Overview
- Aikman said on a podcast he wrote a sizable check to a UCLA player who left after one season and never thanked him, declaring he is done with NIL contributions.
- The Los Angeles Times reported the player likely did not know Aikman funded the deal because UCLA’s collective distributed funds anonymously, and that the collective, Chip Kelly, and the athletic director thanked Aikman.
- Aikman called for stronger top-level leadership and clearer guardrails so athletes who accept NIL money have defined obligations to their programs.
- He noted he supports player mobility comparable to coaches and reminded listeners he transferred from Oklahoma to UCLA during his own college career.
- Coverage has widely speculated the unnamed player could be Dante Moore, though Aikman did not identify him, and analysts warn such episodes may deter other donors without reforms.