Brigham Young University is suffering from the predicted downside of NIL. The NIL era was supposed to be a game-changer for college athletes. It’s supposed to give them financial freedom and control over their brand. But for the Cougars, it’s turning into a cautionary tale.
Their officially endorsed NIL collective Royal Blue is under fire for allegedly slashing player payments, delaying funds, and using NIL money as leverage to keep athletes in line. For HC Kalani Sitake, this is a nightmare scenario — one that threatens to upend the trust between his program and his players.
When NIL became a reality, the NCAA was more or less like a ‘go figure’. Schools and collectives were left to navigate a multi-million dollar business with no real rules. Predictably, chaos followed. The situation at BYU is not an isolated case — it’s a symptom of a larger problem within the NIL landscape.
Drake C. Toll and Spencer McLaughlin got into a heated discussion in a new episode on Locked on Big 12 on February 28. And McLaughlin summed it up perfectly saying, “My surprise level is at a 15 out of 10 that something that was rolled out at the college level with no guidance or regulation for something that is a professional business with licensing and regulation.” And his views echo across the sport.
“It’s good to have some rules, give people structure allow this to be a legitimate business transaction,” McLaughlin pointed out. “But college sports said ‘ah don’t need it, don’t want it, couldn’t even think of how we would do it’ and this is what you get over and over and over again.” With no governing body enforcing rules, collectives hold all the power, and players are left to hope that the money they’re promised actually arrives. At BYU, that promise shattered heading into the 2024 season.
Thanks to the bold revelation by former BYU players Crew Wakley and Isaiah Bagnah, the world saw the dark side of what unregulated NIL could cause. The problem dates back to December 2023 when monthly NIL payments stopped arriving despite crossing date 15 when it’s usually disbursed. At first, players thought it was a clerical error. But even after the transfer window closed, no money came and then realization came to dawn. Here’s what went down behind closed doors as reported by the former Cougars’ pair.
What’s going on behind Kalani Sitake’s program?
According to Isaiah Bagnah, Royal Blue delayed payments intentionally to prevent players from transferring. But when the offseason hit, the hammer dropped. Min Kim, the new collective leader, dropped the harsh reality during a meeting in January — “I’m not here to pay your rent or bills.
I’m not here for any of that. You guys are entitled, greedy, asking me for money.” This story appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune. I mean, is that a way to speak to players who are being robbed of their entitled payment? And that’s just the beginning of a more grim scenario regarding BYU’s NIL.
Players with starting roles allegedly saw their payment cut down by more than 50%. Many walk-ons are entirely disregarded and cut off. Bagnah also revealed that his monthly stipend had a $700 cut. Then, players had to sign new agreements or just forfeit NIL money.
And they weren’t even given the freedom to pursue their own NIL deals outside of Royal Blue. When dissatisfied players raised their voices, the collective leaders made a false promise for a fall renegotiation.
The BYU NIL situation has put Kalani Sitake in a tough spot. The trust is shaken, if not broken yet. As the House v. NCAA settlement looms, revenue sharing could shift financial control back to school, but could it make things simpler? For now, the Cougars’ plight serves as a brutal reminder that in the Wild West of NIL, nothing is guaranteed.
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