University of Miami's Potential Tampering, NCAA's Amicus Brief, and Title IX Compliance | Newsletter #247
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and other sport professionals.
Today’s newsletter includes potential NIL tampering, NCAA’s stance on unionization, Title IX compliance, deals of the week and more.
Keep up to date on all of our newsletters and content by checking out past Optimum Sports Consulting Newsletters, and following us on Twitter!
This Monday Newsletter includes:
1. University of Miami’s Potential Tampering
2. NCAA Files a Brief Supporting Dartmouth
3. What’s coming up in the world of NIL
4. Legal Updates: Amateurism in Florida and Title IX Compliance
5. News/tips for administrators, student athletes and agencies
Major News
University of Miami Accused of Tampering and Cheating in NIL
Since the inception of NIL, the University of Miami has faced criticism on its recruitment strategies related to NIL, with many believing the school is trying to cheat the system.
A video is circulating the internet of an Oklahoma State sideline reporter, Robert Allen, talking about how the Miami Hurricanes tampered with Oklahoma State football players.
Allen claims that Miami reached out to Nickolas Martin and Ollie Gordon II when neither player was in the transfer portal.
Although these claims have not been proven true, if they are confirmed, Miami would face serious punishment as it is impermissible to contact players not in the transfer portal.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
The NCAA Filed a Brief Supporting Dartmouth’s Fight Against Athlete Unionization
The NCAA filed an amicus brief to the NLRB supporting Dartmouth’s attempt to nullify its men’s basketball players’ unionization effort.
The NCAA challenged the decision and counters that athletes being certified as employees threatens college athletics.
“It is not an overstatement to say that finding student-athletes to be employees will threaten the existence of athletic programs and, in turn, opportunities for student-athletes at many of the nation’s colleges and universities,” the NCAA said.
This is expected to be a lengthy process, potentially taking more than a year to find a solution.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Other Notable Stories to Follow
Baylor University received a $10 million gift to support Baylor Athletics - LINK
Brooks Running signed three new NIL deals with standout cross country athletes - LINK
EA Sports College Football 25 reached an important milestone, collecting over 14,000 players who are opting into the game - LINK
What’s Coming Up Next For NIL
Mid July, 2024 | Florida State Board of Education vote to ratify NIL bylaw change
July 19th, 2024 | EA College Football 2025 release
Legal Updates
Amateurism Remains in Effect in Florida
Multiple Florida high schools and local programs are registered on a site to receive NIL. The company is trying to collect money to provide NIL compensation for student-athletes.
The FHSAA released a letter on Friday, emphasizing the fact that NIL is not yet official for Florida high school athletes as the state has yet to ratify the bylaw change for it to take effect.
NIL compensation for student-athletes is still prohibited by FHSAA Bylaw 9.9 Amateurism, and violations lead athletes to be subject to sanctions, including loss of amateur status.
The State Board of Education is expected to ratify the bylaw change in mid-July.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Two Big Ten Schools Pledge Title IX Compliance Following the House Settlement
Two Big Ten schools, University of Illinois and Ohio State, are the first schools to indicate that Title IX will factor into how revenue sharing models will be implemented.
Ohio State’s Athletic Director said that their legal interpretation regarding Title IX led them to conclude that any direct compensation would have to be proportionate to enrollment demographics. At Ohio State, that means 52% of direct athlete payment funding would go to female athletes.
The University of Illinois’s Athletic Director echoed Ohio State’s stance on Title IX compliance if the House settlement is approved.
Without applying Title IX to athletic payments, it is unlikely that gender equity would be met.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
FOR ATHLETES
Notes for the Week
Two of the Miami Hurricane’s newest transfers, defensive lineman Simeon Barrow and Tyler Barron, inked NIL deals with Miami’s collective Canes Collection - LINK
South Carolina football star, Debo Williams, signed an NIL deal with Joye Law Firm, one of the top personal injury law firms in South Carolina - LINK
Purdue Basketball’s all-time leading scorer, Zac Edey, inked an endorsement deal with KFC - LINK
Penn State wrestlers Beau Bartlett and Shayne Van Ness announced a new partnership with Wrestling Mindset, a mental performance training provider - LINK
Tip of the Week: Make sure you are still doing your due diligence with NIL opportunities.
It is not easy being a student athlete, especially once school starts and you have to balance schoolwork and your sport. You might be approached with things like autographing a classmate’s jersey or wanting to collaborate with a friend on their latest apparel start-up. Those might sound small, but you still have to do your due diligence (research and analysis) about any opportunity before committing to them. You might live in a state that has specific reporting policies, or your school might have a specific chain of command. You might also have professional representation that will want to look over anything before you sign. The point is- a new environment cannot change how you approach NIL opportunities that are presented to you. Take your time and make sure to follow all the necessary procedures.
FOR ADMINS
Notes for the Week
Athlete Advantage, an industry leader in the NIL space, announced a multi-year partnership with Marshall University to be the NIL Management partner for their athletics - LINK
A survey showed that a majority of FBS athletic directors want to abandon the NCAA and be governed by a new association- LINK
Tip of the Week: Continue to use NIL software to fit your needs.
Disclosures are not the most popular topic of NIL, but they are arguably the most important aspect of NIL to athletic departments. Some schools may struggle to meet demand for reviewing deals. Lectures to student athletes are probably not enough as athletes aren’t being educated on the need to disclose deals. Since outreach from brands to students is often done through social media DMs, it can be difficult to get final arrangements/contracts to compliance offices. Not only is it important to continually remind your student-athletes to disclose all deals, but it is also important to regularly assess and utilize software to fit your school’s needs.
FOR AGENCIES
Notes for the Week
Alabama Football cornerback, Zabien Brown, has signed with GSE Worldwide for NIL representation - LINK
Debo Williams, who is signed with South Carolina’s NIL Collective, the Garnet Trust, hosted a football camp on Saturday for groups of 3rd-8th graders - LINK
Tip of the Week: Social media might be a popular NIL activity, but the money is more spread out than you think.
It is important to look at how brands are partnering with student athletes in NIL opportunities. To date, social media/content creation has accounted for 72% of NIL activity. Brands will continue to analyze how these deals pay off, so it’ll be vital to monitor which deals last and which ones fizzle out. Social media posts aren’t always as authentic as actual ads and appearances. Hosting camps is likely to grow as well. Expect the market to continue to diversify as brands evolve and student athletes have more time to cultivate their NIL goals.
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!