Missouri HC compares NIL earnings to family member's salary as pediatrician
Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz claimed Tuesday that some college student-athletes are making more money due to their name, image and likeness (NIL) than a member of his family who is a pediatrician, but he also made it clear he is in no way condemning student-athletes for getting paid.
As noted by Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Drinkwitz himself will make a hefty sum of $6 million this year. According to a Columbia Daily Tribune article from November 2022, Drinkwitz signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, a deal that gives him $6 million per year.
"A lot of the coaching market, SEC market kind of got reset last year," Drinkwitz said at the time.
Drinkwitz began his Division I head coaching career with Appalachian State in 2019, when he went 12-1 and led the program to the No. 19 spot in the final AP Poll. Drinkwitz joined the Tigers in 2020 and is 17-19 over his first three seasons with the team, including losses in the 2021 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl.
Per On3 NIL, the only student-athlete with a NIL valuation higher than Drinkwitz's salary is incoming USC freshman basketball player Bronny James ($6.8 million). In April, LSU junior gymnast Olivia Dunne signed a historic NIL deal to join the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. Dunne is second on the On3 NIL 100 ranking behind James, valued at $3.4 million.
Aside from James and Dunne, there are 23 other high school or college student-athletes with valuations of at least $1 million. Among them are Texas freshman quarterback Arch Manning ($2.8 million), USC junior quarterback Caleb Williams ($2.6 million), LSU junior basketball player Angel Reese ($1.4 million) and Bronny's younger brother, high school basketball player Bryce James ($1.2 million).
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