🏅 Cincinnati Wins Best Institutional NIL Program for 2024

Hey there,

Gambling companies, new football coaching restrictions, and a peek into Ohio State’s athletic department. Let’s cut to the chase — this week’s been busy with NIL news, and we want to get it to you right now. Keep scrolling to get all caught up.

Before you do though, do us a favor by taking a look at today’s sponsor, Public Rec.

Speaking of sponsors, if you want to advertise with NIL Wire, we’d love to talk. Get your product or brand in front of readers today — just respond to this email.

What do you want to see more of? Less of? How can we make NIL Wire work best for you? Email us at [email protected] to let us know!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Gambling Companies Can’t Work with Schools

As schools probe their options to create new revenue streams, many have suggested sports gambling agreements. While there’s been some recent history of such agreements happening, the American Gaming Association (AGA) shut the door on that avenue last year. 

In March of 2023, the AGA announced that gambling companies would no longer be allowed to partner with schools for promotions. They also cut off the gaming companies’ ability to strike NIL deals with specific players – all for the sake of industry reputation.

If the House settlement proposal popped up last spring instead of this spring, gambling companies likely would have played a big role in financially supporting athletic departments. Now, schools will be forced to look elsewhere. (More)

Ohio State Spills Beans on Rev-Share Distributions

Some college sports teams are expected to take a step back as a result of shrinking budgets. Less money available means a less refined in-game product… unless you’re Ohio State. The school’s AD announced that they would be rev-sharing the maximum amount allowed – $22 million per year – after the House settlement goes through.

The question now is how they’ll divvy up that spending. “This is the equation that everybody’s got to figure out,” newly minted AD Ross Bjork explained, “If you have $11 million for men’s sports, how much goes to football… There are basketball powerhouses that don’t have football. They could spend all $11 million on basketball.”

His predecessor's advice? Stick to what the school has been successful at in the past. “You have to pick what you're good at historically," said the school’s former AD Gene Smith, who retired this year. (More)

DI Council Removes Some Coaching Restrictions

This week, the Division I council passed several important measures, including one rather significant change: certain restrictions have been lifted on the number of “countable coaches” each school can have. Essentially, anyone on the payroll can coach now.

Before the House settlement, college football teams were ballooning with “analyst armies”  —specialized roles that provided tactical value to the team, but not the players. These analysts couldn’t “coach” players, which became a logistical nightmare.

However, due to the impending budget cuts, schools will likely have to cut a large portion of that staff. With tighter budgets organically restricting a school’s spending, there’s less need for limiting a school’s coaching personnel. It’s important to note, however, that restrictions still exist for how much recruiting personnel a school can roll out. (More)

Teaming up with

Introducing The Dealmaker Pant, Your New Power Move from the Boardroom to the Bar

Imagine closing a million-dollar deal in pants so comfortable, you forget you're wearing them. The Dealmaker Pant is the ultimate power move for the modern gentleman. Featuring a timeless design, impeccable craftsmanship, and unparalleled comfort, these pants are the embodiment of understated luxury. Save 15% with code READ15, exclusive to NIL Wire readers.

One Pant, Endless Possibilities

BEST PRACTICES

Connection is Everything

There is one question NIL collectives should constantly ask themselves: How do our donors feel about their contributions to the school? Do they understand how their donation fits into the school’s grand athletic strategy? In other words… does their money make them feel connected? 

I think this is a big problem in the NIL world. Some NIL promotions provide a product, like a beverage, while giving to the collective – that’s a physical payoff. But for other donation campaigns, collectives are relying on the pure charitable intent of the donors. That’s fine and all, but that means you have to make your donors feel special and connected.

This is why we think donation transparency is important. When collectives can provide a narrative of where the money is going, and how it’s helping the school, then donors are much more willing to give. Otherwise, fans feel disconnected, like this K-State fan. Read his qualms, and take them to heart, collective heads.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

NCAA Links with Meta for NIL Program

The NCAA just partnered with Meta for an NIL initiative that promises to help female student-athletes maximize their potential earnings. The collaboration, called the “Empower Program,” will select 100 women to participate in a three-month program with the company.

Components of the Empower Program include financial literacy classes, brand management lessons, and tips on how to stay safe on social media. That’s why Meta is doing this, by the way – to show their commitment to safe social media channels.

You can apply for fall and spring programs here. If you’re a female student-athlete, we think it’s a great opportunity to maximize your NIL. (More)

• The College World Series just drew the event’s second-largest viewership ever. Expect NIL money to pour in soon.

• On-field corporate sponsorships could be worth up to $6M per year, which would cover a substantial amount of a university’s future House damages payments

COLLECTIVE 101

Cincinnati has the Best NIL Program in 2024

Earlier this month, the NIL Summit recognized the Cincinnati Bearcats as 2024’s “Best Institutional Program of the Year.” The award, presented by the NIL Store, commended the school for its “exceptional commitment to supporting student-athletes in maximizing their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities.”

“I think what makes us different is we don't currently have all the resources that all the schools have, so we have to be innovative," said Eddie Taylor, the school’s Assistant Director of NIL and Innovation, "My whole position is to figure out how to do more with less, how to expand their brands. We don't have five stars running around, but we have five-star personalities and five-star brands.”

Other nominated schools included LSU, Grand Canyon University, Nebraska, and more. Click here to see the full list. (More)

• Thanks to a new partnership with Learfield, the University of Texas is revamping its Longhorn Network streaming service. More airtime means higher NIL brand values.

• Alabama’s collective just renewed its relationship with PoetrYY Finance, its digital banking partner. The company will also be the title sponsor for the school’s upcoming original content series.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Quincy Wilson

• School: Bullis High School

• Position: Sprinter

• Sport: Track & Field 

• Class: Junior 

• Accolades: 

  • Boys’ invitational 500m: Quincy Wilson ran 1:01.27, the second-fastest U.S. age-group time, just 0.02 seconds off the national high school record.

  • Millrose Games: Ran 1:17.36 in the 600m, the second-fastest all-time high school mark.

  • Sprint relay: Part of a team that set a national high school record.

  • New Balance Nationals Indoor, Boston: Retained 400m title with a national high school indoor record of 45.76 seconds, breaking the under-18 world record.

• NIL: He is the youngest of rising track and field stars Sadie Engelhardt, Tinoda Matsatsa, Daniel Simmons, and Ali Ince, who have all been announced as New Balance’s latest name, image, and likeness signings.

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Officials in South Dakota think new NIL rules won’t affect high school athletes in any major way

♦️  Middle Tennessee AD on House settlement: “I don’t think it’s fair, in terms of who pays.”

♦️ Michigan’s Donovan Edwards signs a sweet NIL deal with a local automotive dealership

♦️ Legendary baseball coach Joe Moglia lays out his own model for college sports professionalizing 

Share NIL Wire

Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy NIL Wire? Share with them today!

You currently have 0 referrals.

BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Will you be buying the College Football 25 video game?

• Yes, for myself - 17%

• Yes, for someone else - 20%

• No, I’m not a gamer - 63%