Auburn – It was both puzzling and upsetting when it was announced that Auburn’s scheduled home game against Baylor woth instead by played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but the deal has taken on a new perspective that greatly benefits players via a lucrative NIL deal that could lead to more such neutral site game deals.
The seaon-opening Peach Bowl kick-off game means that the Tigers players will receive up to $6 million in NIL payments from the Week 1 matchup versus the Bears. Peach Bowl CEO David Epps thinks this could be the beginning of a trend in the sport, where players could begin getting paid to take part in neutral-site games instead of playing at their home stadium.
It could easily become a rotating tradition for the Peach Bowl to have Auburn, Alabama, and Georgia opening up the season in Atlanta in exchange for a big NIL payday. The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association is said to be mulling over a similar scenario with rotating cast that could include Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. It could easily spread to other venues and conferences.
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