Newsletter #84 | Isaiah Wong, Pitt/USC NIL Tampering, Connecticut NIL changes + ICYMI Ticker
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and other sport professionals.
Recapping NIL This Week:
Miami’s Isaiah Wong threatens to leave over NIL
On Thursday, Wong's NIL agent, Adam Papas of NEXT Sports Agency, told ESPN that Wong wanted his NIL deal to more properly reflect his importance to Miami or he was going to enter the portal. “If Isaiah and his family don't feel that the NIL number meets their expectations, they will be entering the transfer portal (Friday), while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process.”
“He has been treated by LifeWallet exceptionally well,” LifeWallet CEO John Ruiz told ESPN on Thursday night. “If that is what he decides, I wish him well, however, I do not renegotiate. I cannot disclose the amount, but what I can say is that he was treated very fairly.” Ruiz has 111 deals signed or pending with Hurricanes athletes to promote his companies, LifeWallet and Cigarette Racing, according to a report in the Miami Herald on Wednesday
“The recent statements made without any authorization on my behalf do not reflect my views and in no way was I willing to jeopardize my relationship with LifeWallet or the University of Miami,” Wong said in a statement Friday night. “After discussing the matter with my family I was able to clarify my intentions and resolve any misunderstandings with both organizations and have since agreed to move forward with established agreements made prior to any confusion.”
Ruiz said Friday he received a phone call from Wong's agent and told him they weren't going to change the deal Wong signed on April 12, but he would help him in getting other NIL deals in place. “I spoke to the mom and I told her this is the way it works. And she agreed,” Ruiz said. “I think they just had like a knee-jerk reaction to the whole situation. I also explained to them NIL is not tied to athletic performance. So the notion that we need to compare Nijel to Isaiah or anybody else, based on athleticism, is the wrong way to approach name, image and likeness.”
Pitt suspects USC tampering over Jordan Addison transfer situation
Pittsburgh All-American wide receiver Jordan Addison entered the transfer portal and is likely joining USC. Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s top receiver, is eyeing USC as a destination and his move could be tied to potential NIL compensation that he could receive in Los Angeles.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi has reportedly suspected that the Trojans have tampered by reaching out to Addison prior to him entering the transfer portal. Narduzzi reportedly contacted USC coach Lincoln Riley to express his displeasure with the situation and the school’s rumored contact with Addison before he enters the portal, which would set a poor ethical standard in a time where NIL legislation has brought unprecedented change to the sport.
A source close to Addison said late Friday night that there's "no preordained destination" for the receiver and that he could remain at Pittsburgh. The source said that Addison isn't looking for an NIL deal, and any move would be tied to his professional development.
Here’s a thread about the situation - multiple outlets have thrown out the $2 million offer despite Pitt pulling out all the stops - including discussions with Aaron Donald and Larry Fitzgerald:
Connecticut SAs soon can use school logos and mascot in NIL deals
Connecticut student athletes will soon be able to use school logos and mascots in NIL deals. Connecticut and South Carolina, which had the two top women’s basketball teams this year, were the only states that had blocked student athletes from using the logos.
The provision, requested by the University of Connecticut, was approved Thursday by the state House of Representatives by 132-12 with the negative votes coming from some Republicans. The measure had previously been approved by the state Senate and now goes to Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature.
In written testimony earlier this year, a UConn official reported that the university “has seen 97 total NIL transactions from student-athletes across 14 different varsity teams.’' Most of those involved “trading cards, sports drinks, nutrition supplements, apparel and gear, and food service items.’'
ICYMI Ticker
FanWord Boost is unveiling its first group of partners – Boise State, Portland State, Oakland, Arkansas-Little Rock, Think NIL (a TCU-focused collective), Rising Spear (a Florida State-focused collective) and the Collegiate Gymnastics Association. More HERE.
Clemson AD Graham Neff on the school’s new NIL facility- the first in the country to dedicate a space for SAs to work on NIL: “There’s other utility with it. There’s an NFL locker room for former players … We just kind of grew it into having some use for branding and creative studio there that speaks to an NIL standpoint. It just kind of all came to a head with a need for space from a football standpoint, the fundraising aspect of it and then NIL going into effect and how we could be leaders and the first to have bricks and mortar and dedicated space to that from an NIL standpoint.”
Seattle University has launched the Redhawk Exchange, a platform that provides Redhawk student athletes the ability to connect directly with local businesses, donors, alumni and other interested parties on NIL. The service is in partnership with INFLCR.
Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard: “Time will tell, time will tell. I think there’s other things happening in our industry that will widen that gap. But you know, I’m watching Tennessee, you know, brag about what they’re doing and paying. Good luck. Good luck. Have fun with it. You know, because I don’t know what you do. You know, what do you tell the rest of your locker room if they’re not being paid, but the new recruit freshman is being paid? You know, that just destroys culture. And, you know, but hey, if that’s what you got to do to try to catch up to Alabama then have at it. We’re not trying to beat Alabama. We’re trying to be the best version of Iowa State.”
Pat Coyle, founder of Day Off Social, a campaign to protect college athletes and promote mental health, wrote an op-ed for Sportico. “Social media is a marvel of modern times, and a boon for business that comes with unintended negative consequences. As the metaverse becomes reality, social media will only grow. That’s why it’s crucial that we work to enable young athletes to recognize their choices and exercise their own power to choose how and when they engage on social.” Full story HERE.