In an interview conducted on ESPN’s Wilde & Tausch, former University of Wisconsin head football coach and athletic director Barry Alvarez expressed serious concerns about the direction of the sport amidst the growing influence of NIL money and the prevalence of the transfer portal.
Alvarez, whose appearance on the show was prompted by a false rumor about his death that went viral on X, labeled the current state of college football as “out of control and unsustainable,” emphasizing the challenges posed by the increasing financial incentives for players.
“The paying of the players, it’s supposed to be illegal for coaches to use cash to endorse or to encourage players or recruit players, but that’s exactly what’s happening,” Alvarez said during his radio appearance.