A new documentary is airing on Netflix detailing the improbable rise and fall of the once iconic and now-forgotten shoe brand And One. One of the most iconic lines in that documentary comes from a former player who describes the beginning of the end. "When it became about me instead of we, it was over."

College football is vastly becoming unrecognizable thanks to the disruptive forces of Name, Image, and Likeness and the Transfer Portal. Now those forces threaten to disrupt Boise State Football's return to glory. As reported here, Boise State's Taylen Green has the most upside of any Bronco produced in the last twenty years.  

The addition of the two disruptive forces mentioned above has eroded any sense of loyalty between players and programs. It has also ushered in an era of competition between universities and NIL collectives for revenue. Programs from Idaho to Boise State are now worried about larger Power 5 programs raiding their roster by offering players bigger opportunities and more money. We reported on how this could impact the rebuilding of the Idaho Vandal program here. 

The usual laid-back Christmas holiday was disrupted by a tweet from the agent who represents Taylen Green. ( I know, college football players now have agents!) The tweet was a call to action from the Boise sports media to promote NIL deals for Boise State football players. We would share the tweet with you, but it has been deleted. Mr. Green's agent did issue a statement clarifying his position.

Mr. Green reaffirmed his commitment to Boise State in a Tweet sent out last week.

The New World of College Football's Money Grab

The Idaho Press detailed how former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter texted a sports columnist to get Mr. Green a NIL deal to help him with his hair care needs. This outreach is an example of how the game is changed: a coach would openly solicit a sports personality in hopes of securing hair care for the star quarterback. The deleted Tweet referenced that Mr. Green could leave Boise State for another school due to a lack of support for his hair care.

It is not the Boise media's role to promote NIL deals or the Boise State football program. The university has bullied the press for years to produce favorable coverage or else. When coaches leave the cocoon of Boise, they soon find a more aggressive media than what they experienced in Idaho. 

We've pointed that out as one of the significant reasons that former Boise State Coach Bryan Harsin failed at Auburn. The coach was not used to aggressive media that would not play his game. We've seen current coach Andy Avalos snap at the press, asking legitimate questions and cutting them off. Mr. Avalos should remember that he, as the state's highest-paid employee, must answer questions as any state employee at any level. 
Mr. Green is a young man who has shown tremendous promise, and it's up to the university to fulfill its role in his development. We've seen several players enter the Transfer Portal only to be left out of the cold without a team. We've observed Mr. Green at a charity event which took time to engage with his fans of all ages. It is regrettable that his agent used Mr. Green's athletic excellence to promote his client.

Welcome to the NIL World Pitting Players against Their Schools

Boise State's hard-charging athletic director Jeramiah Dickey has used his considerable experience to bring in a record amount of donations to the university. However, Boise is not TCU; the school has limited revenue sources. During his recent conversation with the Idaho Press, Mr. Dickey is aware of the task at hand.

Schools from Alabama to Ohio State have the same problem; who should the big-money boosters support? Their NIL or the school? Pre NIL and the portal, schools sold athletes on world-class facilities funded by supporters. Today, schools are competing against NILs. Boise State's problem is, as Jeramiah Dicey pointed out, there is no money tree.

Boise State and other nonpower five schools will have to hope that selling a player on development and playing time will continue to attract them to Boise over the lucrative NIL deals of Power Five programs.

A look at future Boise State football players.