It was a bold, and strategically smart, play by Tennessee. While other schools were wading cautiously into NIL and the NCAA was feverishly trying to set up so-called "guardrails," the Vols smartly saw where things were headed. When the NCAA eventually challenged the deal, the state's attorney general stepped in and won an injunction.

Ex-Tennessee football QB Nico Iamaleava is now college football's favorite villain due to his NIL demands, but hold off on painting UT as a victim.