Profound statement by Kirby Smart at SEC Media Days

Some words ring more loudly than others in the world of college football. And with Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s recent retirement, mentee and current Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart’s seemed to have gotten even louder than they already were and a little more attention.

Smart took to the podium at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas today and was asked how he feels about NIL. His answer seemed not just like a part of Georgia’s process, but a belief.

What did Kirby Smart say about NIL at SEC Media Days?

With NIL being legal in college athletics since 2021, players are now being paid off of the name, image and likeness. This has brought a whole new level of greed and piecing together puzzles for coaches across the landscape. Smart’s approach may be why the Bulldogs remain at the top of the college football mountain.

“You don’t come in and make more money than starters,” Smart said. “You earn what you get. The longer you stay, the more opportunities you get.”

Considering the Georgia Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023 when NIL was already legal, one cannot help but wonder why more coaches do not have the mindset Smart does. It seems like the mindset for the Bulldogs and Smart is on the long game for players- whether that be a successful and rewarding college career where they work their way up, or beyond in the NFL.

The whole “work for it” mindset that in integrated at the University of Georgia existed with Smart’s Mentor and friend Saban during him time at Alabama. So it is not surprising that Smart has carried on the same mindset and concept.

Smart went on to elude to this stating, “If it costs us a player, we think we win in the culture because we don’t want players that feel like there’s an entitlement for a freshman coming in.”

This mindset can be appreciated by many who have worked hard for what they have, and is refreshing to hear as a mindset of at least one with the never-ending changing landscape of college football.