Mike Alden calls them investors.

Sure, most college football people would label them as donors or boosters, but Alden — who was the Missouri athletic director for 17 years — said they are investors because their investment comes with a sense of power over the decisions that are made within the program.

The introduction of NIL and revenue sharing isn't the first time collegiate athletes have been paid, but creating a direct correlation between the athletes and donors has changed the power dynamics within college sports, Alden said.

"Investors believe they're going to have a higher say into what takes place in an athletic program," Alden said, "probably than ever before."

Perhaps no school has experienced this shift more violently than LSU last week.

LSU fired coach Brian Kelly o

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