#3 Georgia secured a 27-8 win over #17 Florida on Saturday, but it was head coach Kirby Smart’s postgame comments about the NIL era that are making headlines. Smart didn’t hold back, directly addressing how Name, Image, and Likeness deals are impacting player drive and culture across college football.
“It Does Seem Different”
Smart told reporters he believes the NIL era has reshaped college football’s landscape. He’s been asking other coaches about it, and they all have “speculation.” His big concern? “Everybody’s practicing less, but everybody’s getting injured more and it doesn’t make sense.” He pointed out they aren’t even at the “ninth game yet” and teams haven’t played more than usual, making the injury trend puzzling.
The Truth About ‘Hunger’ in a “Different Day and Age”
The coach didn’t just stop at injuries, he dove right into player motivation. “I don’t know that the players are any different,” Smart said, but he quickly contrasted current teams with his 2021 and 2022 squads. Those teams, he remembers, were “so physical” and practiced with an intensity “we can’t even get close to that now.” He pondered if it’s a “different culture that guys don’t want to as much,” before dropping the real bomb: his past players “were definitely hungrier, because there was a motivation to make it.” Now, he says, “a lot of these guys, they make more than I was made until I was 40.” That’s a pretty stark assessment of the new reality.
Despite Smart’s concerns, his Bulldogs are still crushing it, sitting atop the SEC standings. But here’s the kicker: every single team in that conference has at least one loss this season. It’s clear the landscape is shifting, and Smart’s candid take on player hunger and the NIL era is going to spark conversations across the sport. We’ll be watching to see how this story develops.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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