NIL Newsletter #118 | CBS's 'Candid Coaches,' Oregon HS NIL, ASU golfer to LIV Tour + ICYMI Ticker
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for student athletes, administrators, agents and other sport professionals.
Recapping NIL This Week:
CBS Sports survey talked NIL with 100 DI MBB coaches
CBS Sports college basketball writers Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander surveyed roughly 100 coaches for the annual Candid Coaches series. They polled everyone from head coaches at elite programs to assistants at some of the smallest Division I schools. In exchange for complete anonymity, the coaches provided unfiltered honesty.
Question: More than one year in, is name, image and likeness helping or hurting college athletics? 39% of respondents said it was helping, while 61% said it was hurting. Below are some of the notable takeaways:
“Overall NIL is helping college athletics - (but) it does need some guardrails. Even pro sports have salary caps. It has made coaching more of a challenge because there is an expectation of getting a deal at the snap of your fingers.”
“I like NIL - I just don't think it's been managed properly. Some of the money out there right now, I just don't understand or see how it's sustainable. I certainly think NIL should be an option for college athletes, it's just gotta be managed somehow better. It's out of control right now. I don't understand where all this money is coming from and how it can be sustainable. It's good for a place like my school because we would never cheat, and now it allows us to offer our players something in a legal way. It's a good thing for college basketball, but certainly somehow needs to be managed a little better because it's just a little bit out of control right now.”
“It's increased so many ways for people to move money to players, handlers and families that have nothing to do with NIL but can fall under the guise of it. Pay-for-play is more brazen than ever before.
There is no teeth in any legislation that you don't feel the right lawyers couldn't get you through.”“I think NIL has eliminated 'college' athletics, and much of this is due to the lack of progressive thought by leadership in the NCAA. They had numerous years and opportunities to find ways to allow players to profit off true NIL. Because of their backtracking, they got backed into such a corner they essentially opened the floodgates -- to not players profiting of name, image and likeness, (but) legit pay-for-play. I do think the market corrects itself in the years to come. I think less people will be interested in giving money on the front side.”
OSAA executive board approves NIL amendment, to be voted on by delegate assembly in October
There is only one step left before Oregon high school athletes will be permitted to profit off of their name, image and likeness.
The Oregon School Activities Association’s executive board voted Monday to approve the proposed changes to OSAA’s Awards Rule 8.4, which details how student athletes can use their NIL.
The only step left is for the OSAA’s delegate assembly to vote on the proposal during its Oct. 10 meeting.
As it is, OSAA’s Rule 8.4 currently reads: “A student becomes ineligible for one calendar year after the date of the report of the violation to the OSAA if at any time the student accepts or enters into any agreement for the purpose of later accepting any compensation or thing of value for or in recognition of athletic or activities abilities.”
Arizona State’s David Puig is forgoing his senior year to join the LIV Tour
LIV Golf has poached one of the top amateurs in the world. David Puig, current World No. 9, has announced that he is leaving Arizona State early to make his pro debut at LIV's $25 million Chicago event this weekend. On Monday, David Puig announced via Instagram his intention to forgo his senior season at Arizona State and become a professional golfer.
The 20-year-old Spaniard had previously played in LIV’s London and Bedminster tournaments as an amateur, but reportedly did not accept any winnings from them, nor did he accept any NIL deals to recoup that lost value, as some fans initially speculated.
He’s not the first high-profile amateur to go pro with LIV — nor is he the first Spanish one to make the jump. In June, the upstart golf league secured Eugenio Chacarra - at the time, the second-ranked amateur in the world - who then made his debut in Portland.
Former world #1 Jon Rahm, who like Puig is from Spain and competed for Arizona State, dispelled any rumors that’d he join LIV just hours ago:
I must inform you that you have started a losing streak because you and your source are wrong. I want to thank you for the lift in the PIP 😂 https://t.co/oaejFoXYrzMy #LIVGolf source just confirmed with me John Rahm to LIV INV is indeed a GO. I’ve never been wrong about a LIV signing. Just look at my track record. PGA Tour is on the ropes.LIV Golf Insider @LIVTracking
ICYMI Ticker
Virginia Tech freshman, MJ Collins, is represented by Commonwealth NIL, a collective working with student athletes to grow their personal brand and find opportunities to capitalize off their NIL. He’s advocating for truck drivers and their safety on the roads during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week which falls between September 11-17. Collins says he sees, first hand, how much hard work goes in to the profession because his dad is a truck driver. “I’ve seen the struggles that he go through and truck drivers in general,” he said. “They have a hard life out there and most people don’t realize what they have to do and the sacrifices that they’ve made for their families.” More HERE.
Spyre Sports, the University of Tennessee sports marketing collective in Knoxville, said it has generated $4.5 million in revenue for UT student athletes. More HERE.
NIL marketplaces are pushing out products to college fanbases. During starting lineups in Wake Forest‘s Week 1 home game, each player was given a spot on the video board along with a massive QR code that took fans directly to the athlete’s Opendorse page. Maryland and Kansas have carried out similar campaigns; the Jayhawks even put a QR code on the gameday program. And Nebraska has aired NIL advertisements during pregame at Memorial Stadium.
Through its partnership with the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department LEARFIELD’s Badger Sports Properties, four Wisconsin student-athletes have joined in a NIL deal with Fetch Rewards.
Not only has Fetch Rewards been named a new corporate partner through the deal, Chimere Dike (football), Devyn Robinson (volleyball), Chucky Hepburn (men’s basketball) and Sydney Hilliard (women’s basketball) have all agreed to a NIL deal with Fetch.
Elliott Charles is joining Valpo Athletics as Executive Associate Athletic Director. Charles, who has done consulting work in the NIL space recently, has over 16 years of experience in NCAA athletics.
MoneyLion is now the official money app of INFLCR and its SAs.
Kent State University announced the inception of its NIL program, The NIL Nest #PreparedToFly. More details about the program HERE.
The NIL Store powered by Campus Ink has announced Michigan State as an official NIL licensee.
Ole Miss / INFLCR have launched their Next Level Exchange program.
Missouri / Opendorse have launched the Mizzou Marketplace.