STUART, Fla. (CBS12) – Name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation has been the biggest story in college sports since the NCAA first allowed athletes profit from your success.

But, as schools compete aggressively to recruit best playersThe money on the table continues to grow.

The search for the best college athletes has been likened to an “arms race” for talent, and the concern is that if other states start using tax dollars to attract difference-making players, Florida could be forced to follow suit. same.

“From a public policy standpoint, there are probably taxpayers who don’t want state money going to athletes. But there’s no denying the impact of athletes on our universities,” Florida State University administrator Peter Collins said Wednesday.

The Board of Governors of Florida’s state colleges and universities engaged in a monumental discussion Wednesday about the possibility of adding tax dollars to the name, image and likeness equation to help recruit college athletes seeking to maximize their profits from their competitive skills.

“I think this is the issue of our time, and if we do not address it properly, there will be great inequity between the different universities,” said José Oliva, member of the Board of Governors. “There will be great inequity in whatever benefits those programs have brought to universities and what opportunities they bring, but ultimately, it will fall directly on the taxpayer, because this is a public university system that competes with private university systems in that area.” .

Under current rules, schools cannot pay players.

This money comes from the so-called “collectives”, which are organizations made up of promoters affiliated with universities.

Now that money is on the line, hiring is more competitive than ever.

“It’s an arms race, let’s call it what it is,” said Manny Díaz, Florida Commissioner of Education. “This could be affected if other states decide. There’s Alabama, or Tennessee, and other places decide they’re going to put some state funds into this, and that puts our universities at a disadvantage.”

While this is still just a discussion at this time, CBS12 News wanted to know what contributors think about the idea.

“I can see some of this being subsidized by taxpayer money,” John Dempsey told CBS12 News. “I mean, if you keep it reasonable, I don’t think many people are going to object, but, if it suddenly turns into astronomical numbers, people are going to say ‘oh no, no.’

“I don’t feel good about it,” Melissa Jenkins said. “The car dealer wants to pay this guy who is great at football to promote his cars, I’m okay with that, but not with taxpayers’ money, no.”

Marissa Barry played college soccer at Lynn University in Boca Raton, but she also says no to taxes.

“There are many other better ways to use taxpayers’ money. Again, we’re talking about tiny percentages of who this actually affects,” he explained. “Smaller colleges that can’t get the funding can’t pay their players. “They are the ones who suffer the most.”

“Once that state funding is reached, it is very dangerous to be in that place, and that arms race will not stop,” Díaz predicted. “It’s going to grow, so that’s where we should consider it as a concern.”

The State University System Board of Governors has seventeen members, from Florida’s 12 colleges and universities and the private sector. Everyone is well aware that this idea is controversial and some may not support it if it ever comes to a vote.

However, it is clear that they believe this will happen in other states and want to ensure that Florida is prepared to remain competitive on campus and on the field.

“I think we need to have some athletic directors and other people who have the experience to come and meet with us, educate us on the history, what the problem is, what they are trying to deal with and how we as a board of directors can respond to that and help ”said Alan Levine, vice chairman of the Board of Governors.

Taxpayer money may not be the only way to generate revenue to fund NIL, as the Board of Governors also mentioned another possible source of funding that does not fall to taxpayers.

“Expanded use of auxiliary dollars, and to be clear, those are dollars that are not state dollars,” said Eric Silagy, a member of the Florida Board of Governors. “Those are dollars generated by a university from a variety of sources; concession sales, bookstore sales, fees related to parking at the stadium, things of that nature.”