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'NCAA you have a problem': Deion Sanders says NIL money is causing behavior issues among players

May 12th, 2022

Deion Sanders has an issue with the way money earned under the NCAA's new name, image, and likeness rules is causing some athletes to act.

The Jackson State football coach tagged the NCAA in a Twitter post Wednesday with a one-minute video explaining his position on the subject.

"When you start paying athletes like they're professionals, you get athletes acting like they're professionals," Sanders said. "And you don't have staffs large enough and equipped enough to handle a young man with money. Let me go deeper. Handle a young man that's making more money than some of the coaches on staff."

The way Sanders wants the NCAA to deal with the issue is to add more football staff members.

"I suggest to you to allow college teams to hire more qualified men. Qualified. That can handle these young men that's getting this money," said Sanders.

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Sanders said that smaller schools such as Jackson State can't compete with the amount of money Power 5 schools are paying.

"See, with the NIL, which really ain't NIL because it ain't no name, image, and likeness, it's just pay-per view right now," Sanders said. "That's what they're doing at the big boys, little boys we can't compete with that. But anyway, you've got a problem,"

Sanders said he brought attention to the issue because he's trying to help before the problem gets worse.

"I’m trying to help before it blows up in your face. Money Makes You More Of Who You Really Are. Now think about that for a minute," wrote Sanders on Twitter.

Curated By

Maya Gupta
Investigative Journalist | Grassroots Movement Organizer | Economy Consultant/Speaker
Maya Gupta writes from the fault lines of a world that refuses to stay quiet. Focused on the collisions between culture, power, and accountability, her work cuts past polished narratives to expose what’s really moving beneath the surface. From the rise of creator-driven influence to athlete activism and grassroots resistance, she tracks the momentum shaping a generation unwilling to wait its turn. Her reporting doesn’t cater to comfort, it confronts it, challenging institutions that lean on legacy instead of legitimacy. With a voice rooted in urgency and a lens tuned to those often ignored, Maya delivers coverage that reflects the stakes as they are, not as they’re packaged. This is journalism that doesn’t just observe change, it stands in the middle of it, documenting the push, the backlash, and the undeniable shift underway.

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