When name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation entered college football in 2021, BYU legend and NFL great Steve Young wondered how the school could keep up.
So far, the Cougars have done more than keep pace. Since 2021, they are tied with Boise State for the ninth-most wins in college football. BYU is currently No. 7 in the AP poll and climbed to No. 2 after beating Notre Dame. A win over No. 3 Utah in Saturday’s Holy War could send the Cougars back near the top.
NIL has given BYU a chance to compete for recruits, said university vice president of advancement Keith Vorkink. He noted that players were rumored to have received money before NIL became an official part of college sports, but said BYU has tried to follow the rules in place at each point in time.
The challenge for the private university, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been joining the NIL landscape without losing the values that shape its identity. Vorkink said the school has worked out how to participate while keeping its mission at the center. Football coach Kalani Sitake, he added, embraces the university’s distinctive culture and helps attract athletes who want to be part of it.
BYU isn’t trying to become a leader in NIL spending. The school wants students to choose it for its culture, not simply for the money. Young said Sitake has built a strong sense of belonging at a time when college sports can feel increasingly focused on financial deals.
Young described the current system as a place where players can feel like mercenaries, moving wherever they are paid most. Sitake, he said, recognizes that athletes should be compensated but also tries to build a unified team beyond that.
Vorkink said some of BYU’s standout athletes, including five-star freshman forward Bruce Branch and quarterback Bear Bachmeier, could have left for larger offers but chose to stay. NIL has also helped BYU recruit athletes who might not previously have considered the school, including those who aren’t members of the faith.
Vorkink pointed to AJ Dybantsa, projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, as an example. Dybantsa knew little about BYU at first, but was interested in the chance to prepare for the NBA under coach Kevin Young, who had come from the league. Other schools offered more money, Vorkink said, but Dybantsa still chose BYU and had a positive experience there.
Dybantsa later spoke about how much he enjoyed the university, Vorkink said, helping other recruits consider whether they could thrive there. The school believes athletes can have a good experience if they understand and accept its mission.
All BYU students sign an honor code that prohibits alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, vaping, marijuana and other substances. It also bars sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman. Young said the code’s unusual nature can actually make recruiting conversations more meaningful. The expectations are clear, he said, while students are still encouraged to be themselves rather than conform in every way.
Young credited Sitake with preserving BYU’s identity as NIL money has brought new pressures. The system is still unsettled, he said, and the presence of large sums of money makes it complicated. Sitake has carried forward what Young described as a “law of love”: welcoming the whole person while also laying out the rules and explaining why the school believes they matter.
Both Young and Vorkink said college sports need more regulation and stability around athlete compensation. Vorkink said athletes contribute significant economic value to universities and should be able to share in it. He added that proposed legislation to protect college sports could provide a more stable framework, even if it isn’t perfect.
Young also supports paying student-athletes. He said he had heard ideas about universities employing athletes while still requiring them to attend classes. In his view, Congress is the only body capable of balancing compensation, education and athletes’ ability to transfer between schools. He hopes any solution avoids leaving players worse off, as he felt they were when large amounts of money flowed into college sports while athletes received little.
Whatever changes come next, Young believes BYU has found a way to compete in the NIL era on its own terms. The school will keep competing, he said, but it will do so “the BYU way.”
