🏅Goths, D.C. Lobbyists, and Fried Chicken

Teaming up with

Hey there,

You’re probably a bit confused by this email’s subject line, and to be honest, I’d be too. But everything here revolves around NIL, and we’ve got a particularly unique batch of news for you today. How did a volleyball player in Idaho become an NIL sensation? How are Olympic sport coaches fighting back against the financial changes to college sports? And why is Raising Canes so effective with their NIL advertising spend? It’s all coming up right now – let’s get into it!

Love us? Hate us? Want to get in contact? Just email [email protected] to get in touch, or reply to this email. We love your feedback. Okay, now to the news!

Check out todays sponsor, Rhoback, they have the perfect gift this holiday season!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

The Big 3

NIL Helps Goth Volleyball Player in Idaho

What a headline, huh? Boise State volleyball’s Nora Hayd saw her national profile soar this season after a tweet went viral about her, the school’s “goth” volleyball player. That moment of virality quickly ballooned into ways to monetize her fame with NIL. 

A week later, her first line of merchandise appeared, and Hayd’s graphic tee became the #7 best-seller on the NIL Store that week. About a week after that, she was filming a promo video with pop-punk band Simple Plan in Las Vegas. 

Hayd’s story isn’t exclusive – this is the NIL world now. Even a moment of fame can turn into NIL partnerships rather quickly, especially as women’s sports steadily rise in terms of total NIL investment. (More)

How Coaches are Trying to Save Olympic Sports

Most Olympic sport coaches actually hail from the college ranks, which is why they’re now trying to save their sports’ futures from rapid changes within the college sports world. In fact, a group of these coaches just hired lobbyists to fight for their sports’ continued support in Washington.

The mission of these lobbyists is to lobby for “a federal solution that protects Olympic sports programs and broad-based sports sponsorship,” according to the firm.

This is a timely piece of news. In light of the House Settlement’s preliminary approval, schools have already been cutting back their athletic budgets, and Olympic Sports are first on the chopping block. Ohio State made the first big change, transitioning their men’s gymnastics program to more of a “club sport” model. (More)

Canes Continues Heavy NIL Investment

Raising Cane’s has proven to be one of NIL’s earliest, and most successful, corporate adopters. Whether it’s the College World Series champions or Heisman contenders, the company always seems financially willing to get student-athletes to rep the brand.

Now, the company is doubling down even further. They just upped their NIL spend by adding a few new names to their roster to model for their new partnership with Sportiqe, which features a college-themed collection of jackets, hats, and more.

Canes’ success in the NIL world isn’t random. The company’s been very careful with not only who they pick to rep the brand, but also how they employ those selections. Some work behind the counter, while others model – maintaining brand approachability and desirability all at once. (More)

Teaming up with

It’s the holiday season and there is no better place to start than Rhoback.

Having established themselves as the go-to activewear brand for college athletes, Rhoback has quickly gained traction with their Gameday Collection. With exclusive partnerships with some of the faces of college football in Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, and Caleb Downs, it’s easy to see why college athletes across the country can’t take their Rhoback hoodies, tees, and shorts off.

Rhoback is about to begin their holiday sale for 20% off the entire website. They recently released new Fleeces and outerwear that make the perfect holiday gift. For today only, use code “NILWIRE” at checkout for 20% off of your first purchase and get all your holiday shopping needs.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Justin Hill

• School: Wichita State

• Sport: Basketball

• Position: Guard

• Class: Senior

• Accolades: 

• Appeared in 37 games for Georgia in 2023-24, averaging 9.5 points and 3.2 assists per game on 37.9% shooting

• Scored 10+ points in 17 games, with a season-high 21 points against Wake Forest in the NIT

• Helped lead Georgia to the NIT Semifinals

• Averaged 8.6 points and 2.7 assists as a junior at Georgia

• Scored over 1,000 career points, including two seasons at Longwood, where he averaged 12.7 points per game and earned All-Big South honors

NIL: The exact figures of Justin Hill’s NIL earnings remain undisclosed, but estimates suggest that he could be earning anywhere from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ UConn’s Geno Auriemma thinks the next step toward taking women’s hoops to the next level is the ability to take criticism

♦️ Arkansas is charging a 3% fee on concessions to help pay back the House v. NCAA settlement

♦️ Rutgers superstar Dylan Harper signs an NIL deal with Red Bull

♦️ LSU just hosted an NIL-backed fashion show to emphasize the connection between style and NIL opportunities

♦️ Female athletes are social media gurus, which is why they’re generally better at NIL 

♦️ Mark Stoops says one of his players would rather “give the [NIL] money back” to build “camaraderie”

♦️ Cal’s basketball stud Mady Sissoko is using NIL money to build a school and medical center in his hometown

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Will Messi be worth $50 million per year over the next two years if he brings the MLS title to Inter Miami?

• Yes - 32%

• No - 68%