Federal NIL Hold-up, Starter "Salaries," Salsa Time, + ICYMI | NIL Newsletter #195
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Major News
Federal NIL Law Hold-up Centered on Amateurism
Partisan differences on amateurism among collegiate athletes seem to be holding up any possible NIL Bill.
While Senators Cruz, Tuberville, and Manchin have put language in their respective bills that ensures college athletes would not be considered employees, the same cannot be said of all parties.
Senators Murphy, Booker, and Blumenthal favor athlete employment status, or at least their ability to collectively bargain.
“If this was just about NIL, you would have a bill,” said a Democratic Senate aide.
Other hold-ups include the inclusion of a federal oversight agency and the antitrust exemption sought by the NCAA.
Average College Football “Salaries,” other benefits
According to Opendorse, the average starter at a Power 5 program earns approximately $103,000/year through NIL.
Opendorse also stated that they expect to process over $100 million in payments for college athletes this year, with approximately 80% coming through collectives.
Collectives have found increasingly creative ways to provide college athletes with value in NIL deals, such as Utah’s Crimson Collective, which provided every scholarship player a 6-month truck lease.
Cade McNamara, who transferred from Michigan to Iowa this past off-season, told the New York Times that money was a serious consideration in his search for a new school. Despite the Swarm Collective’s protests, it seems as though the collective’s offer came before McNamara even committed to Iowa.
As part of the deal, the Swarm Collective’s charitable arm pays McNamara $600/hour for a job delivering meals to seniors and visiting children in hospitals.
Tahj Washington and La Victoria Partner for “Salsa Time” Initiative
Tahj Washington, a senior at USC, partnered with La Victoria, famous for introducing the first jarred salsa product in the United States.
The NIL initiative, given the name “Salsa Time,” is a partnership between Washington and La Victoria which will benefit the Trojan Food Pantry.
Every time Washington dances the salsa after a big play, La Victoria will donate 16 pounds (a tribute to Washington’s number) of food items and a La Victoria “care package” to the Trojan Food Pantry.
The Trojan Food Pantry provides food, toiletries, and academic supplies to currently enrolled USC students.
ICYMI
Rutgers Football celebrated bowl eligibility by encouraging donations to their official NIL partner. LINK
San Diego State announced a multi-year partnership with MESA Foundation, which will become the first official collective of SDSU. LINK
The Vanderbilt-focused Anchor Impact Fund partnered with Student-Athlete NIL, rebranding as Anchor Impact. LINK
Villanova named Friends of Nova as the official NIL collective for over 600 college athletes across 24 sports. 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!