Cooper Flagg and Shaeduer Sanders Historic Shoe Deals, NCAA Proposes to Change the Transfer Window + ICYMI | Newsletter #265
Today’s Thursday newsletter includes highlights from this week, important news from last week, and what to watch for.
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Recapping Major News This Week:
Cooper Flagg and Shadeur Sanders, Two of the Biggest Stars in College Sports, Sign Major Shoe Deals
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle and projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, signed a deal with New Balance.
While specifics are not yet known, the deal is said to be “significant”. New Balance has a major presence in Flagg’s home state of Maine which may have played a part in his decision to sign with New Balance over other major brands.
Star Quarterback and top NFL prospect, Shadeur Sanders, is the first college football player to ink an NIL deal with Nike. Sander’s Father and Head Coach, Deion Sanders, also has an endorsement deal with the sports apparel giant.
Sanders' deal with Nike and Flagg’s deal with New Balance are reportedly for footwear and apparel.
CLICK HERE and HERE to learn more.
NCAA’s FBS Transfer Window Proposal
The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committees recommended that the notification-of-transfer window be modified to one 30-day window.
Under the current window, Division I football student-athletes have 45 days when they can enter the Transfer Portal. The first window is a 30-day notification-of-transfer window that begins the Monday after the FBS conference championship games, and then there is also a 15-day notification-of-transfer window from April 15th to April 30th.
The proposed window would open the Monday after FBS conference championship games and would close in early January - The window to enter the Transfer Portal during the 2024-25 academic year would be Dec. 9 to Jan. 7.
The committee also approved a blanket waiver for the upcoming season that excludes postseason participation (conference championship game, bowl game, FCS tournament and College Football Playoff games) from the limit of four contests a football student-athlete may participate in without using a season of competition.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Quick Hitter News:
Oklahoma penalized for recruiting violations made in their football and track & field program - LINK
Deion Sanders is partnering with Elevations Credit Union to help Colorado football players open bank accounts for their children - LINK
Missouri inks multiyear partnerships with Columbia-based companies, Shelter Insurance and EquipmentShare, that will include on-field logos - LINK
UConn signed a 1 year on-field partnership deal with the Bleeding Blue For Good NIL collective - LINK
Bud Light is releasing limited edition cans for 26 different school - LINK
ICYMI
New partnership between OneTeam Partners and ONIT Athlete looks to enhance NIL for athletes
OneTeam Partners and ONIT Athlete have entered into a multiyear partnership. Oneteam Partners is a leader in commercializing group licensing rights for college athletes, and ONIT Athlete is a rapidly growing trading card and collectible brand.
The partnership aims to create trading cards for thousands of college athletes and enhance equitable revenue opportunities through a group licensing program that benefits male and female athletes alike.
ONIT Athlete is projected to generate over $7 million in royalties in the 2024-25 academic year. OneTeam’s platform simplifies athlete rights management, offering athletes passive income opportunities through the Group Licensing Agreement.
The first sets of trading cards from this partnership are set to be released to the public this month.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
What To Watch For: Prize-Money Tournaments at the College Level
Maya Joint, a current freshman at the University of Texas, made waves this week after she won her first round matchup in the US Open. While Maya won herself $140,000 by advancing to the second round of the torunament, she's only able to accept at most $10,000 because she's declared for college. For now.
NCAA rules state, “In tennis, prior to full-time collegiate enrollment, an individual may accept up to $10,000 per calendar year in prize money based on his or her place finish or performance in open athletics events (events that are not invitation only). Once the individual has reached the $10,000 limit in a particular year, he or she may receive additional prize money on a per-event basis, provided such prize money does not exceed the individual’s actual and necessary expenses for participation in the event.” However, this rule is currently being challenged in court. In March, Reese Brantmeier sued the NCAA, alleging that the prize money restrictions amounted to illegal price-fixing. Brantmeier won $50,000 from the United States Tennis Association for her play at the 2021 US Open, but she was still ineligible her freshman year at North Carolina because the NCAA deemed some of her expenses unnecessary. She currently is seeking for the NCAA to be restrained from restricting prize money.
Given recent developments in college that allow schools to pay student athletes directly, it is likely that the NCAA will eliminate this rule in the near future. Without restrictions on prize money, college sports may look to prize-money tournaments as a means to generate fan excitement while also compensating their athletes.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Maya Joint’s current situation
Thanks for Reading!
Keep up to date on all of our newsletters and content by checking out past Optimum Sports Consulting Newsletters, and following us on Twitter!