Georgia's Kirby Smart Shades Oregon, Nike's Phil Knight over NIL Donations

It's not often Kirby Smart finds himself envious, but that's apparently the case when it comes to Oregon's massive NIL pool.

Smart threw a little shade at Oregon and Phil Knight over the Nike founder's NIL donations during his SEC Media Day press conference on Tuesday.

"I wish I could get some of that NIL money he's giving Dan Lanning," Smart told reporters.

Oregon had one of the first NIL collectives when Division Street launched in September 2021. Knight and Nike's presence is significant within Division Street, with former Nike executive Rosemary St. Clair serving as the CEO.

There is no firm data on how much money these collectives have on hand. Georgia has its own robust NIL collective, Classic City, which is not likely the richest in the nation but has its fair share of boosters.

All told, it's unlikely Smart is hurting very much for cash when it comes to landing the top prospects in the country.

There is also likely a little bit of tongue-in-cheek jabbing going on between Smart and Lanning. The Oregon coach served as Smart's defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021 before taking the job in Eugene.

Smart's comments certainly seemed more on the joking side of things than any actual bitterness. That said, there is always a little bit of truth behind the humor and odds are Smart would love a billionaire with Knight's pockets to land in his ether.