Urban Meyer has been a collegiate coach in the NCAA for about 40 years, dating back to St. Xavier in 1985. Therefore, his opinions are highly regarded by players and coaches alike.

Meyer recently addressed the media to talk about the chaos that NIL deals are causing among players. He joined the 'Triple Option' podcast on May 20 and shared his views on the matter.

"I believe in collective bar. I think that's really good. The way that revenue share. I think that's really good, but get that other stuff NIL. Make it be really NIL. Get it out of there," Meyer stated. "That's not tech; that's not the job of a coach and AD to fund NIL. In my mind, that's called marketplace. That's called capitalism. Is there a way to do that that seems to me an easy fix."

Meyer gives his own reform proposal. He looks at NIL as a free‑market system. He believes athletes should earn money through legitimate endorsements, not through artificial collective payouts.

According to Meyer, it's not the duty of the athletic departments to raise donor money to pay athletes.

Since 2021, collectives have emerged as donor‑funded groups, often blurring the line between NIL and recruiting inducements. Nowadays, athletes move freely via the transfer portal, often chasing bigger NIL packages.

Urban Meyer is supportive of the players but is strictly against this collective model. He finds it somewhat artificial and unsustainable . He argues that removing these collectives would restore order.

However, NIL isn't the only issue that Meyer has with collegiate football in this current day-and-age.

Meyer Claims He Lost Respect For Michigan

Fox Sports analyst Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about Michigan. During his tenure with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Meyer boasted of a 7-0 record against the Wolverines. There's a rivalry between the two programs but also mutual respect.

However, a recent statement from Meyer surprised a lot of people. He joined his former Ohio players Cardale Jones and Chris Wells on their "The Script" podcast, and discussed how he lost his respect for the Wolverines.

"So the respect I have for that school academically, the school as a football program, I’ll tell you, it’s taken a little bit of a hit though," Meyer said. "What’s gone on the last four or five years, I lost a little respect, Cardale."

Meyer acknowledges Michigan's strong academic reputation and tradition. However, the Wolverines' last few years are some of the issues Meyers addressed. The sign-stealing scandal under Jim Harbaugh led to suspensions and heavy criticism.

There were also recruiting violations and staff controversies. Michigan faced earlier Level-2 recruiting penalties for impermissible contacts during dead periods.

They were also penalized for texting recruits outside allowable windows, and having analysts improperly instruct players.

However, Urban does see Kyle Whittingham's arrival to Ann Arbor as a good sign. He called Whittingham "the right guy" to lead the program amidst the crisis.

Meyer is hopeful that Whittingham will bring the team back on the right track. Let's see where the road leads for the Wolverines.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community

Written by

Sourav Ganguly