Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has warned that athletes returning to college after NFL training-camp experience could gain a major competitive advantage, amid mounting legal challenges to eligibility rules. The dispute matters because injunctions have allowed dozens of former players to regain eligibility, prompting conferences to consider sanctions against schools that field them and widening the conflict to include the SEC and other bodies.

Rhule told OutKick that returning NFL players could be “twice” or even “three times” better after professional training, nutrition and camp exposure. He also argued that college-football compensation should be described as player payroll rather than NIL, saying spending on players has risen by 60% annually; he cited outside estimates suggesting leading play-off contenders may carry rosters costing about $45 million a year, up from roughly $24 million previously.