NIL Newsletter #122 | Minnesota DB raises money for Puerto Rico, South Carolina WBB cashes team-wide deal, Urban Outfitters + 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:
Minnesota DB Steven Ortiz Jr. uses NIL to help his home island of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona
Ortiz recently signed a deal with The Kitchen, a restaurant in Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market. The restaurant created a meal for him and agreed to donate 100% of the proceeds to Puerto Rico for a whole month, starting Oct. 1.
A lot of Ortiz’s family and friends are on the island, and he is currently unable to talk to them because of power outages. His manager, Josh Mason, said he understood how important Puerto Rico is for Ortiz, so he arranged for René Morales - the manager for international pop star Bad Bunny's basketball team in San Juan - to help share the news of his achievement.
The meal that The Kitchen owner Destinee Shelby made for him was inspired by his background. It includes four empanadas and a blue protein shake. Ortiz requested traditional empanadas, which are filled with ground beef and shrimp. Shelby agreed, but she also made some with her own twist. She made some with mac and cheese and turkey, and some dessert ones as well.
"My tÍa [aunt] was on a call telling them what to do, because making empanadas is so specific. If you mess up one ingredient, the whole thing is over with, it's not going to taste as good," Ortiz said.
"I bleed red white and blue. Puerto Rico will stay with me wherever I go. Representing my country (sic) feels like an honor, because not too many Puerto Ricans play football," Ortiz said. "I'm trying to help them motivate themselves, chase their dreams. Just trying to put my country (sic) on the map, that's what I'm trying to do." Ortiz wears the jersey No. 21 because of Roberto Clemente, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend.
South Carolina WBB players to each receive $25,000 in NIL deals
Thanks to former state legislator and current CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers and a group of other prominent donors, each member of the Gamecocks’ team will be provided the opportunity to earn an average of $25,000 or more in NIL deals — roughly $325,000 total.
The high-protein chocolate milk brand Slate Milk will be featured in promotions. “It’s inspiring to see a group of athletes come together, work as hard as they can and achieve greatness,” Slate Milk’s partnerships manager Anna Carr said in a release. “Our entire team is thrilled to be fueling the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team – and their journey toward a second straight championship – with our delicious, high protein drinks.”
Garnet Trust, the South Carolina-focused NIL collective, will help manage the deliverables with NOCAP Sports assisting in contracts and payments. Each member of the team will be expected to execute a variety of deliverables. Community appearances, social media posts and sponsored interviews will be on the list. NOCAP Sports will also be in talks with national brands throughout the year discussing more potential NIL opportunities for the team.
“The South Carolina community and alumni network are proud to support the reigning national champs as they continue to build the best program in the country,” Sellers said in a statement. “NIL has created an awesome opportunity for these athletes to earn what they have always deserved, and we are excited to continue to support this team for years to come.”
Urban Outfitters launches new NIL program
The lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters has partnered with 29 NCAA Division I athletes as part of a campaign during the back-to-school season in which they’ll showcase how they “make their mark,” according to a press release. The NIL agency Postgame helped connect the athletes and the brand through its network of roughly 60,000 college athletes.
The 29 athletes who are part of the campaign will provide social media endorsements. They’ll also have the opportunity to make in-store appearances at select Urban Outfitters locations. The lifestyle retailer has more than 200 stores in the U.S.
Notable participants include Stanford women’s basketball player Cameron Brink, Georgia running back Kendall Milton and defensive back Kelee Ringo, and Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.
“In collaboration with Postgame, Urban Outfitters will work with the participating athletes to showcase how they ‘Make their Mark’ in all aspects of student-athlete life, whether it be on the field or on campus,” the press release stated. “The campaign will include a variety of social media posts by each athlete over a number of weeks wearing UO apparel and showcasing UO Home’s dorm decor assortment. UO’s diverse community can follow along on social media as the athletes share their favorite products and how they fit into their daily routines.”
ICYMI Ticker
The national average for NIL payments for a college football player is currently about $3,400 a month. The average amount being paid out to Auburn’s football players is now $7,400 a month in NIL deals. Auburn’s collective, On To Victory, is starting to ramp up after raising over $10 million this year. “I think the issue with not having early commitments was truly because our collective was not set up until about three weeks ago,” Drew Fabianich, AU General Manager and Director of Scouting, told Auburn Daily. More HERE.
Dinkytown Athletes joined the already crowded Minnesota Golden Gopher-focused NIL collective market on Monday. However, unlike other Gopher collectives, Dinkytown Athletes appears to have support of the Minnesota athletic department, including Football HC P.J. Fleck. Full story from On3 HERE.
A-10 student athletes talked to Extra Points’ Matt Brown about NIL opportunities and advice for future SAs. Full story HERE.
Christina Diaz, Assistant AD for Development and Enrichment at Penn State said, regarding NIL deals, “Our student-athletes have been incredible in disclosing.” More HERE.
Greg Peterson, AD at Bethel University in Arden Hills, MN (D-III), talked about NIL opportunities for D-III student athletes. Podcast HERE.
University of South Dakota has created The Den - an Opendorse powered marketplace. More HERE. Loyola University Chicago has also launched an Opendorse powered marketplace, called the Loyola Ramblers Marketplace. More HERE.
Mississippi State and The Brandr Group (TBG) have established a group licensing agreement for student athletes covering all the Bulldogs' 16 varsity sports. More HERE.
VCU Men’s and Women’s Basketball welcomed Advance, a financial literary company to assist athletes in financial planning.