When it comes to Nebraska football and the Nebraska athletic program in general, it’s pretty clear that the people in charge understand just how important NIL is regarding recruiting these days. In fact, the university has made it very clear just how important it finds NIL by reportedly being one of the top money programs in the country.
The Omaha World-Herald recently talked to one former Nebraska football player Blake Lawrence, who now facilitates programs like the Huskers, making sure their players are getting that NIL money without giving them money by themselves. According to Lawrence, NU has been highly successful in getting Husker athletes paid. Paid so much that the Huskers are among the Top 10 NIL programs in the country. The Cornhuskers are also reportedly ranked in the Top 5 in the country in individual NIL deals.
Pinpointing precisely who is at the top of the heap isn’t just like looking up a database. NIL money is still relatively new in the world of college athletics, and it’s not like professional sports, where salaries are reported on a near-daily basis. However, according to the World-Herald, several Nebraska football players are making six figures annually.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for a player can allow Nebraska football to compete with the NFL when it comes to keeping players around. And being among the squads that offer top dollar to athletes is going to allow the Cornhuskers to compete against Texas, Alabama, and Georgia.
Nebraska football has been looking for a way to get back to the promised land. Back to a situation where the Cornhuskers are among the best in the business. Former head coaches like Scott Frost and Bo Pelini have made it clear they felt like it was too hard to bring kids in from around the country. This kind of money can be a great equalizer.
The question now is if the Nebraska football program has reached its ceiling. Can the Huskers continue to rake in the kind of dough that keeps them this high compared to other programs? Can they continue to stay near the top of the rankings and right up against Texas? Obviously, that’s an open question, but it’s clear that the Cornhuskers are off to an excellent start.