Yes, but representatives from the school are putting money in these collectives to be distributed to athletes who will come play for the school. That is pay for play. NIL was meant to allow college athletes on scholarship to leverage their economic benefit based on their name, image and likeness. The NCAA is screwing this up royally and still keeping athletes from personally maximizing their earnings because of the status they have earned as athletes. These schools still want to control their athletes and make sure the big riches stay with coaches and AD’s. They want NIL to be evenly distributed on teams to try and avoid the big payoff to the athletes. And, the schools making the most money will fund these collectives best, keeping their competitive advantage.
The best thing to happen for Georgia Tech would be for us to demonstrate a great player in Atlanta can be worth spending good money for NIL considerations - that way we might get a couple of superstars in football and basketball. Begging for money so that our two and three star players get a nice check is a waste of money. But, a Georgia Tech star player making six or even seven figures through advertising or representation in the Atlanta market might make a difference.