A&M's deal with Playfly a necessary step toward competitiveness
An oft-repeated twist on “The Golden Rule” proclaims “he who has the gold makes the rules.”
That tenet has always applied to college sports.
To wit: Former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian famously once said, “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky they’re going to give Cleveland State two more years probation.”
The message is the NCAA had a double standard when dealing out punishment for violations. Programs without money got on probation. Programs with money got slaps on the wrist.
These days it seems there are no violations because there doesn’t appear to be any rules regarding recruiting, the transfer portal or NIL. None that are enforced, anyway.
But “The Golden Rule” twist still applies… just with another twist.
Now, it’s he who has the gold rules.
That’s why Texas A&M, in general, and perhaps Director of Athletics Trev Alberts, in particular, should be applauded for landing a lucrative media rights deal with Playfly Sports.
The agreement, announced Friday, will pay Texas A&M $515 million over 15 years. That’s over $34 million annually. Some of that will go toward NIL opportunities for athletes.
Additionally, it is expected that college athletic departments will enter into a revenue-sharing model with student-athletes. That change is expected later this year. As a result, athletic administrators are now looking for new streams of revenue to offset those costs.
A&M must be aggressive and proactive in finding ways and brokering deals to increase athletic revenue.
The deal is currently the richest media rights deal in college sports. Sure, it will eventually be eclipsed, but it’s better to have a golden goose in the hand than two in the bush.
A&M needs the security of that deal to match up with its competition. The extra cash will likely help boost all athletic programs.
But let’s not kid ourselves. The major benefactor will be football. It should be. Football pays for everything else.
The better football is, the better A&M’s athletic department is. To be among the best in college football programs will have to be among the most generous with players.
Last year’s college football playoff confirmed programs must be financially competitive to be athletically competitive.
National football champion Ohio State spent about $20 million on its roster in 2024.
That figure did not come from Slice Bread. It came from Athletic Director Ross Bjork. Remember him?
Prior to the 2024 season, Ohio State coach Ryan Day publicly estimated the program needed at least $13 million to prevent players from going into the NFL Draft or transferring to another team.
The Buckeyes met that mark. Almost every player from the 2023 season came back in ’24.
Then, the Buckeyes were aggressive in the transfer portal. They added quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State, running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss and safety Caleb Downs from Alabama.
You can bet none of them came cheap.
But you can also bet Ohio State wasn’t the only playoff team to spend heavily on its roster.
Oregon booster Phil Knight throws around NIL deals like Mardi Gras beads. Notre Dame reportedly generated $20.5 million from its collective Friends of Notre Dame.
Texas, Georgia and Penn State probably spent as much, if not more.
The price for talent never goes down, so A&M must be prepared to meet, and sometimes exceed, market price.
That is if the Aggies truly want another national championship that’s eluded them since 1939.
A&M has long counted on the loyalty of donors to pick up the tab for its football expenses, whether it be to build structures or buy out failed coaches.
That won’t stop.
But donors cannot be expected to keep covering costs, especially as player salaries escalate.
A&M’s athletic administration must be disciplined, in some ways frugal, and always looking for ways to add to its coffers.
The new media rights deal is an excellent step toward accumulating enough gold in hopes that the Aggies will again rule in football.