Editor’s note: This is a column and does not reflect the views or opinions of the Daily Barometer.

Since its inception, Name, Image and Likeness has caused several headline events to happen every year amongst the college landscape. 

Now, Oregon State finds itself looking at the future with the NIL program and asking, “What’s next?” 

NIL has influenced a change in college athletics. For the last half decade, NIL has helped finally return some of the billions of dollars in revenue that universities have made from their student athletes. This gives the opportunity to allow these young men and women to make a financial gain off their likeness and reputation. 

However, the longer it has remained, the more it has changed. 

Institutions are now giving almost full-blown professional-level contracts to their players to keep them playing at their schools. We see bigger schools giving bigger opportunities, so where does that leave OSU?

This current offseason saw new quarterback, Maalik Murphy, be awarded an NIL deal of over one million dollars to become a Beaver. This type of large incentive has now become the standard in the recruiting and scouting environment for collegiate sports.

OSU does not though possess the type of deep pockets as other schools. Take for example the neighbors down the highway, the University of Oregon. The Ducks have spent in this last year alone, over 23 million dollars on NIL deals, that’s 20% of the schools revenue. 

However, the results showed, as their football team flourished with several stars being brought in. Most notable are their last and next starting quarterbacks; Dillion Gaberial previously with Oklahoma, with a deal of a little over two million dollars, and nineteen year old sophomore, Dante Moore, receiving a deal of a little over 340,000 dollars. 

So how could OSU match this? 

The Beavers coaching staff across the board have some fantastic names. Both basketball coaches have been loyal to the Beavs for over a minimum of a decade. The head coach of the football team, Trent Bray, is already showing great signs of being a fantastic leader and recruiter. 

The foundation of leadership and commitment is here from the coaches, and several players have already seen it. And there are no signs of that stopping. As Murphy himself, due in part to the coaches and culture they have created, toured OSU twice, with this second now seeing him land on a decision to commit. 

A recent proposal by the NCAA, has pitched the idea of direct payments to players, another step to making NIL deals look more like real pro contracts.  Whether or not this gets passed, it would make OSU incentivising players a lot easier. And therefore, making competing with top schools for top recruits easier as well. 

OSU will soon begin summer camps for several sports and will begin to process all of the newly signed NIL deals as well.

It’s uncertain how the state of NIL will look further down the road, as new curveballs are thrown almost every day now. However, the future of OSU being able to compete in this ever changing landscape looks brighter than ever.