The more the money flows, the less it seems I understand.

My original understanding was that NIL was "Name, Image, and Likeness" and allowed collegiate athletes to profit from advertising or marketing opportunities, jersey sales, etc. Example - Terrelle Pryor would have gotten a cut from all those OSU jerseys with the number 2 printed on them. Or Ed O'Bannon would have been paid for his image being used on a video game.

Now follow any recruiting news and "offers" and "bidding" are common vocabulary. The programs are just buying players, no? Isn't it that simple? "We will offer you xyz dollars to come to Tennessee."

How does the NCAA permit a scenario where "Bobby's Chevrolet of Tuscaloosa" tells a kid "we'd like to offer you a marketing deal...but only if you go to Alabama". Or worse, where a program is using a collective to bid on the player with direct guidance from the coaches?

Are these financial deals even contractual? Taxable?

It just seems wild that the goal if I understood correctly was to allow athletes to profit from marketing deals (such as what Livvy Dunne did while at LSU), but that NIL is now essentially being run in a fashion where representatives of the programs fundraise from fans, alumni and donors and then "bid" on these kids with offers. Is there even an associated marketing expectation or product?

It just seems like this is compensation for the commitment or for the performance - which if that's what it in fact is - then how on Earth are the NCAA and it's member institutions still recognized as tax exempt because of amateurism?

Again, please excuse my simple (lack of) understanding.