Future of the G League Ignite, Youngest Nike NIL deal, Utah Legislature Updates + ICYMI & More | NIL Newsletter #217
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and other sports professionals.
Major News
Is this the end of the G-League’s Team Ignite?
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver states that the NBA is in the process of “reassessing” Team Ignite.
Silver claims the opportunities that NIL presents have diminished the need for the league to potentially continue the program.
Team Ignite was initially established as a feeder program providing pre-draft-eligible players a chance to make significant money before entering the NBA.
Team Ignite is currently 6-31 and has the league’s worst offensive rating (102.6 points per 100 possessions) and a net rating of -12.7 points per 100 possessions.
Nike Signs 13-Year-Old Phenom to NIL Deal
Mckenna “Mak” Whitman is now the youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike.
She is currently a member of the Southern California club team Slammers FC HB Koge and part of the U.S. under-15 youth national team.
Whitman built a national reputation based on her ability to score with either foot outside the 18-yard box.
Whitman, who is home-schooled, will graduate with the Class of 2028.
Utah Legislature Votes To Keep NIL Deals Out of The Public Eye
A Utah House committee advanced a bill that would keep NIL contracts between businesses and athletes playing for Utah’s colleges and universities private.
The Legislature supports the bill, claiming that the deals do not involve government entities, like many other publicly-viewable documents.
Opponents worry the bill would prevent the public from tracking “troubling trends.”
The bill would prohibit Utah’s college athletes from entering into NIL agreements that promote things like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and sexually oriented businesses.
For Athletes
Deal of the Week
Michigan Running Back Blake Corum partners with Bon Bon Bon, a local chocolate shop in Ann Arbor.
Corum and the shop donated 15% of all proceeds to The Uniform Funding Foundation, a non-profit that provides uniforms for underprivileged youth athletes.
To learn more about The Uniform Funding Foundation, check out our interview with the founders this past summer available HERE.
ICYMI
EA Sports releases trailer for NCAA College Football 25. LINK
UNC Men’s Basketball Recruit Ian Jackson (G- Our Savior Lutheran High School) inks an NIL deal with Adidas. LINK
Head Football Coach at the University of Texas, Steve Sarkisan, signs a new deal with the University which includes two cars, a private jet, game tickets, and a country club membership. LINK
Sheduer Sanders and Bronny James top the list of highest-paid NCAA athletes, making $5.9 million and $4.8 million respectively. LINK
Miami Hurricanes NIL Collective, Canes Collective, signs deals with quarterback Cam Ward, center Zach Carpenter, defensive end Elijah Alston, freshman quarterback Judd Anderson, offensive lineman Deryc Plazz, linebacker Adarius Hayes, defensive lineman Armando Blount, and freshman defensive end Marquise Lightfoot. LINK
Have you checked out OSC’s website?
Head to www.OptimumSportsConsulting.com to find important resources and features relating to all things NIL. These resources include State by State Resources for Admins, Agents, and Athletes, including our initial “OSC Summaries” for over a dozen states coming soon.
More to come too, including links to helpful state information- agency laws and information about school policies, as well as seminar/congressional notes, worksheets, and much more!