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NCAA president Charlie Baker released a statement addressing the state of the NIL landscape and calling for Congressional assistance.

The comments come days after UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka announced he was stepping away from the program and redshirting because representations "were not upheld" after he enrolled. Sluka was verbally promised a minimum of $100,000 during his recruitment but only saw a $3,000 relocation fee, his agent Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports told On3.

The promises were made by an offensive assistant during Sluka's recruitment, Cromartie said. The NIL collective and school have pushed back on the claim.

"We continue to see evidence of dysfunction in today's NIL environment, including examples of promises made but not kept to student-athletes," Baker wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Just as anyone that owns stock or buys a house is afforded basic consumer protections, it's clear that student-athletes entering NIL contracts should be too."

On Thursday, plaintiffs' and NCAA attorneys submitted the revised long-form House v. NCAA settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Attorneys did not change much despite Judge Claudia Wilken asking for the parties to "go back to the drawing board" when it came to enforcement of NIL collectives and boosters.

The new settlement changed the definition of a booster, limiting it to a "narrower group of entities and individuals closely affiliated with the schools." Commercial parties like shoe companies and people who have given $50,000 to a school will be exempt from NIL enforcement.

If the settlement is not approved, the NCAA will head to trial and could face over $20 billion in back damages. Baker went on to write that the NCAA continues to lobby Congress for national NIL guidelines.

The NCAA has lobbied lawmakers in Washington, D.C., dating back to the summer of 2022.

"While we’d love to see these resources used to protect student-athletes in every NIL deal, it’s not something the NCAA has the authority to mandate," Baker wrote. "In the meantime, we're continuing to advocate for Congress to create national NIL guidelines that will protect student-athletes from exploitation, including the use of standard contracts." – Pete Nakos

During Saturday's College GameDay, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the current state of college football and the impact of NIL and the transfer portal.

"The passion we have for college football, all over this country and everywhere we go, is too important not to have a system that works for the players and works for the competitive spirit of the game," Saban said.

Saban, the seven-time national championship-winning coach, has been outspoken about how he believes the system is broken. Saban was on Capitol Hill in March for a roundtable with Sen. Ted Cruz where he called out donor-driven NIL collectives while supporting revenue sharing without athletes becoming employees.

The House v. NCAA long-form settlement would usher in a new era of college sports with revenue sharing, however, the lawsuit still needs to be preliminarily approved.

Herbstreit was passionate about how athletes have too much control in today's college sports landscape. The former Ohio State quarterback believes players need to be held accountable and remember they are making a 40-year commitment to a school.

In the 2023-24 portal cycle, 883 FBS scholarship transfers landed on Power Four rosters. That almost doubles last year's number (454). More than 60 FBS teams added transfer quarterbacks who competed for starting jobs.

"We're all for the players getting paid, but we're not all for the players having all the control," Herbstreit said. "We went from one extreme where the players didn't have a lot of control to now the players having all the control. There needs to be some accountability for the players.

"I feel like some players select college, which to me is a 40-year decision. That's a huge decision. ... I feel like we're teaching these kids – it's almost like a seven-on-seven all-star team. You go here, you go here. They're missing out on what those relationships can be. The NFL is great, but once that's done, you need somewhere to call home. These guys, they're not going to have a home because they're bouncing around too much." – Pete Nakos

"If the NCAA wants to protect athletes, remove all restrictions on schools paying players directly. It's not that hard. Coaches and administrators have contracts, and aren't reliant on third-party compensation while just pretending it's not the school paying. The free market works for everyone else, it will work for athletes." – ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas responding to Baker's criticism of the NIL landscape

+Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord teamed up with Terrell's Potato Chips to create his own Honey BBQ Sharp Cheddar Potato Chips.

The chips are made possible through an NIL deal facilitated by Haystack Sourcing Solutions, a leader with top college and pro players that brings unique food products to markets around the country. Terrell's Chips has called Syracuse home since 1946, when William Terrell created one of the world's great potato chips, not far from the birthplace of the potato chip in upstate New York.

"As a longtime partner in the Syracuse community, we're so excited to introduce this unique new chip flavor, with great local appeal featuring one of the top players to hit town in years," Terrell's president Kevin Holden said.

McCord, who has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in the Orange's first four games, has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.1 million.

+LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell – who became the first-ever true freshman in Tigers history to start at left tackle in 2023 – has joined the Get Gordon team.

Campbell announced a new NIL deal with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys. As part of the partnership, Campbell received a new Cadillac Escalade with all the bells and whistles. The terms of the partnership were not revealed, but Campbell has an On3 NIL Valuation of $882,000.

"Born and raised in Monroe, Will means so much to the state of Louisiana and LSU," McKernan said when announcing the deal. "He is a standout offensive tackle and a key player for LSU. We are pumped to have Will as a Get Gordon Athlete and can't wait to see what this season brings his way."