Billy Napier on NIL bidding wars: ‘We don’t operate that way’

One of the big worries in college football is the emergence of NIL bidding wars in recruiting. There’s already been one SEC feud about it, but another SEC coach has weighed in about how his program operates.

Florida’s Billy Napier addressed the current NIL landscape in the wake of the Jimbo Fisher-Nick Saban spat about NIL’s role in recruiting. The new Gators headman understands things are crazy at the moment, and bidding wars are a topic of conversation as NIL collectives come to the forefront.

“I think there is some of that, but we don’t operate that way,” Napier said.

However, Napier noted coaches need to look at the big picture when talking about NIL. He argued no two situations are identical, which is why they need to be studied one at a time.

“I think that NIL is a portion of the decision, right?” Napier said. “I think a lot of times when you really did into why is the player leaving where he’s at, there are other factors. All these situations are case by case. You’ve got to evaluate each situation independent of all the others.”

Billy Napier on NIL: College football is a ‘land with no laws’

The general consensus around regarding NIL among the coaching ranks of college football, for the most part, is “NIL is good, but …” Florida head coach Billy Napier is no different, but for good reason. He, along with others, have major concerns regarding the so-called Wild West of college athletics.

“There is an opportunity to have representation for NIL, you have seen that trend. I think there’s some wisdom into that,” Napier said. “But I also think that there’s a lot more to these decisions than NIL.

“There’s a lot of gray area here relative to representation, what I can say, what I can’t say, what the third party can do, what they can’t do – I mean, right now we’re living in a land with no laws, if that makes sense. But I continue to believe as every day goes by, and the more that we are ‘boots on the ground,’ as we get out to know people in. [NIL is] going to be a slam dunk for the Florida Gators.”