The first few years are going to be a cluster. Some kids will over-value themselves and make dumb decisions. The good news for us is that CMC has built a culture that has a solid foundation. If our players end up being able to profit off NIL, we should be able to withstand the initial madness. Thankfully we are peaking at the right time and can hopefully maintain momentum. This would have been a much more significant blow 6-7 years ago.
I think the teams that will be hurt the most are the ones whose athletes are on the fence about staying or transferring to a bigger school. Poaching players has always been a thing, but some schools will face an even greater disadvantage, especially if an athlete needs the money to help out their family. Even if the NFL isn't in your future, who wouldn't lean towards a fistful of cash when you options are similar? I think it calms down eventually once the pecking orders are in place.
My biggest takeaway is that recruiting just became a much tougher job. Using NIL numbers in recruiting is going to pay immediate dividends to the rich programs and will be an uphill climb for the rest.
In the end, there are still a limited number of roster spots available and everyone can't play for Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Oregon, etc. My hope is they'll have a money war for the top players and end up with entitled college kids who have money and are harder to keep in line.