The Price of the Game: NIL, College Sports, and Who Really Wins

On this episode of Let's Talk with Carl Lee, the team dives deep into the seismic shifts happening across college athletics. Carl, Lisa, and co-host Delegate Hollis Lewis—who also serves in the West Virginia House of Delegates—break down key legislation currently moving through the statehouse that will shape the future of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes. Hollis gives a clear-eyed breakdown of bills codifying NIL contracts and collectives, raising crucial questions about revenue sharing, transparency, and long-term equity between schools like WVU and Marshall.

The conversation doesn’t stop at policy—Carl and Lisa explore how NIL is rewriting March Madness, potentially stifling Cinderella stories and shifting the motivations of college athletes from pro dreams to immediate paydays. With honesty, curiosity, and a dose of skepticism, the hosts ask: is college sports becoming a farm league for the rich—and what happens to the soul of the game?

Plus, a visit from South Carolina offensive line coach and Marshall alum Greg Adkins brings stories of grit, change, and adapting to a new era in recruiting. This is one of the show’s most layered episodes yet—part policy breakdown, part locker room talk, and fully engaged with the future of sports.