🏅 Charles Barkley Barks about NIL

Teaming up with

Hey there,

College coaches have a lot to say about NIL, and almost all of it is negative. But what if I were to tell you they may actually be contributing to the madness themselves? That’s what our first story is diving into today — just keep reading!

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— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Are Coaches Contributing to Transfer Madness?

Just about every college football coach in the country has been vocal about how frustrating NIL has made their jobs. Combining NIL compensation with the transfer portal has complicated the roster construction process immeasurably – they have no idea who might transfer after the season, which understandably affects team chemistry, continuity, and much more.

All reasonable frustrations, to be sure. However, the coaching carousel itself has contributed to the problem, creating a similarly unstable culture with skyrocketing turnover rates from year to year. According to one poll, over thirty coaches either left or were let go, which some argue effects transfer decisions more than anything.

If a coach gets called up for a better position, they may well recruit the best of their former players to their next school – ala Lincoln Riley with Caleb Williams. Also, there’s coaches like Deion Sanders, who immediately cut almost half the roster upon arriving in Boulder. Coaches play a role in the current college sports mobility climate, whether they think they do or not. (More)

Barkley Barks Back at NIL

During the NBA’s All-Star festivities this weekend, former Auburn superstar Charles Barkley discussed NIL with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Never one to shy away from controversy, Barkley described the NCAA as “boneheads” throughout the conversation.

“We screwed up college sports with the NIL thing,” he said, “What can we do, the NBA, to get together with the colleges, because it is the wild, wild west on steroids… You’ve got college coaches leaving to take assistant jobs in the NFL and things like that because they don’t want to have to pay all these college players.” 

Unsure how NIL might affect NBA operations, Barkley implored commissioner Silver to take action himself: “We’re going to have to do something. Can you get together with the NCAA, because the NCAA, they’re boneheads. (More)

Softball Thrives on NIL

Many arguments in favor of NIL said that the policy would help equivalency sports greatly – those are the sports where a set number of scholarships can be divided amongst athletes. They produce less revenue, and so there’s less resources given to the sport than, say, football. Almost no one gets a full scholarship to play an equivalency sport.

Softball is one of those sports – so is NIL helping? Take the case of Brylie St. Clair, a softball outfielder for Mississippi State. By gathering a social media following, she’s become one of the most successful NIL earners in the entire sport. She even just signed a deal with makeup company Maybelline that should help carry her through a lot of that expensive tuition.

"I think it's great, especially for women's athletics," head softball coach Samantha Ricketts said of NIL, “I think we have been able to utilize it in a way that NIL was really meant for… It's not so much the pay to play that you see at the big-time level with NIL.” (More)

Teaming up with

Influxer has emerged as the a leader in the realm of NIL merchandise. 

With an impressive roster of over 250 universities and a 7,800 student-athletes, the team is revolutionizing the co-branded NIL gear market. From tees and hoodies to long sleeves and comfortable crewnecks, Influxer has it all. And that's not all - they are soon set to unveil an exciting addition to their collection: jerseys!

But Influxer's commitment to student-athletes goes beyond just merchandise. They are dedicated to providing additional opportunities, evident in their employment of over 70 student-athletes for internships.

Simultaneously, the team is working on an app that will serve as the ultimate NIL portal. This game-changing platform will offer live sales and royalty tracking for both student-athletes and administration, a dynamic marketplace for student-athletes and brands to collaborate, comprehensive NIL education, and even career placement capabilities.

In 2024, Influxer is taking things to the next level. They are focusing on expanded rollouts, enticing sponsorship opportunities, strategic bookstore partnerships, captivating pop-up shops, and a plethora of other exciting ventures. The possibilities are endless!

If you're eager to learn more about what Influxer can offer, click here and reach out today. The future of NIL merchandise and student-athlete empowerment awaits!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

🚨Caitlin Clark Breaks Women’s Scoring Record!🚨

Caitlin Clark had already established herself as a college basketball legend before Thursday night… but when she broke the all-time scoring record for women’s basketball, her legend skyrocketed even higher. Check out the moment she made history by clicking the link below.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Payments disclosed on Amazon’s NIL Docuseries

Financial details have been released about the upcoming Amazon docuseries that centers around NIL at LSU. The school itself will get paid $1M for being featured, whereas the individual players themselves will negotiate individual NIL deals for their appearances in the series. Superstar NIL talents like Livvy Dunne and Angel Reese will be prominantly featured.

The show is being produced by Shaquille O’Neal, a former Tiger himself. “NIL is ingrained to what LSU does, and it goes back to Shaq,” said LSU’s chief brand officer Cody Worsham in an interview, “He was one of the first college athletes to brand himself.” (More)

• EA Sports just dropped the first teaser trailer for their new college football game, set to come out later this year. The game was originally discontinued due to Name, Image, and Likeness issues.

• NIL service provider ZINYX just launched an NIL podcast as part of their celebration of Black History Month. The podcast will partner with HBCU athletes to share their “stories, experiences and cultural perspectives.”

COLLECTIVE 101

UCLA is Accelerating NIL Efforts under Foster

We talked about Chip Kelly’s departure from UCLA last edition from the coach’s perspective, but we didn’t really mention how UCLA itself was recovering from the decision. Well, luckily enough, it seems like newly minted head coach DeShaun Foster is ready to tackle the challenges that Kelly shied away from.

According to UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, one key to the next hire was to find someone who “fully embraces the NIL landscape to help our student-athletes.” Foster seems more than ready to handle that part of the job – in fact he’s already meeting with the school’s primary collective partner to strategize NIL strategy for the future.

UCLA could be another “sleeping giant” school; one with plenty of capital and a massive alumni base. Whether Foster can wake them up and get them to give to NIL, however, is yet to be seen. (More)

• Colorado State’s head football coach Jay Norvell is not happy about how NIL has changed his job. In a recent interview, he told the media “I’m gonna coach. I’m not just gonna be a fundraiser.”

• Michigan athletics just strengthened their bond with Learfield and Altius, which will provide more business solutions for their NIL efforts. New head football coach Sherrone Moore has been adamant about bolstering their NIL program even further after winning a National championship this year.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Sydney Smith

Meet Sydney Smith, the gymnast hailing from Southern Connecticut who has captivated audiences with her routines and charisma. With a social media following of 2.2M on TikTok, 548K on Instagram, and 35K on Twitter, Sydney has become a beloved figure in the digital realm. 

Beyond the gym, Sydney has seamlessly transitioned into the business world, boasting a remarkable NIL valuation of $519,000. Through strategic partnerships with brands like Leaf Trading Cards, Lions R King, and Hey Dudes, Sydney has solidified her status as a marketable athlete with a flair for entrepreneurship. 

NIL BLITZ

♦️ SDSU’s Lamont Butler has a “Buzzer Beater Smoothie”

♦️ West Virginia begins close relationship with INFLCR

♦️ Ohio State standout signs a shampoo deal 

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Was it a good decision for Chip Kelly to leave UCLA for Ohio State’s offensive coordinator position?

• Yes - 76%

• No - 24%