This is the most tired take in the book, and it always comes from fans whose programs got left behind. NIL didn't kill anything, it just leveled the playing field and finally let players get paid for the value they create. We build men better than anyone, and guess what, part of building men in 2024 is preparing them for the financial realities of life. You think the soul of the sport was coaches making millions while players couldn't even sell their own jersey? The soul was always the competition, and now more teams have a shot. If Oklahoma State wants to use the portal to compete, good for them. We develop our high school guys better than anyone, but we also hit the portal when we need to, and it makes us stronger. The game evolved, and crying about "mercenaries" is just an excuse for not adapting. Our culture in Athens is stronger than any transfer portal year, and we'll keep winning with our guys, however they get here.