Tennessee Volunteers Athletic Director Breaks Silence on NIL Buyouts Fueling Player Transfers and Impact on College Sports Integrity
In a rapidly evolving college sports landscape, the Tennessee Volunteers find themselves at the crossroads of a national debate that’s stirring controversy, uncertainty, and even resentment: NIL buyouts for transferring athletes. In a candid and forceful statement earlier this week, Tennessee athletic director Danny White addressed what he describes as a “troubling trend” that could redefine the foundational values of college athletics—namely, the use of name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments as de facto transfer buyouts.
White, known for his ambitious vision for Tennessee athletics and his vocal support for NIL in its original intent, did not mince words. “There’s a growing concern around the country that NIL collectives are being used not just to reward athletes, but to poach them,” White said. “We’ve moved from empowering athletes to essentially bidding wars, and that’s a dangerous direction for college sports.”
White’s comments came after rumors swirled around multiple Tennessee athletes being contacted by other programs, not through traditional recruiting methods, but via intermediaries who are part of NIL collectives. These groups, while not officially affiliated with schools, often operate in close connection with donors and boosters. They now serve as the new frontier in player movement—offering lucrative NIL deals that, in essence, act as buyouts to incentivize players to enter the transfer portal.
While Tennessee has been relatively stable in retaining key athletes across football and basketball, White acknowledged that the specter of NIL-fueled transfers has created a level of instability that athletic departments nationwide are scrambling to address. “We’ve got great kids and great coaches who are committed to building something special here,” he said. “But when players are being offered six or seven figures to leave, even the most loyal young men are going to think twice.”
At the heart of White’s concern is not just the financial mechanics but the cultural cost of a system drifting away from development and team cohesion toward short-term profit. “We support NIL. We want our athletes to capitalize on their market value,” White said. “But NIL was not designed to be a transactional buyout mechanism to lure players from one school to another like free agents in professional sports. This is college athletics—we’re supposed to be doing something bigger than a business transaction.”
Across the country, athletic directors are increasingly finding themselves in a no-win position. On one hand, they’re encouraged to support NIL opportunities for their athletes; on the other, they’re watching as those same opportunities are leveraged to strip rosters bare in the offseason. The NCAA, while publicly stating its desire to curb tampering and unregulated collective influence, has so far struggled to enforce any meaningful deterrents. This leaves programs like Tennessee vulnerable to the whims of a marketplace with few rules and even fewer consequences.
What’s especially alarming to White is the way NIL buyouts are becoming normalized. “We’re seeing players go into the portal, not because they’re unhappy, not because they’re not playing, but because someone whispered in their ear that a bigger payday is available if they transfer,” he said. “That’s not advancement—that’s exploitation. And it’s not fair to the athletes, either, because many of these deals aren’t guaranteed and often come with strings attached.”
White also noted the pressure placed on coaches and support staff, who now must recruit their own rosters year-round in addition to building future classes. “It’s hard to build culture when you don’t know if your best player is going to be with you next week,” he explained. “How do you plan for a season, or develop leadership, when everything is uncertain?”
To combat this, Tennessee has ramped up its internal NIL infrastructure through partnerships with local businesses and alumni-driven collectives. The school is trying to stay competitive while also keeping its values intact. But White emphasized that internal efforts alone won’t fix a national issue. “We can do everything right within our program, but if the NCAA doesn’t step in and create some structure around this, we’re all fighting an uphill battle,” he said.
In response to the ongoing NIL chaos, some coaches and administrators across the SEC and beyond have begun to call for more federal oversight. Several bills have been introduced in Congress aimed at regulating NIL activity, including transparency requirements and the possibility of a national clearinghouse. White, while cautious about overregulation, said he would support federal action if it helps restore integrity and balance to the system.
“There has to be a middle ground,” he said. “We don’t want to take anything away from athletes who deserve to earn from their name, image, and likeness. But we can’t continue on this path where NIL is used as a bribe or a buyout.”
White pointed to specific examples—though not by name—of programs offering structured NIL deals worth millions to athletes who had no initial intention to transfer. “If we’re just going to let the richest collective win, what’s the point of coaching, recruiting, or even competing?” he asked. “It turns college sports into something unrecognizable.”
Some Tennessee fans have voiced support for the administration’s stance, praising White for speaking out when many others remain quiet. Others are more skeptical, concerned that taking the high road might leave the Volunteers behind in the arms race. But White said he is committed to building a sustainable, values-driven program. “Short-term wins that compromise long-term culture are not wins at all,” he said. “We’re trying to create something that lasts—something our fans, our athletes, and our alumni can be proud of.”
The NIL issue isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, it may intensify as more athletes realize the power they hold in the open market. And while there are certainly success stories of athletes benefiting from the system, there are also cautionary tales—players who transferred for NIL promises that never materialized, losing playing time, development, and long-term career prospects in the process.
For Tennessee, the challenge now is threading the needle: empowering athletes through legitimate NIL opportunities while fending off predatory practices. White said he’s working closely with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and other athletic directors to push for conference-wide guardrails. “We need rules we can all play by—rules that protect athletes and preserve the core of what college sports is supposed to be,” he said.
As the Volunteers look ahead to the next season in football, basketball, and beyond, White says the program remains focused on its mission: developing student-athletes academically, athletically, and personally. “NIL can be part of that, and should be,” he said. “But it should never be the only part. If a player leaves Tennessee, I want it to be for the right reasons—not because someone cut a check.”
It’s a principled stand in a time when principle can be costly. But for White, the cost of silence is even greater. “We’re at a crossroads,” he said. “We either fix this now, or we lose something essential about what makes college sports special.”
