NIL Nuggets of the Week Thread - (3/17-3/23)
In an attempt to stay tapped into all things NIL, I've sorted through and gathered some interesting NIL-centered news items today, the title of each section will redirect you to the initial article, as I did not translate all of the columns into this page. Just the best cliff notes.
I will continue adding more news as the week unfolds! Please feel free to link any informative or interesting NIL articles in this thread!
Cheers,
PS: If you'd like to advertise with Orangebloods, Sponsoring this Column or a show on Orangbloods Live, please reach out to @Sunny Nelson !
1. Hiring a college basketball coach is costly. Just not in the way it used to be.
“The first question agents are asking is, what are they committed to in revenue-share this year and beyond?” one person involved in multiple coaching searches told USA TODAY Sports, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the negotiations. “It always used to be, 'What do I have in facilities and recruiting and assistant salary pool?’ But now it’s, 'How much can I spend on player acquisition?'"
“Schools are getting as much money off the books as they can,” said Russell White, the president of The Collective Association, a group of the most lucrative booster collectives. “There will be some big paydays.”
“We are frontloading at a level where we are trying to get to or above $13 million,” Kelly told Yahoo Sports last month in an interview from his office. A portion of that $13 was used to support last season’s team. LSU expects to frontload roughly $10 million of it before July 1 for members of the 2025 roster."
"The $13 million is more than the collective distributed the past three football rosters combined: $5.5 million last year, about $4 million in 2023 and $2 million in 2022."
"Programs are chasing that kind of leverage under the assumption that they will soon be in a position to directly sign athletes to NIL deals without having to depend on outside collectives or individual donors to make arrangements."
"One Big 12 school required the athlete to pay a buyout equal to 50 percent of his remaining compensation if he transferred before the end of the deal’s term."
"An ACC school required the athlete to pay back 100 percent of his earnings if he transferred before Jan. 31, 2026."
"One Big Ten player’s contract, based on a suggested template the conference sent to all of its members, requires the athlete to pay liquidated damages in the event he transfers."
"The athletic department blew past its projections, earning $190.94 million in operating revenue. Yet, the athletic department still suffered a $9.21 million net loss after racking up $200.15 million in operating expenses, nearly $50 million more than in 2023."
"Football went from spending $13.44 million on its coaching staff during FY23 to $18.9 million in FY24, while giving DeBoer’s staff $1.92 million in bonuses for Washington’s football performance. UW also paid more than $4 million in severance to Hopkins, his staff and several football staffers following DeBoer’s departure. Support staff salaries also increased $7.78 million from FY23."
"UW’s financial situation remains difficult. O’Connell and Chun’s proposed FY25 operational budget from June, 2024 required two $10 million loans from the Big Ten and FOX Sports, borrowed with no interest against Washington’s future earnings. It still projected UW to suffer a net loss of around $2 million. And the Huskies aren’t guaranteed a full share of the Big Ten’s next media contract."
6. Louisville basketball success with Pat Kelsey has galvanized city, inspired NIL donations
"His success has reinvigorated a community that ached for the return of great basketball. Enamored with Kelsey's salesmanship and desperate to maintain such results, Cards fans have opened their wallets to U of L’s official NIL collective, 502Circle.
“Ultimately, fundraising is driven by emotions,” 502Circle President Dan Furman told The Courier Journal. “So the more that we win, and the more excited people are about what we're doing, the more likely they are to invest and the entire thing.”
7. How NIL budgets factored into Indiana landing Wes Virginia's Darian DeVries
"Indiana spent over $5 million on this year's roster, while West Virginia's cleared $3 million, sources tell ON3"
"Iowa opened and the best players were making $300,000. That’s bottom, bottom, bottom of the Big Ten."
8. North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham was in a WEIRD WEIRD Spot last week....
9. With NIL revenue sharing, NCAA mantra is double down on stupid when all else fails
"This $20 million to 23 million annual pool of money paid to athletes is a pittance compared to what could be lost if players organize. So what do the power conferences do?"
"As former Auburn and Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne told me last week, “It’s just minor league football now. Anyone who thinks anything different is fooling themselves.”
10. Oklahoma set to here Assistant General Manager
"In the last nine months, working with Rosenberg, he’s assisted Oklahoma and Florida in hiring general managers and preparing for the revenue-sharing era of college football."
"As part of his role with The Athlete Group, Redd worked closely Brent Venables during the winter transfer portal cycle, helping with negotiations and contracts. Before his time with the Patriots, Redd was one of the younger Power Five directors of player personnel in the country at Wake Forest. He helped construct the 2017 and 2018 recruiting classes, which played a role in the Demon Deacons’ 2021 ACC championship game berth."
In an attempt to stay tapped into all things NIL, I've sorted through and gathered some interesting NIL-centered news items today, the title of each section will redirect you to the initial article, as I did not translate all of the columns into this page. Just the best cliff notes.
I will continue adding more news as the week unfolds! Please feel free to link any informative or interesting NIL articles in this thread!
Cheers,
PS: If you'd like to advertise with Orangebloods, Sponsoring this Column or a show on Orangbloods Live, please reach out to @Sunny Nelson !
1. Hiring a college basketball coach is costly. Just not in the way it used to be.
“The first question agents are asking is, what are they committed to in revenue-share this year and beyond?” one person involved in multiple coaching searches told USA TODAY Sports, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the negotiations. “It always used to be, 'What do I have in facilities and recruiting and assistant salary pool?’ But now it’s, 'How much can I spend on player acquisition?'"
2. 'It's a money game now' — How LSU is using NIL to keep up in ever-evolving college football world
"LSU’s collective spent roughly $12 million on its football roster over the last three seasons — combined. For comparison’s sake, the Ole Miss collective spent about $13 million on its roster — last season."“Schools are getting as much money off the books as they can,” said Russell White, the president of The Collective Association, a group of the most lucrative booster collectives. “There will be some big paydays.”
“We are frontloading at a level where we are trying to get to or above $13 million,” Kelly told Yahoo Sports last month in an interview from his office. A portion of that $13 was used to support last season’s team. LSU expects to frontload roughly $10 million of it before July 1 for members of the 2025 roster."
"The $13 million is more than the collective distributed the past three football rosters combined: $5.5 million last year, about $4 million in 2023 and $2 million in 2022."
3. How is college football trying to rein in ‘wild West’ of transfers? Make players pay to leave
"For four years, college coaches and administrators have lamented the “wild, wild West” nature of the transfer portal, with athletes hopping from school to school in search of more money, more playing time or a better fit. Now, some universities are invoking a new threat to keep their players: Leave, and you’ll owe us money.""Programs are chasing that kind of leverage under the assumption that they will soon be in a position to directly sign athletes to NIL deals without having to depend on outside collectives or individual donors to make arrangements."
"One Big 12 school required the athlete to pay a buyout equal to 50 percent of his remaining compensation if he transferred before the end of the deal’s term."
"An ACC school required the athlete to pay back 100 percent of his earnings if he transferred before Jan. 31, 2026."
"One Big Ten player’s contract, based on a suggested template the conference sent to all of its members, requires the athlete to pay liquidated damages in the event he transfers."
4. Rumors of Will Wade to NC State have NIL donations surging to new levels
"If you’ve thought about giving, and you want to help NC State in a time where NIL donations are directly impacting negotiations with high-level coaches. Here is your chance…"5. UW Huskies face budget shortfall. Here are what challenges are ahead.
"Then-athletic director Jen Cohen presented the proposed budget to the Board of Regents in June, 2023. It expected to make $144.1 million in operating revenue against $134.15 million in expenses, with a net operating income of $9.96 million.""The athletic department blew past its projections, earning $190.94 million in operating revenue. Yet, the athletic department still suffered a $9.21 million net loss after racking up $200.15 million in operating expenses, nearly $50 million more than in 2023."
"Football went from spending $13.44 million on its coaching staff during FY23 to $18.9 million in FY24, while giving DeBoer’s staff $1.92 million in bonuses for Washington’s football performance. UW also paid more than $4 million in severance to Hopkins, his staff and several football staffers following DeBoer’s departure. Support staff salaries also increased $7.78 million from FY23."
"UW’s financial situation remains difficult. O’Connell and Chun’s proposed FY25 operational budget from June, 2024 required two $10 million loans from the Big Ten and FOX Sports, borrowed with no interest against Washington’s future earnings. It still projected UW to suffer a net loss of around $2 million. And the Huskies aren’t guaranteed a full share of the Big Ten’s next media contract."
6. Louisville basketball success with Pat Kelsey has galvanized city, inspired NIL donations
"His success has reinvigorated a community that ached for the return of great basketball. Enamored with Kelsey's salesmanship and desperate to maintain such results, Cards fans have opened their wallets to U of L’s official NIL collective, 502Circle.
“Ultimately, fundraising is driven by emotions,” 502Circle President Dan Furman told The Courier Journal. “So the more that we win, and the more excited people are about what we're doing, the more likely they are to invest and the entire thing.”
7. How NIL budgets factored into Indiana landing Wes Virginia's Darian DeVries
"Indiana spent over $5 million on this year's roster, while West Virginia's cleared $3 million, sources tell ON3"
"Iowa opened and the best players were making $300,000. That’s bottom, bottom, bottom of the Big Ten."
8. North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham was in a WEIRD WEIRD Spot last week....
9. With NIL revenue sharing, NCAA mantra is double down on stupid when all else fails
"This $20 million to 23 million annual pool of money paid to athletes is a pittance compared to what could be lost if players organize. So what do the power conferences do?"
"As former Auburn and Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne told me last week, “It’s just minor league football now. Anyone who thinks anything different is fooling themselves.”
10. Oklahoma set to here Assistant General Manager
"In the last nine months, working with Rosenberg, he’s assisted Oklahoma and Florida in hiring general managers and preparing for the revenue-sharing era of college football."
"As part of his role with The Athlete Group, Redd worked closely Brent Venables during the winter transfer portal cycle, helping with negotiations and contracts. Before his time with the Patriots, Redd was one of the younger Power Five directors of player personnel in the country at Wake Forest. He helped construct the 2017 and 2018 recruiting classes, which played a role in the Demon Deacons’ 2021 ACC championship game berth."
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