Few figures in college football have been as outspoken about the sport's rapid evolution as Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. From NIL to the transfer portal and soon-to-be revenue sharing, Swinney has long been critical of the increasing freedom and opportunities afforded to players.

His infamous 2014 comments, made after Northwestern football players attempted to unionize, are far from forgotten

"We try to teach our guys to use football to create opportunities, to take advantage of the platform and the brand and marketing available to them," Swinney said. "But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that's where you lose me. I'll go do something else because there's enough entitlement in this world as it is."

These remarks have aged poorly, particularly when juxtaposed with the massive 10-year, $93 million deal Swinney signed in 2019. For years, he has been the face of "old-school" college football, resisting the sweeping changes reshaping the sport.

However, it seems the tide has finally turned -- albeit reluctantly. On Tuesday, Swinney displayed a surprising change of heart during a discussion about NIL, the transfer portal, and revenue sharing. The tone was strikingly different, with his comments about revenue sharing particularly enthusiastic.

"Nobody's gonna have more money than Clemson. Nobody," Swinney said with a smile. "For the first time ever. That'll be good."

This marks a significant shift for the Clemson coach, whose previous opposition to paying players now feels like a distant memory. Clemson reportedly has a $20.5 million revenue-sharing model in the works, allocating 22 percent of athletic department revenue to athletes. While the exact amount earmarked for the football program remains unclear, Swinney seems ready to embrace the change.

"We've always had the money at Clemson. We just haven't been able to share it," Swinney added. "And now we can."

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Swinney's pivot may seem surprising, but it's not entirely unexpected. With Clemson missing the College Football Playoff every year since 2020 and enduring three- and four-loss seasons, the pressure to adapt has been mounting.

This reversal doesn't necessarily make Swinney a hypocrite -- it highlights his stubbornness and eventual acceptance of a changing reality. The writing had been on the wall; all that was left was for Swinney to read it.