College football poll: NIL, transfer portal, pay for play and more

NEW YORK (PIX11) — It's been a whirlwind summer for college football, especially as of late.

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) became the fourth and final power conference to ban players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college football on Thursday.

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This all has been in response to a rule change passed by the NCAA granting future athletes five years of eligibility. The change has spawned lawsuits seeking to open that rule to players whose four-year careers ended earlier this year — even leading to the once unthinkable notion of players leaving college, signing with professional teams and then returning to college.

Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin confers with tight end Dae'Quan Wright (8) after catching a long pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tulane in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

But how do Americans feel about the ever-changing landscape of college football? Nexstar Media and Emerson College conducted a survey to see. Here's what we found out.

NIL is a good thing for college sports, but some believe it's hurt football

Four in five Americans support the notion that college athletes should be paid for their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). When it comes to football, though, fans are much more split on the impact.

Nearly a third of people surveyed believe NIL has had a negative impact on college football and 21% were undecided. Only 36% of people think it has helped the game, but nearly 60% of those respondents were college athletes.

However, almost half of Americans think NIL payments are making college sports less fair and 37% think it's definitely giving an advantage to wealthier programs.

'Pay for play' is split down the middle

About half of Americans think college athletes should be paid for simply competing in major sports and 25% disagree. Nineteen percent say it depends on the sport.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks to reporters in New Orleans, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Georgia will face Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football CFP quarterfinal game on Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Most people (81%) would support a spending limit or salary cap for collegiate compensation; 42% think the cap should be on the school's athletic department overall, while 37% believe it should be capped on the amount for individual athletes.

When asked about which more closely reflects their views, respondents chose:

• 53% - College athletes deserve to be paid like professionals
• 47% - Paying athletes has gone too far and is damaging college sports

The transfer portal has made college football worse, including coaches: Grads

Adults with college degrees think the transfer portal is hurting the game at 41%. Meanwhile, a third of overall respondents think it has helped grow college football.

FILE - LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin speaks during a news conference at the LSU Football Operations Facility in Baton Rouge, La., Feb. 4, 2026. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP, File)

Over half of Americans think coaches of major football programs should not be allowed to leave for a different school midseason.

A third of Americans have bet on college sports

Thirty-two percent of Americans have put money down on a college sports game. Among those who have, 39% won money, 25% lost and 22% broke even.

About 44% of Americans think it has made college sports worse. Respondents were asked which of the following statements about how sports betting has impacted college sports most closely reflects their opinion:

• 21% – It makes games more exciting
• 42% – It takes away from/hurts the game and/or causes cheating
• 22% – Not opposed to it, but needs more regulation
• 14% – It has minimal/no impact

Opinions on transgender athletes by party affiliation

A majority of Democrats surveyed, 45%, think transgender athletes should be able to play sports as the gender they identify. Just 34% believe their birth-assigned gender is where they should play.

For Republicans and Independents, it's the polar opposite; 75% of Republicans and 54% of Independents say transgender athletes should be playing sports with the gender assigned at birth.

A majority of people agree that policies related to transgender athletes should fall to the NCAA and not the federal government.

Methodology

The Emerson College Polling national survey was conducted July 26-28, 2026. The overall
sample of U.S. adults, n=1,000, has a credibility interval, similar to a poll’s margin of error
(MOE), of +/- 3 percent. The data sets were weighted by gender, education, race, age, party
registration, and region based on U.S. Census parameters and voter file data. The sample of New
York State residents is n=500, with a credibility interval of +/- 4.3 percent.

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