Steve Spurrier Sounds Off on Dabo Swinney’s NIL Complaints: “There Ain’t No Rules Anymore”
Steve Spurrier has never been one to hold back his thoughts, and he’s not changing that playbook now-not even when it comes to a fellow national championship-winning coach like Dabo Swinney.
The former Florida Gators and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach-now set to be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame-recently weighed in on Swinney’s frustration with how recruiting is playing out in the NIL era. Specifically, Swinney took issue with Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who reportedly texted Cal transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli during class at Clemson, asking, “I know you're signed. What's the buyout?”
To Swinney, that crossed a line. To Spurrier? That line doesn’t exist anymore.
“I thought by now, somebody would've told Dabo, 'Dabo, there ain't no rules anymore,’” Spurrier said with a chuckle during a Zoom call with media, captured in a clip posted by The Post and Courier’s Jon Blau. “They’re still on the books, I guess, back there at Clemson about you can't do it after this date or that date... I don't know if they're going to ever enforce any rules now or not.”
That’s classic Spurrier-plainspoken, sharp, and not afraid to call it like he sees it. And what he sees is a rapidly changing college football landscape where NIL money and revenue sharing have rewritten the recruiting script.
The old playbook? Out the window.
“Dabo has learned now, he's got to start paying his players just like everybody else is, or you’ll get left behind,” Spurrier said. “You can complain, but I don’t know how good it's going to do.”
Swinney has long been one of the more traditional voices in college football, often pushing back against the idea of players being paid or the open-market nature of the transfer portal. But in this new era, that stance is starting to feel outdated-and Spurrier’s comments suggest that even the most successful coaches can’t afford to ignore the shift.
The SEC’s Shadow Game
While Swinney voices concerns about other programs stepping over the line, the SEC continues to operate with a level of freedom that raises eyebrows but rarely draws consequences. Ole Miss hasn’t faced any formal repercussions over the Ferrelli situation, and Alabama didn’t see any pushback after bringing Charles Bediako back to college hoops from the G League.
It’s not just about individual cases-it’s about the broader sense that the SEC, under commissioner Greg Sankey, is playing by its own set of rules. Sankey has wielded considerable influence over the NCAA, and while he and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti couldn’t find common ground on playoff expansion, Sankey hasn’t exactly been held accountable for some of the more questionable moves coming out of his conference.
That reality adds more weight to Spurrier’s point: if there are rules, they’re not being enforced. And if you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind.
What’s Next for Dabo?
Swinney’s frustrations are understandable-he built Clemson into a two-time national champion with a strong culture, elite recruiting, and a loyal staff. But the game has changed. Recruits aren’t just looking at facilities and tradition anymore; they’re looking at dollar signs, NIL opportunities, and flexibility.
If Clemson can’t compete in that space, players will look elsewhere-and other programs will come calling, buyouts or not.
That’s the message Spurrier is sending: evolve or get left behind. And while it might sting coming from a rival SEC legend, it’s a reality check that’s hard to ignore.
The bottom line? College football is a different game now.
The transfer portal is wide open, NIL deals are the norm, and the recruiting trail is more cutthroat than ever. Coaches like Swinney can either adjust to the new rules-or accept that they might not be in the game much longer.