The rise of NIL has completely changed the game, especially in the SEC. Players now have the freedom to transfer anywhere, while being paid heftily through these third-party deals. However, this also means that transfers become more expensive than traditionally recruited players, which makes it a flawed concept in the long run.

A Power 4 offensive coordinator did not shy away from shedding light on the negative impact of NIL on SEC programs since it became legal. “The reality is this, there were some very famous, very successful coaches that were having a lot of success when the NIL was illegal,” he said to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman in an interview on January 4.

“Well, now NIL is legal. I saw what (former LSU head coach Ed) Orgeron said about how now you can walk through the front door with the money. Well, now the players are going everywhere.”

He illustrated how, before NIL and the transfer portal reshaped the sport, the SEC ruled CFB by stockpiling elite talent. Although no program was named, the message was obvious. The power and depth long associated with SEC schools were built in an era where players had fewer options and movement was limited. But with the NIL transfer portal, that landscape no longer exists.

In the NIL era, talent is far more spread out, and the latest portal moves prove it. Alabama DB Caleb Flagg is now at Missouri, while Vandy QB Brendan Sorsby landed at Texas Tech. Then LSU DL Ahmad Breaux chose Kentucky.

Just like that, the talent isn’t pooling anymore, as the balance has shifted, and even the giants have felt it. Alabama, the gold standard for nearly two decades, is now navigating a very different reality. Nick Saban saw it coming, and Alabama’s legendary head coach openly acknowledged that the changing climate around the sport played a role in his decision to step away.

While his retirement as arguably the greatest coach in CFB history was a gut punch for Tuscaloosa, it was a powerful symbol of just how much the game has changed.

The summer of 2021 changed everything, as that’s when NIL entered the picture and rewrote the rules overnight. Money and opportunity suddenly became part of the recruiting pitch. Then add the transfer portal. Created in 2018 and later supercharged by rule changes, it gave players real freedom.

Together, NIL and the transfer portal flipped College Football on its head. Given that, the SEC, once famous for hoarding elite talent, is now forced to fight to be able to keep it.

“They’re just not as stacked,” said SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic. “… when Georgia lost Tate Ratledge last year, they really suffered.”

But that wasn’t how it worked in the past. Programs like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, among others, stockpiled elite talent, while other leagues rarely won recruiting battles at that level. Since NIL entered the picture, the Big Ten and Big 12 are landing top players too, and those talents are making real impacts across CFB.

Here, another former SEC assistant zoomed out even further. The league once thrived because elite recruits had to come to the SEC for exposure and lifestyle. That’s no longer true. NIL leveled the field as other conferences can compete financially.

“The SEC is still the best league,” said one coach. “But there aren’t one or two programs that are just dominant anymore.”

That dominance is spread across conferences; you can see it clearly in this season’s playoffs, where two B1G teams made the field. Then there’s one ACC team and one SEC team.

Money now drives the market. That’s why elite talent can go anywhere, and the impact is obvious. The SEC’s bowl record this season tells the story.

SEC’s programs took a hit in bowl record

The crown has slipped, as the SEC is no longer sitting alone on top of CFB. But the signs have been there for a while.

Michigan won it all two seasons ago, while Ohio State followed last year. Now, Indiana holds the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP. So, the balance of power has shifted, and it’s hard to ignore. In fact, bowl season only made it louder.

The SEC stumbled to a 2–6 record in the 2025–26 postseason, a mark many around the sport have called embarrassing.

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Here, losses piled up. While Vanderbilt fell to Iowa, Texas A&M dropped a defensive slugfest to Miami. Then, Missouri lost to Virginia, while LSU was edged by Houston. Tennessee came up short against Illinois. But only Alabama and Ole Miss escaped with wins.

For a league built on dominance, the results were jarring, while the Big Ten keeps rising.

“The SEC is now the number two conference, and the Big Ten conference is now number one,” said Urban Meyer.

The SEC still has contenders, but the gap is gone.