetic truth and
reality, and that's where youneed to think first.
You don't need all the answers,but you should question the ones
you're handed.
(07:53):
Until next time, stay skeptical,stay curious, and always think
first.
And for those who want to takethis further, my new book,
Distorted, is on the way thisOctober.
It unpacks the gaslighting andpoetic truths shaping not just
sports, but politics, culture,and everyday life.
(08:14):
You'll find it at Barnes& Noble,Amazon, Apple, and Kindle.
Or grab it first with anexclusive pre-order at
jimdetchin.com.
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