Alabama Uses Auburn Fan's Failed Troll Attempt As Free Promotion For NIL Fund

It was a raucous environment at Auburn Arena on Saturday as third-ranked Alabama rolled into to town for the hardwood Iron Bowl. However, one particular Tigers fan appeared to forget what year it is.

College athletes are able to get paid in 2023.

The NCAA first allowed athletes to profit from their Names, Images and Likenesses on July 1, 2021. It changed the entire landscape of college sports forever.

Where money used to exchange hands under the table, it is now being done in broad daylight. NIL collectives have formed around the country with the sole purpose of getting athletes compensated.

Among them is 'Yea Alabama,' the official University of Alabama NIL entity established to cultivate and harness name, image, and likeness opportunities for Alabama student-athletes. It connects fans, donors and businesses to athletes and gets them paid.

That is what made one Auburn student's attempted troll on Saturday morning so ironic.

College Gameday was on The Plains before the game and welcomed a rowdy group of students, many of whom had camped out overnight to get in the front row, into the arena more than three hours before tipoff. Some of them chose to make signs that jabbed at their opponets.

One of the signs read "WHERE LEGENDS ARE PAID" with the 'A' in 'PAID' written as the Alabama 'A.' The insinuation was that Crimson Tide athletes are paid.

Well, three years ago, that would have been illegal.

The sign would have been a witty jab at Alabama.

Today, players getting paid is completely legal— and the sign referred to the Alabama players who are getting paid through NIL opportunities as "legends." Uhhh...?

In fact, Yea Alabama used the sign as a promotional opportunity. The collective shared the sign on Twitter and plugged its link where fans can contribute to the NIL fund.

The Auburn fan's sign completely backfired. Where he thought he was torching the Tide, he was actually helping to boost his rival's NIL efforts. OOPS!