Future NIL

[ZooCougar]

If you are speaking against NIL on a board that recruits and players probably read from time to time then please just delete your account.

 

[uconndogs]

No virtue-signaling or intent to change minds here. Just my two cents.

Actually really enjoying this discussion. I appreciate UConndog's position and am sympathetic to it. I agree that this forum is a legitimate place to have this discussion (maybe a separate thread, but whatever). My take is this; UConndog's point about giving dollars to other deserving recipients at a university is well-taken. I wish NIL didn't exist so choosing between different places to give wasn't necessary, but UC70's point is also well-taken; This is the current reality. I also still believe that student athletics, as grotesque as the money side has become, continues to provide direct and indirect benefits to institutions and their stakeholders. I also believe that there is a significant number of folks who would not send any money in the direction of a university (I understand that the collective is NOT the University; just speaking in broad terms) except as a contribution to support athletics.

Full disclosure: Have just made my first contribution to BBfG. I contribute to the general fund at the university where I am on the faculty. Could I give more to my school if I didn't give to BBfG? Sure. I think both are worthwhile.

Very good and thoughtful post. Thanks.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[uconnbill]

I have given now trying to get the wife to let me send a Christmas present to the NIL. I think we all would like $3 million in the NIL fund

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The only flaw in “the more NIL money next year” means we get better is everybody is saying the same thing… do there will be NIL competitive inflation not necessarily more buying power.

I'm not sure this can be characterized as a flaw, it is basically the reality of the situation.

 

[Jetskies]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

 

[Patman]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

because they don't want to. It is simple as that. They don't want to and so far have legally avoided doing so.

 

[gioff2323]

I’m guessing a good deal of 25 NIL will go to retention.

 

[Jetskies]

because they don't want to. It is simple as that. They don't want to and so far have legally avoided doing so.

so calling it NIL is the legal loophole to avoid having to force the universities to foot the bill? because "technically" NIL is not pay for play, but secondary income based on the N.I.L. of the player... which is a joke...?

I always wondered why it was called NIL if it wasn't sponsors paying for it. the collective thing doesnt sit well with me. I don't peronally need to benefit from a Lineman's or QB's N,I, or L (ie the way a sponsor would). But the school is encouraging me to pay for it, via collective?

i think i'm putting it together.

 

[uconnbill]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

Do you not see how other schools are doing. A number are taking tickets, others are adding to students fees while others are doing just this.

 

[Patman]

so calling it NIL is the legal loophole to avoid having to force the universities to foot the bill? because "technically" NIL is not pay for play, but secondary income based on the N.I.L. of the player... which is a joke...?

I always wondered why it was called NIL if it wasn't sponsors paying for it. the collective thing doesnt sit well with me. I don't peronally need to benefit from a Lineman's or QB's N,I, or L (ie the way a sponsor would). But the school is encouraging me to pay for it, via collective?

i think i'm putting it together.

Its not a loophole, the schools aren't paying people to pay the players.

 

[bobbyinaz]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

Starting next year they will.

As part of the House settlement schools will be able to pay $20+MM directly to the kids. This will be in addition to NIL which kids will still get.

 

[UConnJim]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

So, here's the deal. Revenue sharing is coming for players and it will impact this year's HS/portal/roster recruiting. For football, the revenue share could be $15 million+, depending on what each school wants to do. Some schools will probably try to minimize their revenue share. Unfortunately, for a school like UConn, they have little football media revenue so there will not be much to share with the players. For an SEC school with 85 scholarships, the revenue share could average ~$175k/player if they divided it equally, but it won't be divided equally.

But, there will also be NIL raised by collectives. NIL is not just crowdsourcing donations as there are some marketing deals for some players like Paige Bueckers.

For UConn, it looks like NIL will be very important to remain competitive given the low football media revenues to share with players. Like it or not, that's the reality and why fans have to support Bleeding Blue for Good.

 

[UC70]

Wow, I’m suprised by the lack of knowledge vis a vis NIL collectives and revenue sharing with athletes on this forum. And the general knowledge of the new paradigm of college athletics. If you really care about UConn competing at the highest level (and winning) in all sports, you need to support both the NIL collectives that support UConn in addition to being a season tix holder. Being a season ticket holder is simply not enough. If you want (and expect) UConn to compete with P4 FB schools, win National Championships in BB, and maintain a natioanl profile, you have to contribute to NIL and directly to UConn athletics. Please don’t complain about beating P4 if you’re not willing to provide financial support.

 

[UC70]

So, here's the deal. Revenue sharing is coming for players and it will impact this year's HS/portal/roster recruiting. For football, the revenue share could be $15 million+, depending on what each school wants to do. Some schools will probably try to minimize their revenue share. Unfortunately, for a school like UConn, they have little football media revenue so there will not be much to share with the players. For an SEC school with 85 scholarships, the revenue share could average ~$175k/player if they divided it equally, but it won't be divided equally.

But, there will also be NIL raised by collectives. NIL is not just crowdsourcing donations as there are some marketing deals for some players like Paige Bueckers.

For UConn, it looks like NIL will be very important to remain competitive given the low football media revenues to share with players. Like it or not, that's the reality and why fans have to support Bleeding Blue for Good.

Finally, someone who really understands the new paradigm in college sports. Revenue sharing and the importance of NIL support to compete. And you’re righht - NIL is more important at UConn due to lack of conference revenue ( see P4 revenue). So it’s very simple: support NIL via Bleeding Blue for Good or don’t expect UConn FB, BB et al to compete nationally. And schools like Rutgers will pass us by. That’s the reality gentlemen.

 

[Kgun7]

The question then becomes, how quickly can these programs be built and funded in comparison to the bidding that will go on for the talent everyone is seeking. I see a cluster for the first order coming along at many places.

The bidding that will go on? Or ... the bidding that has always gone on?? If John Wooden and Bear Bryant had no problem with funneling cash towards talent that they sought out and out bid their competition for, why should Jim Mora??

I believe NIL is just a new, different instrument to play the same decades old game.

 

[uconndogs]

The bidding that will go on? Or ... the bidding that has always gone on?? If John Wooden and Bear Bryant had no problem with funneling cash towards talent that they sought out and out bid their competition for, why should Jim Mora??

I believe NIL is just a new, different instrument to play the same decades old game.

No.....this is different. It's fully above board (a good thing), but there are no limits in place right now. Colleges and universities are at risk of driving up costs to levels that are unsupportable. Heck, most AD budgets are already heavily strained.

The cheating that went on before hand was peanuts compared to where we're heading. This is serious coin......

 

[bobbyinaz]

No.....this is different. It's fully above board (a good thing), but there are no limits in place right now. Colleges and universities are at risk of driving up costs to levels that are unsupportable. Heck, most AD budgets are already heavily strained.

The cheating that went on before hand was peanuts compared to where we're heading. This is serious coin......

This.

Even when schools like Alabama et al were cheating, they weren’t giving kids $10MM like the QB that just flipped to Michigan.

Now schools will have a “salary cap” of $20+MM to spend on legally paying kids.

As much as NIL has made free agency a thing this will make it much worse.

 

[UConnJim]

This.

Even when schools like Alabama et al were cheating, they weren’t giving kids $10MM like the QB that just flipped to Michigan.

Now schools will have a “salary cap” of $20+MM to spend on legally paying kids.

As much as NIL has made free agency a thing this will make it much worse.

The important thing to remember about revenue sharing is that schools do not have to pay the maximum total amount and many won't as few athletic departments could take an extra $20 million hit to the bottom line. And, they increased the number of scholarships to 105, but the SEC is capping scholarships at 85. All schools will have roster limits of 105 which will greatly reduce the number of roster opportunities for walk-ons at a number of schools.

 

[Kolumbo]

please don't shoot me - this is not a shot at UConn.

I just find the current crowdsourcing nature of NIL funding to be a bit weird.
Universities are/were supposedly making money off the kids' labor, hence this revolution - why are they not paying the kids?
I paid for my ticket, hot dogs, parking passes, ESPN+ streaming, cable bill, etc. They made & kept the conference money & ticket/concession money. But private donors are still on the hook for paying the kids...........?

Is this NIL collective thing just a temporary bridge to the final model, where the Uni's themselves are cutting checks to the kids? Just feels like a charade right now.

First, I fully support everyone chipping in to NIL if they want to because that is the current model everyone is following.

Like you said, you pay for all kinds of things to support the team. And don't forget, taxes. All of us CT residents pay to support our public universities. We also pay to support pro baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, youth sports, and a whole bunch of other things. The average family only has so much disposable income. The big winners are the universities with the most donors, and the most mega-rich donors. That's where the big payrolls will be which have to be funded annually. The average fan isn't going to make much of a difference when it comes to NIL.

 

[Kolumbo]

If the NIL Collective is a 501(c)(3), the donations are tax deductible. For UConn, Bleeding Blue for Good is a 501(c)(3) and D'Amelio's Collective is not. BBfG does charitable work and the athletes get compensated.

That said, the IRS is scrutinizing this and could change their view. Some charitable gift funds (Fidelity) will not allow you to donate to a Collective.

Yes, the IRS is going to be scrutinizing this and other issues. I'm interested to know how much athletes are getting from NIL at all the schools to see the trend by conference and by year. Most players probably won't even make out all that well after expenses and taxes, and will probably record losses.

Let's say you're a highly paid quarterback. You may want to buy expensive gifts for your OL and other team members. Those may be deductible expenses for QB LLC which would then need to issue 1099s to them. You buy a car for transportation and you have all the other necessary business expenses small business owners have. They'd all be better off being employees for simplicity sake.

 

[bobbyinaz]

The important thing to remember about revenue sharing is that schools do not have to pay the maximum total amount and many won't as few athletic departments could take an extra $20 million hit to the bottom line. And, they increased the number of scholarships to 105, but the SEC is capping scholarships at 85. All schools will have roster limits of 105 which will greatly reduce the number of roster opportunities for walk-ons at a number of schools.

You and I disagree on how many won’t participate at the max. You say many won’t. I think every P4 school at a minimum will be in. If they aren’t going to compete at the max they risk dying on the vine.

Plus, they all get a big chunk of new cash this year with the 12 team playoff. Big 12 & ACC get around $13MM and B1G/SEC get $21MM. Interesting that the revenue share number matches the payout to SEC/B1G. Most schools run a deficit already so they will funnel this new cash towards revenue share.

 

[J187Money]

Here is a link to UConn NIL for those interested in donating.

Bleeding Blue for Good

Based on the front page - looks like pretty meager donations - at least from the online folks.

 

[UConnJim]

You and I disagree on how many won’t participate at the max. You say many won’t. I think every P4 school at a minimum will be in. If they aren’t going to compete at the max they risk dying on the vine.

Plus, they all get a big chunk of new cash this year with the 12 team playoff. Big 12 & ACC get around $13MM and B1G/SEC get $21MM. Interesting that the revenue share number matches the payout to SEC/B1G. Most schools run a deficit already so they will funnel this new cash towards revenue share.

Read this 247 article in which they anonymously interview 8 P4 and 2 G5 General Managers, Directors of Personnel,.... They talk about revenue sharing, NIL, who they think will portal,...

Many interesting takes including not all schools will maximize revenue sharing, G5 players may be vulnerable for poaching, productive P4 players may not bounce from one P4 to another due to revenue sharing, schools will have to budget by position, with the rosters going to 105 it will free up lots of P4 walkons who will enter the portal, ...

2025 college football transfer portal to be ' show,' anonymous FBS staffers surveyed by 247Sports explain

 

[UC70]

No virtue-signaling or intent to change minds here. Just my two cents.

Actually really enjoying this discussion. I appreciate UConndog's position and am sympathetic to it. I agree that this forum is a legitimate place to have this discussion (maybe a separate thread, but whatever). My take is this; UConndog's point about giving dollars to other deserving recipients at a university is well-taken. I wish NIL didn't exist so choosing between different places to give wasn't necessary, but UC70's point is also well-taken; This is the current reality. I also still believe that student athletics, as grotesque as the money side has become, continues to provide direct and indirect benefits to institutions and their stakeholders. I also believe that there is a significant number of folks who would not send any money in the direction of a university (I understand that the collective is NOT the University; just speaking in broad terms) except as a contribution to support athletics.

Full disclosure: Have just made my first contribution to BBfG. I contribute to the general fund at the university where I am on the faculty. Could I give more to my school if I didn't give to BBfG? Sure. I think both are worthwhile.

I really respect your thoughts and perspective. I’m a FB season Tix holder for 20+ years, a donor, and contributer to NIL. I agree, it’s a lot. My personal feeling is this: if you’re a season tix holder for FB, BB, or other sports you’re making an investment. If you want that investment to thrive and succeed, then supporting NIL via Bleeding Blue for Good is a wise decision. Simply donate what you can. The sum is greater than the individual parts.