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NIL stands for Name, Image and Likeness and has changed the way college football and professional sports work by allowing college players to earn money before they turn pro.

This change is significant.

In an interview with The Triple Option, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained the impact NIL has on young athletes entering the NFL.

“It brings a lot of responsibility at an earlier age,” Goodell said. “I think it probably puts a lot of responsibility on colleges to make sure kids understand that and are prepared for it. It changes the dynamic.”

He added: “The zeros are getting pretty big and the impact of making bad decisions is pretty serious for a young man and his family, so they need to be prepared for that.”

Goodell believes that college support can ease the transition from college football to the NFL. “The more we can help and support colleges to make sure our transition programs can potentially be applied to them, the better that would probably be,” he said.

He further explained, “It’s a big jump from college football to the NFL. This probably softens the jump a little bit because it’s one less adjustment, but it’s still big.”

NIL acts as a training wheel for athletes before they sign a multimillion-dollar contract in the NFL. Some college stars, such as Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders or Texas quarterback Arch Manning, are already making a lot of money.

But most players aren’t there yet. Even so, the money they earn is more than what they earned in high school.

Through this early income, they learn important financial habits – investing, saving and spending wisely – that become more important the more they earn.

Roger Goodell is aware that the NFL also benefits when the NCAA helps its athletes succeed.

“We believe in a strong college football system,” Goodell said. “We also believe that players will be better prepared for the NFL if they not only have additional college football experience, but also really get to know the educational system.”

He stressed the importance of education: “Even if you don’t get the degree, hopefully you’re close enough to be able to do it again.”

“A lot of our players are doing that,” Goodell continued. “I think that’s a good thing for us because it shows that the kids are staying. They’re not making that choice. They’re going to say, ‘I’m going to go back and play another year of college football.'”

“We always think that’s great. We’re going to support that every day,” Goodell concluded. “I’m really proud of our eligibility requirements and proud that we want our kids to stay in college football as long as possible.”