Dunkin' Deal, Auburn Collective, Truckload of Problems, + ICYMI | NIL Newsletter #200
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Quick Hitters:
Dunkin’ Announces New Athlete Lineup
This week, Dunkin’ and LEARFIELD announced the return of “Team Dunkin’” with 17 new student-athletes.
Headlining this year’s “Team Dunkin’” roster is UConn’s Paige Bueckers (pictured above).
“I’m honored to be partnering with Dunkin’ to connect with fans and to support our communities through a brand we all know and love,” said Bueckers.
As part of Bueckers’ collaboration with Dunkin’, the company will make a $25,000 contribution to UConn’s Husky Harvest food pantries.
Joining Bueckers are 16 additional athletes, with the majority on Men’s and Women’s basketball rosters.
“I’m really excited to team up with Dunkin’ for another season, as it’s a brand that has been a part of my journey since childhood,” said Armando Bacot, North Carolina Men’s Basketball forward.
Anonymous Donor Pledges $1 Million to Auburn Collective
On Tuesday, an anonymous donor pledged $1 million to the Auburn-focused On To Victory Collective in a donation matching agreement.
Between November 14th and December 20th, the first day incoming recruits can sign with college football programs, the donor will give $250,000 for every 1,000 new members of the collective.
“If it wasn’t important for every person to be involved in this, they would let you in the stadium for free,” said On To Victory Executive Director Brett Whiteside. “It takes everybody and everybody is buying a ticket to the game, and we need everybody to be supportive of NIL. It takes major giving to make an immediate impact, but it’s going to take everybody else as well.”
On To Victory currently sits at only 1,600 members, so the matching campaign could lead to explosive new growth.
Utah Trucks and Title IX Concerns
Arthur Bryant, a prominent Title IX attorney in the Bay Area, believes that the Utah-focused Crimson Collective’s Ram Truck deal implicates major Title IX concerns.
“It should be a huge Title IX concern for the university,” said Bryant. “It appears to be a flagrant, stunningly obvious violation of Title IX that could cost the school millions of dollars.”
The clear question remains whether collectives can be considered an extension of the University. Most seem to agree that collectives, while often operating closely with athletic departments, are separate entities.
In fact, the 12th Man+ Fund, which existed at Texas A&M for only a few months, was the closest we have been to an “in-house” collective, only for the Fund to shutter its doors without any major fundraising campaigns.
ICYMI
Morgan & Morgan is the official law firm of the MAC conference, and plans to enter into agreements with MAC athletes. LINK
Sources expect the Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to file a lawsuit against the NCAA for denying James Madison’s postseason waiver. LINK
The University of Washington filed a motion in the Supreme Court of Washington to stay the ruling placing Wazzu and Oregon State in charge of the Pac-12 (Pac-2?). LINK
The TRO filed by the Bewley twins was denied, but a preliminary injunction is still possible. LINK
Have you checked out OSC’s website?
Head to www.OptimumSportsConsulting.com to find important resources and features relating to all things NIL. These resources include State by State Resources for Admins, Agents and Athletes, including our initial “OSC Summaries” for over a dozen states coming soon.
More to come too, including links to helpful state information- agency laws and information about school policies, as well as seminar/congressional notes, worksheets, and much more!