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International Affairs and Ivy Amateurs

International Affairs and Ivy Amateurs

October 12, 2023

Hey sports fan,

We’ve got a treat for you today. It’s been a wild week in NIL. There’s questions about whether foreign investment in NIL is coming — and you won’t guess what sport they’re talking about. Oh, and another charge has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board, this time against the Ivy League itself! We’ve got news on all of this, and more, right here.

But before we get to that, you really should check us out on Instagram — we’ve got daily video content you’re not going to want to miss. Make sure you hit that follow button so you stay up to date.

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— Cole, Justin and Collin

International Affairs

Last edition we told you about how golf and baseball may be in prime position to solidify themselves in the NIL world. Well, another contender is emerging. According to Delloite Sports Manager Amy Clarke, women’s soccer is showing immense business potential worldwide, which would almost by definition open up NIL markets in U.S. colleges.

The intrigue is certainly there right now. This summer saw the Women’s World Cup turn out record shattering viewership and attendance numbers. England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) is turning up record profits, bolstered by crazy growth in recent years as well.

As a professional market emerges for women’s soccer, the NIL potential soars. Seeing as though the U.S. has been successful in producing high-end women’s soccer talent historically, women’s college soccer could even receive substantial international attention as a talent incubator – even opening up foreign markets to investment in NIL. (More)

Not-for-Profit NIL

Considering how quickly NIL became a multi-million-dollar industry, it’s easy to see why many have felt discouraged about what could come out of mixing college sports with big business. For every massive, shady NIL deal, however, there’s a dozen that will put a smile on your face.

Take Sophia Groth for example. Instead of trying to stack as much cash as she can, this Auburn gymnast utilized NIL as a chance to give back to her community. She’s been working to raise money for Baby Steps, an organization that supports women with unplanned pregnancies.

“I wanted to work with mission-based companies and organizations where they were doing something that was greater than themselves,” explained Groth, “It was a no-brainer for me because I wanted to do NIL the right way.” (More)

New Transfer Rules Pass

The NCAA just approved changes that would shrink the current transfer portal from 60 to 45 days, starting next season. In an already chaotic NIL landscape, many are wondering how the change will affect NIL recruitment.

The DI Council approved changes to transfer windows in all sports to 45 days, including:
🏀Men’s & women’s basketball: 45 days
🏈Football: 45 days (30 days after season, 15 days in spring)
Council actions are not final until meeting concludes today.
— NCAA PR (@NCAA_PR)
12:59 PM • Oct 4, 2023

“It’ll just cause the chaos to be more compact,” an SEC recruiter said to On3 before emphasizing how important being “buttoned up” on NIL will be. That sentiment was echoed by an SEC collective official, who said that “You’ve really got to be in lockstep with your coaching staff. Even though you’re not supposed to.”

While these new transfer rules may solve certain issues, they seem to complicate recruitment from an NIL perspective. (More)

Ivy Amateurs

As Dartmouth’s unionization effort continues to garner attention, another Ivy-League complaint has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But this complaint isn’t about unionizing; instead, this complaint seeks to change whether the Ivy League itself can still classify its student-athletes as “amateurs.”

It’s a tricky question. By filing a charge with the Ivy League itself, the advocates may have found a way around the legal technicality that got Northwestern’s 2014 case thrown out. The NLRB couldn’t rule in that case because of the decision’s impact on public schools; the Ivy League, however, is a private entity comprised of exclusively private schools. Some think this distinction may be the key to the complaint sticking.

If the complaint — and argument — holds up, it’s not just the private schools that will could be effected. It could potentially include the non-public conference and even the NCAA itself — all private entities that the NLRB could regulate. (More)

Teamworks Makes the Dream work

Wichita State athletics just announced a department-wide partnership with Teamworks, an organizational operating system used by teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and basically every other professional sports league in America.

In a nutshell, the platform exists to keep teams connected. The platform allows coaches and athletes to see each other’s schedules, communicate, and everything else needed to keep a sports team on the same page logistically.

The question we’re wondering though, is how this will be used for NIL in the future. By streamlining communication, Teamworks has positioned itself as a potentially vital platform for athletes to connect and communicate with their team about NIL matters. (More)

Gundy Goes In

In an interview last week, OK State football coach Mike Gundy was asked a few questions on how NIL operates at his school. “The NIL and the collective is very important,” he said, “It is becoming a part of college football, and I think it’s here to stay.”

When asked whether he talks about Oklahoma State’s NIL collective infrastructure with recruits, he provided an abrupt answer with a bit of a smile. “We don’t here because it’s illegal. I don’t break the rules, I don’t know if other people do or not.” (More)

Business as (un)Usual

GatorMade is an initiative that’s meant to equip athletes at the University of Florida with resources to promote their overall, holistic wellbeing. Now, as you might be able to guess, that’s also got a lot to do with NIL in 2023. The initiative’s Director of Player Relations, Savannah Bailey, sat down to talk about how NIL fits into their overall strategy.

When asked about how NIL has put pressure on players, she responded candidly. “I think if anything, it just adds a little bit more heightened awareness to what it is you put out in the world,” she said, “If anything, they're getting to conduct themselves as businessmen. They're going into contracts and selling themselves and providing their platform.” (More)

We Have the Beef

At some point last season, the entire Kansas State football team started referring to the O-Line as “The Beef” of the team. Well, “K-State Beef” just capitalized on their new nickname by signing an epic deal with the Kansas Beef Council.

The terms of the deal? The K-State offensive line was to donate and deliver 300 pounds of high-quality beef to food banks across Northeast Kansas. Check out their “beef drop” here:

On 9/22, K-State Beef delivered 300 pounds (1200 servings!) of high-quality beef to three local food banks.
This is NIL done the K-State way!
Support K-State Beef and the food insecure by purchasing some BEEF merch at catsnil.com today.
#WildcatNIL x #BEEF
— Wildcat NIL (@WildcatNIL)
4:46 PM • Oct 3, 2023

That’s just the start, though. They’ve got another 700 pounds coming again at some point in October, with more likely to follow from there. When “The Beef” brings the beef, everybody wins. (More)