Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins place kicker Mateen Bhaghani (94) high fives head coach DeShaun Foster after hitting a first quarter field goal against the USC Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways From UCLA’s Recent Acquisitions

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 3:06 PM ET

In recent days, the addition of the Iamaleava brothers has launched UCLA into the college football spotlight. With issues pertaining to NIL, the transfer portal, and more, here are three takeaways from all that has happened over the past few weeks.

1. College football needs a new governing body

Many of the issues we see today with player contracts, NIL and the transfer portal all stem from the NCAA. We all knew college sports were headed in this direction, and in their futile attempts to retain power and money, the NCAA did not do anything effective to prevent college football from becoming exactly what it is today, a play-for-pay system made up of teenage mercenaries and sometimes players in their mid-20s.

With tv viewership not being rumored to play a factor in College Football Playoff qualification, the sport as we once knew it, a competitive game where the only thing that matters is winning on the field, is now dead.

Like a phoenix, a new governing body would give the sport a new life via massive reforms.

2. The players need a union

If a new governing body is to be accepted, respected, and effective, the players must have a voice. These are not amateur athletes, these are professionals, and thus, they need a union. Fresh out of high school, kids are getting bad advice, making bad decisions and harming their futures due to the shortsightedness of youth paired with the predatory behavior of cash-hungry "agents."

A union needs to be formed in order to combat this.

3. College football needs a commissioner

Nick Saban anyone? Right now, the sport needs a leader with the experience and foresight to lead the sport into a better era. In the situation of Madden Iamaleava, Arkansas wants their money back.

“Arkansas’s NIL collective has sent two demand letters to players asking to fulfill buyout clauses, source tells Front Office Sports,” reported Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports. “The AD’s comments yesterday were referring to multiple players who left before NIL contracts expired, including Madden Iamaleava.”

A commissioner would help define proper rules to avoid situations like this because in the end, no one wins.