Newsletter #34 | Kofi Cockburn's Suspension, UF Subpoenaed, College HUNKS x SDSU Football + NOCAP Sports CEO Interview & ICYMI
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* Special Announcement *
Optimum Sports Consulting will be hosting its first-ever NIL Webinar this Wednesday, November 10th from 12:30-1:30pm ET. The topic of this webinar will be takeaways four months into NIL- including analysis from OSC personnel, interviews with industry leaders, and much more. Details about panelists and Zoom information will be sent out to all OSC subscribers in the coming days.
This Thursday Newsletter includes:
1. Recapping NIL this week
2. Exclusive Interview: NOCAP Sports CEO Nick Lord talks to OSC
3. ICYMI: UNC’s Jamie Ortega signs with Epoch Lacrosse
Recapping NIL This Week:
Illinois star Kofi Cockburn suspended three games for selling merchandise before NIL rule change
Illinois MBB player Kofi Cockburn has been suspended for his team's first three games by the NCAA. Cockburn, a junior, has been hit with a three-game suspension for selling apparel and memorabilia in June, before the NCAA’s Interim NIL policy took effect.
Cockburn declared for the 2020 NBA Draft in April, following the conclusion of the Illini's season. After declaring for the draft, Cockburn partnered with a company called The Players Trunk and sold his gear and merchandise through their website. He then pulled his name from the draft and entered the transfer portal before electing to return to Illinois for his junior season.
“We are disappointed with the three-game suspension, because there were unprecedented factors and altered timelines related to his decision to ultimately withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said in a statement.
Cockburn will also repay the money made off the sale of his merchandise and donate it to a charity of his choice, Illinois announced.
University of Florida subpoenaed for student athlete records in an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA
The University of Florida must release financial aid records and related documents pertaining to all of its current student athletes – as well as all Gators from between 2016 and 2020 – as part of a potential class-action lawsuit against the NCAA and its Power Five conferences. All of the NCAA’s 350-plus Division I schools were sent a subpoena stemming from a federal antitrust lawsuit filed in California, according to the law firm representing the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit seeks financial reparations for current and former college athletes who may have lost opportunities for monetary gain associated with their respective name, image and likeness. It names as defendants the NCAA and its Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 Conferences. The conferences are comprised of 65 schools, including UF.
UF intended to submit its records by Monday, according to an email senior university counsel Michael Ford sent to current and affected former student athletes on Oct. 15. “Important: You nor the University of Florida are being sued in this litigation,” Ford wrote in all capital letters in the email. It also said the subpoena was not seeking medical records, academic records or “financial information pertaining to your family.”
College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk signs 60 SDSU Football student athletes, brokered by NOCAP Sports
60 San Diego State players opted into the deal and will split $20,000 up front. Each student athlete will then have the opportunity to make commissions on referrals for clients and employees throughout the length of the contract, which spans through the 2021-22 school year.
Co-founder Omar Soliman said its been natural for College H.U.N.K.S. to get involved in the space because it uses college students as employees and targets a similar demographic to those interested in sports. The company had mainly brokered NIL deals on the East Coast before now. “I was super pumped, they were excited about it. I think us being so visible in the NIL space and our brand being more and more iconic, plus the fact that our company name is College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk, is the reason they were excited to be part of it,” he said.
“It’s fun,” SDSU wide receiver Ethan Dedeaux said. “Not a lot of kids on our team get an opportunity to do this and I feel like it’s huge for recognition for everybody. We’ve seen people across the country get opportunities to do NIL deals, and this is important for us. It’s a huge, huge opportunity.”
Exclusive Interview: NOCAP Sports CEO Nicholas Lord talks to OSC
Fresh off signing Sarah Fuller and brokering one of the largest NIL deals ever for San Diego State Football, NOCAP Sports CEO Nicholas Lord sat down to talk about how the company pivoted at the start of NIL, the future of the NCAA, and much more.
Interviewed by Austin Meo (@AMeo31)
1. Can you start by telling us about yourself and the NOCAP team- your background, why you wanted to get involved in NIL, etc?
My name is Nicholas Lord and I am a former-student athlete turned entrepreneur, now the CEO of NOCAP Sports. Upon finishing my senior basketball season I started NOCAP which at the time was focused on college recruiting. Soon after, I heard about the potential of rules changing regarding college athlete compensation. I took a risk and pivoted completely to focus all on NIL before there was any confirmation of rumors being true. Around the same time I met my two co-founders, Casey Floyd (Former Director of Compliance at Michigan) and Stan Golubtsov (Multi-Time Fortune 500 VP of Engineering and CTO), and we decided to join forces and take on the industry together. We started NOCAP to give every athlete, regardless of school, sport, level or background, equal access to the best technology and resources to succeed in the NIL era. We not only thought this would be an incredible market opportunity, but also a way to truly help people and make a difference.
2. What is NOCAP Sports and how does it fit in the NIL space?
NOCAP is an inclusive automated digital marketplace that allows athletes, schools, and businesses to connect and conduct automated, compliant, transparent and verified NIL-related transactions with full oversight from independent third parties. We have positioned ourselves uniquely in that we provide key features to Universities at no cost and do not take a cut from athletes in the deals that they take part in on our platform. Our core focus is on the athletes and providing them with as many differentiated opportunities and resources as possible so that they can succeed in the NIL era regardless of where they go to school or what their background is. We are working to not just build a company and platform, but a community of athletes, organizations, and institutions working to empower one another to succeed in this new era.
3. How is NOCAP Sports marketing to student-athletes? Are you partnering with schools/conferences? Reaching out to SAs directly?
We have a unique approach to our marketing as we pursue both schools and athletes. Our platform is completely free to both which allows us to help schools navigate compliance and help athletes secure NIL deals all in one place. We have actually done very little marketing to date but are beginning to ramp that up as we launch our new and improved brand and announce our closing of seed capital. We are working on a large slate of marketing initiatives that we will be launching over the next few months. At the center of all these initiatives are the athletes. Everything else comes secondary.
4. Sarah Fuller, who rose to stardom after becoming the first woman to play in a Power-5 football game, just signed on with NOCAP as Director of Athlete Relations. What does it mean to have Sarah on board? What will her role look like over the next few months?
Sarah is not only a big name in sports because of her athletic accomplishments, but also an incredible person and an inspiration to so many. When we started recruiting for this role, she was my #1 choice by a mile. I believed she aligned perfectly with our mission at NOCAP and would be the perfect person to help and continue creating a positive and empowering image around the NOCAP brand. As Director of Athlete Relations, Sarah will be contributing in a multitude of ways including, but not limited to, content creation and production, pioneering new marketing initiatives, developing new athlete acquisition strategies and advocating on behalf of the brand as a spokesperson in the media. We are beyond lucky to have her on the team and can't wait to see the things we accomplish together.
5. With an NCAA Constitution Convention happening in November, do you believe there is an ideal solution for the NCAA that is best for student-athletes and the NIL space?
As of right now, I believe the NCAA and athletes have conflicting interests so there is not an ideal solution that would satisfy both parties. In my eyes, athletes should have the same rights as any other person in the country and that is the freedom to their own name, image and likeness. I do understand that there will be rules regarding institutional IP but anything regarding the athlete's personal brand they should have full control over as long as they are staying above general law.
6. What is the biggest issue facing student-athletes right now in the NIL space? And is it because of a lack of education or guidance? Or is there simply nothing in the market accounting for it?
I think that there are few issues facing athletes right now: 1) Not all athletes realize they have a monetizable brand. Regardless of where you go to school or how many followers you have, you have the ability to grow and monetize your brand. All athletes have an opportunity, some just may have to put a little work in. It's like growing a business. 2) Every school has different policies regarding NIL and many athletes don't even know what they are. It makes it harder for athletes to engage in NIL opportunities because of the barriers it takes to just get it approved. 3) Brands are sending athletes lengthy contracts with all kinds of add-ons and nuances. 99% of athletes don't have agents and don't have the time to go through these contracts which slows the process or cuts the deal off completely.
All in all, I believe some of the biggest issues reside in both education and universal technology to automate and speed these processes up so that athletes can more efficiently take advantage of opportunities
7. Projecting out for the rest of 2021 and beyond- what is something that isn’t being talked about right now but you think will be big for student athletes?
I believe athletes will start proactively looking for different ways to monetize their brands besides the general social media shoutouts for brands. They will begin to realize their brand is a business and that there are so many different opportunities to explore. I also believe university alumni, boosters and donors are going to find creative ways to pay athletes and there will be many initiatives and features launched that will help facilitate this process which will be extremely lucrative for athletes.
ICYMI: UNC’s Jamie Ortega signs with Epoch Lacrosse
UNC lacrosse star Jamie Ortega announced her new endorsement deal with Epoch Lacrosse, making her the company’s first female lacrosse athlete partner. The four-time All-American who is returning to North Carolina for a fifth season, could break the Division I points and goals records in the 2022 season. But before stepping onto the field for her final campaign, she’s already making history.
Her relationship with Epoch began four years ago during her sophomore year of college at UNC when she first discovered its lacrosse gear. Entering her fifth year as an attacker for UNC, Ortega has achieved 353 career points, the fifth highest in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history. Her 265 career goals were tied for ninth in NCAA history and were third in ACC annuals. Ortega credits Epoch’s innovative lacrosse technology as adding to her success.
“As a female athlete, it’s important for me to be able to share my love for the game with the next generation of girls to show that lacrosse is a sport for anyone who has a passion for it,” said Ortega. “I chose to partner with Epoch not only because they have helped me become a better shooter and performer, but because they’ve taken the time to truly invest in me and my brand. I look forward to continuing this partnership and to hopefully inspire the next generation of female athletes.”
As part of Ortega’s partnership with Epoch, she will work closely with Epoch’s team to design her own line of athleisure and performance apparel. This line will include clothing items that can be worn for both every day and as athletic wear. Sustainability is a top priority to her which is why this line will be created in a single piece flow, meaning items in Ortega’s line will be created after purchase to avoid product waste. Ortega’s line is tentatively set to run in late 2021.
Ortega will make her first public appearance as an Epoch athlete at the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) President’s Cup this year from November 17 – 21. Additionally, BSN, the largest distributor of team sports apparel and equipment, will be holding a meet and greet with Ortega on November 18 to provide coaches the opportunity to connect and learn more about her.
“On behalf of the entire Epoch team, it’s an honor to partner with such a young, talented athlete like Ortega,” said James Miceli, CEO of Epoch Lacrosse. “We love to see Ortega’s passion to inspire aspiring women’s lacrosse players, and we’re thrilled to have her as the first female face of our brand. As one of the best college lacrosse players of all-time, we couldn’t have asked for a more talented female athlete to partner with.”