Tommy Tuberville says Indiana bought its 2024 roster during latest push for national NIL law
Tommy Tuberville remains on the push for some version of national NIL regulation. In the process, the former college football head coach turned senator took a shot at Indiana and Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers.
While Tuberville claims he is not against players making money, he wants to make sure it can be done “the right way.” He also referenced teams being able to build programs like in the past.
“Players can make money. We can just disperse, you know, the revenue a little bit better to all athletes, not just a few. And then we can try to give the opportunity for schools to build programs like we used to,” said Tuberville via Michael Casagrande with AL.com. “Not just haphazardly every year going out and buying a new player, new football team every year.”
Tommy Tuberville is pushing for a national NIL law, and he doesn’t like the idea of players breaking contracts and leaving teams after agreeing to be there long term. https://t.co/cyFuWnZbn6
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) November 19, 2024
Tuberville especially bemoaned quick turnarounds via massive roster overhauls in the era of the transfer portal. And it was Indiana who somehow received his sternest comments.
“And so it takes a different mentality coaching because you just don’t build a team. You pretty much buy a team now,” Tuberville said. “And that was a little bit forbidden when I was in coaching, but now it’s legal. Look at Indiana. They went out and bought them a football team, and look where they’re at.”
Tuberville’s comments are particularly out of touch, especially considering the makeup of Indiana’s roster. Yes, the Hoosiers brought in 31 transfers during the offseason and NIL may have been involved, but it was far from a group with heavy suitors across the country.
A whopping 13 players from Indiana’s transfer class came from James Madison, a move that allowed that group to follow Cignetti from his former job to Bloomington. That group has been key for Indiana, but other suitors from top programs were likely not in play.
Kurtis Rourke is arguably the most important player on Indiana’s roster, but even the star quarterback was not among the most-coveted players in the portal. Rourke spent the first 5 seasons of his career in the MAC at Ohio.
That’s not to say NIL regulation is not needed, but it’s unconscious for Tuberville to target Indiana’s roster more than anyone else in the current landscape.
After Cignetti arrived at Indiana last Nov, 38 Indiana players transferred, including 10 starters on offense. The guy has to start a team from scratch. So much for the BS about having patience given by some multi-million dollar coaches. Incredible job – instant success – he has never had a losing season as a HC
Well, Tuberville is known to be a m-o-r-o-n, so oh well… plus he bailed on his team while under contract, so maybe he should STFU?
Seriously love me some Tuberville, but in an era when everybody is legally doing it and making college football a professional sport in the process, his comments don’t make a lot of sense when singling out one team in particular.
Maybe he is mad that Auburn had a chance to get the Miami QB thru the transfer portal and did not make a serious offer.
And?!… AuBarn has been paying players for much longer. He’s just made about his return on investment..