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The advent of name, image, and likeness (NIL) has significantly altered the college sports landscape. High-profile college athletes will often consider projected NIL figures before they commit to or transfer to another school.
South Carolina football star LaNorris Sellers received tempting offers designed to entice him to enter the transfer portal. “He was offered all kinds of crazy numbers,” Sellers’ father, Norris, told The Athletic.
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South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scrambles against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov 16, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Jeff Blake/Imagn Images)
The South Carolina quarterback ultimately turned down the offers in favor of remaining with the Gamecocks, according to his father. At least one of the lucrative proposals “he heard was for $8 million for two years,” Sellers’ father said.
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He also suggested that his son never intended to play college football to simply “make money” and that another university “offering more” wasn’t enough to motivate the quarterback to transfer.
South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) before the play call against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium on Dec 31, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Jeremy Reper/Imagn Images)
“I told him he could say, ‘I’m gonna stay or I’m gonna go.’ [But] my two cents: It was to get into college on a scholarship, play ball, get our degree, and go on about our business,” Norris Sellers said. “This NIL deal came later. We didn’t come here to make money. We came here to get our education, play ball, and with schools calling, we’re not gonna jump ship because they’re offering more than what we’re getting. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) runs for a touchdown against Louisiana State University during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on Sept. 14, 2024. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today via Imagn Images)
Sellers, who will be classified as a redshirt sophomore this fall, finished the 2024 season with 2,534 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He will be eligible for the NFL draft after the 2025 college season.
Sellers and South Carolina are slated to open the regular season on Aug. 31 against Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
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College athletes started receiving compensation for their names, images, and likenesses in 2021. At the time, many athletic boosters formed groups called collectives. The collective effectively tapped NIL funds as de facto salaries for their respective teams. Prominent players have received millions of dollars from collectives.
However, a federal judge’s recent decision on a $2.8 billion settlement paved the way for college and university athletic departments to cut checks directly to athletes. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the multi-billion The House v. NCAA settlement. Wilken’s ruling came just weeks before July 1, the date many schools planned to begin issuing payments directly to athletes.
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