Paul Finebaum believes some teams simply have to cheat when it comes to NIL-related tampering with the transfer portal.

The SEC Network host shared his thoughts during a Monday appearance on WJOX’s “McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning.” With NIL deals getting bigger and bigger and more players than ever entering the NCAA transfer portal, tampering has been a hot topic this offseason. Finebaum first touched coaches accusing their peers of breaking the rules.

“The easy thing to do right now is to call a coach and get one coach to accuse the other of cheating, and by the way, that’s always happened – off camera, off the record,” Finebaum said. “But now, it’s happening on the public record. And it just doesn’t matter.

“Listen, I want to make this clear before I say what I’m about to say. You guys know me, I spent the early part of my career thinking that I could play a role in maybe cleaning up the cheating in college athletics. I’m on the other side of that right now. If I’m at a school that needs players, I’m going to go out and get those players, guys. I mean, why not?

Finebaum continued with his thoughts on the Wild West of NIL in college sports, including a jab at the NCAA.

“I mean, we’re not talking about Nick Saban and Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher here, we’re talking about coaches that need star players to maintain their viability,” Finebaum said. “I think everyone is pushing the envelope as much as you can, and some are just obliterating the line between good and evil here. There’s nobody in charge. That’s why the NCAA saying they’re going to crack down on somebody is so comical.”

Finebaum brought up the Jordan Addison situation. Before the 2021 Biletnikoff Award-winning Pittsburgh wide receiver formally entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, it was reported that he would be heading to USC, where he would sign a lucrative NIL deal. ESPN reported that Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi called Trojans coach Lincoln Riley when he got word of Addison’s plans. Finebaum said Addison’s recruitment is a situation where teams “have to cheat.”

“If you’re trying to get a player right now, like the guy from Pittsburgh, you have to cheat,” Finebaum said. “You’re not just going to call that guy up and say, ‘Mr. Addison, I would love for you to come visit our school. We want to show you around, show you the academic center, show you the library, show you the research and development.’ You basically have to do one thing: you have to show him the money. That’s where we are right now.”

Addison has not yet announced his transfer destination.