Hey there,

I won’t lie to you — this may be our most important edition to date. Not only do we have Transfer Portal Madness coming at you, but also updates on the NCAA’s newest proposal — one that could see student-athletes get paid directly from the institutions themselves. Keep scrolling to read more about the proposal that could change college sports forever.

Before you do though, let us know what you think about the newsletter. We’d love to hear from you — hit reply or send us an email at [email protected].

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Transfer Portal Madness!

It’s Thursday, which means that you need to get caught up on all of the transfer news from the last week. We’ll give you some quick hitters.

• Duke QB Riley Leonard has entered the portal, attracting attention most notably from Notre Dame

• Texas A&M is witnessing a mass exodus of defensive linemen heading to the portal, including the former #1 recruit in the country

• Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel is visiting Oregon this week, as the Ducks have allegedly become the favorite to land him

• Ohio State is set to become aggressive in the quarterback market after losing Kyle McCord.

• Washington St. QB Cam Ward seems to be one of the hottest names on the transfer market, with alleged suitors all around the country.

• Florida State is losing tons of players to the portal after not making the College Football Playoff, adding insult to injury.

NCAA May Allow for Athlete Payment in New Plan

The NCAA just introduced “the most revolutionary athlete compensation plan [they’ve] ever proposed”, according to sports attorney Mit Winter. The plan seeks to create a new subdivision of Division I, allowing the biggest institutions to operate under different guidelines in regards to transfers, recruitment, NIL, and more.

Most notably, the proposal would allow schools with substantial financial resources to “invest” money into a trust fund that athletes could then utilize. Essentially, it would allow for player payments.

If it were to pass, this proposal could change college sports forever. For one, it would allow schools to enter into licensing partnerships directly with their athletes – meaning the role of NIL collectives would be dramatically reduced. The proposal would also require Title IX compliance. (More)

Harbaugh Wants Revenue Sharing

Say what you’d like about Jim Harbaugh, but when he says something, he means it. In this case, he’s sounding off on what he sees as the best model for athlete compensation: revenue sharing.

“It’s not about any coach, it’s about the players,” he said to the media after Michigan took home the Big Ten title, “Don’t forget to give them a share of the revenue.” Harbaugh even went so far as to offer up a portion of his own salary to even things out. (More)

WHAT’S TRENDING

Ups and Downs

• Texas QB Quinn Ewers gained almost $200K in valuation after the Longhorns were selected to the college football playoff 📈

• NIL collectives are monitoring the NCAA’s new proposal closely, as their power could be diminished substantially 📉

• A&M wideout Evan Stewart’s value skyrockets 21% despite the school’s transfer woes 📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

A Tale of Two Brands

Shedeur has positioned himself as a luxury branding opportunity. He drives a Rolls Royce, flaunts expensive jewelry during games, and takes on national endorsement opportunities. Companies make deals with Shedeur because of his flash.

Travis Hunter’s brand, on the other hand, is a bit more “of the people,” as Coach Prime described it. “I think [Shedeur] probably appeals to more of a luxury brand where Travis Hunter appeals more to brands that me and you can afford.” (More)

SEC Commish Calls for Regulation

It’s not just coaches begging for NIL regulations. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey just took to the Pat McAfee show to once again voice his concerns about NIL. 

“It can’t stay as it is,” he said, “It’s just not a functioning system. There’s no system of sport that’s fully unregulated. There’s just none. Globally, there’s none.”

The line between college and professional sports has never been thinner than it is right now, but the regulation models could not be further apart. Until substantial guardrails are implemented, expect everyone – from coaches to commissioners – to continue calling for NIL regulations. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

A Push in the Right Direction

Five-star defensive line recruit Justin Scott just flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Miami, and it seems to be because of a late NIL push extended by the Hurricanes.

How did this happen? Well, Miami named Canes Collective their official NIL partner less than a month ago. That move allowed athletic officials to streamline their NIL strategy, which likely freed up funds to use toward recruitments like Scott’s.

No schools are immune to losing out on recruits – not even huge brands like Ohio State. Soon enough, raising donations for NIL may become just as important as coaching. (More)

Ladies Front and Centre

Centre College continues to be one of the wildest stories in the NIL world. The Division III school has unprecedented athletic participation numbers – 45% of the student body – and their NIL collective thrives on getting opportunities to their students. The most interesting part? The collective is focused on female athletes.

Basically all of the deals come by way of local investment. Finn’s Ice cream is a big one – a local ice cream shop that’s supported three female athletes to date with sponsorship deals. They most recently signed basketball player Bailey Rucker to a deal. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Olivier Rioux

Meet Olivier Rioux, the 17-year-old basketball prodigy towering at an incredible 7 feet 7 inches. Deemed by many as the future of college basketball, Rioux's dominance on the court at IMG Academy hints at an extraordinary trajectory — He’s already drawing comparisons to Purdue superstar Zach Edey.

Rioux's potential for lucrative NIL deals and endorsements is likewise colossal. With a skill set as towering as his stature, watch out for Rioux to set new records at the University of Florida. Check out more of his story below!

nil_wire

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Caleb the Elf is back at Purdue

♦️ UScellular signs 23 student-athletes

♦️ Rome Odunze gets his very own Adidas commercial

♦️ WVU urges supporters to drink up with NIL

♦️ Blake Corum signs a deal with Pelaton

♦️ Illinois collective organizes food drive

♦️ Shedeur Sanders signs on with Smoothie King

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Where will Dillon Gabriel Transfer to?

• Ohio State - 52%

• Mississippi State - 31%

• Other - 17%