FRISCO – Holdouts are a commonplace tactic in the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys have plenty of experience in that realm. Just last season, CeeDee Lamb held out from training camp waiting on a contract extension.

Lamb eventually got his deal and both sides moved past that tension. Many cases, that simple sequence of events plays out the same across the league.

That term was not in the college football vernacular until this past week. The wild world of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has shaken up the landscape of the sport, building up to the events of the last few days.

Friday, ESPN reported University of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s decision to holdout from spring football activities as his reps sought after a restructuring of his $2 million up to $4 million.

Following Tennessee’s decision not to budge, Iamaleava then entered the transfer portal. Iamaleava will not be the only player to make this decision in the coming years, but his case is certainly a landmark one for the sport.

However, Cowboys’ star Micah Parsons took issue with the decision and used his platform to call out the entire sport.

“College football a joke now! Yall minds well just make college into a semi pro league! Actually hold players accountable to the contracts they sign!” Parsons posted on X.

Parsons never hesitates to make his voice heard when it comes to mostly any topic of conversation. But he certainly has a point here.

The NCAA has shied away from regulating the NIL across the sport, meaning there are no statutes that bind players to their programs. So those contracts hold little value when it comes to that relationship.

As a result, college football has become the epicenter of the ensuing NIL chaos in college athletics. For a product so popular on a national scale, this drama has become a real detriment to its overall perception.

Parsons is not alone in his disgust for Iamaleava’s decision. Unfortunately, there is no sign of change coming down the pipe.