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Jay Bilas gives harsh criticism of Lane Kiffin's response to NIL

Screen Shot 2024-05-28 at 9.09.17 AMby: Kaiden Smith07/18/22kaiden__smith

Former Duke basketball center and college basketball analyst Jay Bilas responded via Twitter to the comments made by Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin regarding NIL during SEC media day.

College football insider Brett McMurphy tweeted a quote from Kiffin during his press conference, tweeting, “Lane Kiffin on NIL: “It’s like a payroll in baseball. What teams win over a long period? Teams w/high payrolls & can pay players a lot. We’re in a situation not any different. I’ve said you legalize cheating so get ready for people that have the most money to get players”.

Bilas quoted this tweet, clearly in disagreement with Kiffin’s take, and even took a shot at Kiffin’s previous history of NCAA violations. Bilas tweeted, “Sorry but, if it’s legal, it isn’t cheating. And, what teams win over a long period in football? The biggest spenders. The only difference now? Players can legally accept money, rather than schools spending it all on facilities and amenities (or getting you NCAA sanctions).”

Bilas for years has been an advocate for paying college athletes, both writing about and speaking publicly on the benefits of NIL for student athletes. It will be interesting to see how other analysts, particularly former student-athletes themselves, continue to respond to Kiffin’s remarks.

Lane Kiffin sounds off on NIL

It’s no secret that out of all conferences, NIL has been the most prevalent and discussed in the SEC. And at media day, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin gave his thoughts specifically on booster involvement in NIL. 

“If you have boosters deciding who they’re going to pay to come play and the coach isn’t involved in it, how does that work? They just pick who they want and tell you who to play? And when they don’t play, how is that going to work?” Kiffin said. “I’ll say what people don’t say as you know. So, it’s like a payroll in baseball, what teams win over a long period of time? Teams that have high payrolls and can pay players a lot. So we’re in a situation not any different than that. I’m sure other people have said it, I said it say one, you legalized cheating so get ready for the people that have the most money to get the best players and there you have it. So it is what it is.”

Kiffin also compared the current state of college football with NIL to professional sports.

“And as far as a general manager to manage that, we aren’t allowed in the current system to manage what they make. We’re not there yet and I don’t know that we ever will be, that’s just what I said it should be because that’s what any other professional sports, which is what we are now, does,” Kiffin said.