Matt Rhule’s Inspiring Take on Revenue Sharing
By: Trevor Tarr
College football is changing fast. If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed just how different the sport looks compared to even five or ten years ago. Between realignment, NIL, and now revenue sharing, the game we thought we knew for so long is evolving into something completely new.
Nebraska’s move from the Big 12 to the Big 10 felt like a major shift at the time, but it was only the beginning. Now players are earning money through their name, image, and likeness (NIL), sometimes without much accountability for performance. Power Four programs are preparing to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with athletes, and on top of that, there’s a massive lawsuit that could require backpay for players who never got their cut in previous eras.
It’s a lot to keep up with. And it’s only going to get more complicated
That’s why I found Matt Rhule’s recent interview on 93.7 The Ticket so refreshing. Yesterday (6/11), Rhule joined the “Early Break” and was asked how he plans to manage Nebraska’s roster through this new age of NIL and revenue sharing. His response was honest and direct:
“We all want to eat, but we eat what we kill in this program.”
That line stuck with me. In Rhule’s world, you earn what you get. It’s not about promises or even expectations, it’s about production.
Rhule explained that this approach has already had an impact. Some players from last year’s team left, likely chasing bigger NIL deals elsewhere. But he also warned that some of those guys were promised money they didn’t end up receiving.
“A lot of guys who went in [the portal], were promised a certain amount of money,” Rhule said, “and at the end of spring are not making that amount anymore.”
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