[GK3]

Thank you for opening my eyes to this, Cctop.  This is just revolting.  Non-profit, educational institutions shelling out more money for a defensive lineman than they pay to assistant professors really puts things in perspective.

Just what exactly is it about NIL that is revolting to you? I personally find it refreshing that players, many of whom come from very, very poor backgrounds, are finally able to earn the fair market value for their talent.

Unfortunately, I have a pretty jaded view of society today.  Too many people are into whatever they are into for the money, it is always about the money.  I say being a professor at Stanford is playing in the big leagues.  You are going to have the best opportunities to consult, advise startups, gather stock options on the cheap and make a lot of money.  Not much different from a 5 star edge rusher who goes where he can get the most money.  How many of professors who avail themselves the opportunities working at Stanford provides, would really rather go and work at Idaho State University in Pocatello?  How many of today's politicians run for office to serve their country or their state rather than to grab all the money they can through their position? They may start out for other reasons, but politics is the big corrupter

Is it revolting that a big pocketed booster is motivated to shell out six figures for an EDGE rusher instead of gifting that amount to an associate professor? Perhaps. However, that’s symptomatic of society at large in my opinion. I certainly don’t think it’s appropriate to judge these players or label them as mercenaries.

Yes, and considering the state of humanity the best and brightest have given us to this point in the human story, I'm not sure the Edge rusher isn't a better use of money for society than the university researcher anyway.

[GK3]

Thank you for opening my eyes to this, Cctop.  This is just revolting.  Non-profit, educational institutions shelling out more money for a defensive lineman than they pay to assistant professors really puts things in perspective.

Just what exactly is it about NIL that is revolting to you? I personally find it refreshing that players, many of whom come from very, very poor backgrounds, are finally able to earn the fair market value for their talent.

Unfortunately, I have a pretty jaded view of society today.  Too many people are into whatever they are into for the money, it is always about the money.  I say being a professor at Stanford is playing in the big leagues.  You are going to have the best opportunities to consult, advise startups, gather stock options on the cheap and make a lot of money.  Not much different from a 5 star edge rusher who goes where he can get the most money.  How many of professors who avail themselves the opportunities working at Stanford provides, would really rather go and work at Idaho State University in Pocatello?  How many of today's politicians run for office to serve their country or their state rather than to grab all the money they can through their position? They may start out for other reasons, but politics is the big corrupter

Is it revolting that a big pocketed booster is motivated to shell out six figures for an EDGE rusher instead of gifting that amount to an associate professor? Perhaps. However, that’s symptomatic of society at large in my opinion. I certainly don’t think it’s appropriate to judge these players or label them as mercenaries.

Yes, and considering the state of humanity the best and brightest have given us to this point in the human story, I'm not sure the Edge rusher isn't a better use of money for society than the university researcher anyway.