John Daly on NIL in college athletics: 'I believe, but we just gotta get it under control'

John Daly is a believer in NIL across college athletics, but there has to be some tweaks in order to make it work long term.

The PGA superstar and former Arkansas golfer spoke with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum about what could be done. More so, what he would’ve done in terms of name, image and likeness.

Daly just wanted NIL to be even and fair for everyone. More than anything: simple.

“I’m not a big fan of the NCAA,” Daly said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “if you look back and you think of all these great athletes that come through there, you know your Bo Jackson’s … why aren’t they getting money for those jerseys sold. Why is the NCAA getting it and a few other people getting it? I believe in NIL, but I think what they need to do, what I would preach to a team is let’s say quarterbacks get $3 million, the offensive linemen (are) getting free barbecue.

“What I would do is I take all that money, the NIL for football, combine it as everybody’s getting the same, then you don’t have any you know, that’s what I would’ve done.” 

Daly isn’t ignorant to what college football and other sports are becoming at this stage. Before we know it, college football will basically be a secondary NFL, or the NFL’s paid preparation league.

“But college is the NFL in football now,” Daly said. “The sports that were back in the 70s now, they’re all pros. We got high schools that are like colleges now, you got colleges that are like pros, and then you (pros that are elevated) even more, but I believe in NIL. I just think we gotta get it under control. Do you think it’d be long before the players and coaches start having unions on this NIL thing? I think it won’t be long at all.”

Finebaum even asked if anyone asked Daly to be the “czar of college football.” Daly said “he’d love it.”

As far as the first thing he’d do as college football czar, Daly answered in the best way possible.

“I’d put John Daly’s in every stadium,” he said.

Good Boy Vodka makes a “John Daly,” which is ice tea, lemonade and vodka mixed together. Think of an Arnold Palmer, but throw a Daly spin on it, naturally.

Heck, it might not be too long before he sponsors an athlete through NIL with his own drink!