House vs. NCAA Settlement: Urban Meyer Demands Harsh Penalties for Players and Coaches Who Intentionally Lie

We’re less than two weeks away from entering another unprecedented age of college sports. On July 1, schools will no longer be reliant upon Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) as a recruiting tool. Instead, they’ll be able to directly pay players across all sports. The combined $20.5 million cap for the 2025-26 campaign will also steadily rise over the next decade, according to ESPN.

On paper, this feels like a solid resolution for both schools and active athletes. For every terrific rags-to-riches tale the short-lived NIL era churned out, there was an incredibly troubling story to match. Many players spurned colleges merely days after an initial commitment for a bigger payday. At the same time, some colleges reportedly never shelled out the NIL dollars they promised to their players.

The whole process was infuriating to everyone involved. Things should be more consistent now, but people on both sides will still act nefariously. And when they do, Urban Meyer wants them to suffer the consequences. On the latest episode of The Triple Option, he suggested that those who violate the new regulations be kicked out of the sport.

“The punishment should be so firm to the point you can’t coach or play again… if you are subpoenaed and you lie intentionally, it’s over. ‘Your career is done.’ Watch what happens. If that happens… everybody’s gonna be compliant. Then we can move on to something that’s more important than the silliness that has gone on.” 

Meyer’s proposal, as he suggested, would likely curtail wrongdoing from all parties involved in college athletics. Generally speaking, he’s a fan of the changes that are being implemented. However, he’s still not fully sold on them.

“I love everything I’m hearing. I really do. Am I skeptical? You’re damn right I am.”  

Historically, college sports – particularly football and men’s basketball – are full of shady dealings. Coaches contacting outside players and/or other schools was commonplace.

And occasionally, a player would seek out new opportunities while enrolled at another institution. That’s what transpired with current UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava before he departed Tennessee.

Before Tennessee’s spring practices kicked off in March, Oregon staff members were contacted by representatives from Nico Iamaleava’s camp to gauge the Ducks’ interest in the quarterback, according to sources from both schools. Oregon ultimately informed the Iamaleava camp that they were not interested.

In this instance, Lanning – Oregon’s head coach – did the right thing. His morally correct action, as Meyer alluded to, should be the standard the sport strives to uphold. But without severe countermeasures in place, it’s likely to be an outlier. We’ll see if the NCAA can execute a quick turnaround on standards for this new weapon in short order.