Dabo Swinney firmly believes that significant changes are on the verge of arriving. These alterations are set to provide tremendous benefits to Clemson. Next year, upon the finalization of the House Settlement, teams will be permitted to directly compensate players through a revenue-sharing model. This is expected to be completed prior to the 2025 college football season.How Clemson Plans to Utilize the New Model
Swinney has consistently asserted that this novel model will be a game-changer for Clemson. During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, he emphasized, "Nobody will have more money than Clemson. Nobody. For the first time ever, this will be highly advantageous." Teams are anticipated to be able to allocate approximately $20-22M towards player payments, with a cap to ensure fairness. Each school has the discretion to determine how this money is spent and on which sports. Clemson intends to fully participate and allocate a significant portion of this funds to football compared to some of its peers. However, the role of NIL within this framework remains unclear.The Impact of NIL on Clemson
According to Swinney, the House Settlement will incorporate certain safeguards regarding NIL to prevent pay-for-play and level the playing field. It will be overseen by a third party rather than the NCAA. "The NIL is going to be different come July. Currently, there is no standard. But by July, there must be a standard. That's why we engaged ESM (Everett Sports Marketing), one of the top sports marketing agencies in the country. NIL will still exist and can be added to the revenue-sharing, but it must meet a standard. If it doesn't, penalties will be imposed, and money will be deducted from the revenue-sharing," he explained. It's not just about pay-for-play anymore; it will be true NIL, and it will be regulated by a third party, which he believes will be beneficial for everyone.The Stability and Potential Lawsuits
With the new guidelines in the settlement aimed at curbing the chaos caused by NIL since 2021, there are likely to be more lawsuits similar to the one that led to the House Settlement. When asked about the durability of these safeguards in court, Swinney admitted he couldn't provide an answer. However, he is confident that there will be some level of stabilization in the next decade. "I have no idea. That was all part of the settlement. It's a ten-year settlement, and a significant amount of money was spent on it. There are two sides that agreed to it. It's not the NCAA regulating it; it's a third party like the NFL has. If you're even a penny under or over, you'll have a problem. I don't know how the big, bad wolf will manage it, but there will surely be plenty of lawsuits over various matters. That's just the nature of things," he said.A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
