🏅 March Madness by the NIL Numbers

Teaming up with

Hey there,

Last night, it hit me: We treat College basketball like the stock market, but it’s a game of darts.

Every year, you and I watch the games, we collect data, we listen to the experts. We discuss which teams to buy into, and who will underperform. We meticulously make our picks for who will win it all. And then — like clockwork — our moms inevitably win the family March Madness Bracket by picking winners based on mascots. It’s a sad but necessary annual liturgy for college basketball fandom; and at the same time, that volatility keeps us coming back every year. Hopefully this time you’ve figured out the formula, but I wouldn’t count on it. 

Speaking of coming back, you’re here for the news, and we’re excited to give it to you. But first, you should check out our sponsor ____. They keep our lights on, so make sure to check their ad out in today’s edition.

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— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Men’s March Madness by the Numbers

If you were going to fill out your bracket based solely on team spending, you’d have Duke as the #1 overall seed, followed by UConn at #2, Kentucky at #3, and Michigan State rounding out the top four. In fact, here’s all sixty-four teams in the field’s spending broken down by their seeding:

This data gives us a look into the relationship between basketball investment and team performance. It doesn’t just take NIL into account, by the way. Coaching salaries, facility maintenance, and much more factor into this chart. (More)

Gamecocks Dominate Women’s Hoops Spending

On the women’s side, there’s a clear top-program in terms of money spent: South Carolina. However, the UConn Huskies and LSU Tigers aren’t far behind. All these programs are top three seeds: 

The average spend by a #1 seeded women’s basketball team was $7.32M, which is what schools like Dayton, Iowa State, and Colorado spent on their men’s teams. The chasm between men’s and women’s basketball spending is wide… however, it could be a thinning gap considering how much women’s hoops has exploded this year. (More)

Is “Amateur” March Madness Over?

Is this the last “amateur” March Madness we’ll ever have? Sportico’s Michael McCann thinks so. Thanks to the NCAA’s current whirlwind of issues – antitrust lawsuits, unionization murmurs, and transfer portal mayhem, just to name a few – the 2024 March Madness tournament could very well be the last of its kind.

What would change on the court? Well, not much. These changes would hardly affect the on-court product at all. However everything that goes on off the court could be radically different. If players were salaried employees, and if the transfer portal remained completely untethered… well, who knows what could happen to the tournament?

That is, even if March Madness is even still the premiere tournament. With the recently announced Las Vegas invitational competition, which would pay out hundreds of thousands to participating teams through NIL, many are predicting that the post-season could look very different in the near future. (More)

Teaming up with

March Madness is here and so is Influxer with their brand new NIL jersey line!

Influxer, the premier NIL merchandise provider for over 265 universities and 9,000 student-athletes has launched basketball jerseys just in time for tip off. But the jerseys aren't just for the tournament teams and are not just for basketball.

Over the coming weeks, Influxer will be launching all types of jerseys for all sports at ALL universities in which they are licensed! The jerseys speak for themselves being top tier quality and short delivery times, but Influxer won't stop there. The team will continue to launch new items for sale available on all student-athletes collections at all universities.

If you're an administrator interested in learning more about how Influxer can provide your student-athletes and university a winning NIL experience, please contact the team via Contact Us. If you're a student-athlete, sign up here!

WHAT’S TRENDING

Ups and Downs

• The women’s basketball coaching market is skyrocketing thanks to increased nationwide popularity. LSU’s personalities, Caitlin Clark, and more have combined for a golden age in women’s hoops 📈

• USC football commit JuJu Lewis has reaffirmed his Leaf deal by giving the company exclusive NIL rights. in 2023, the top ranked recruit threw 48 touchdowns and only two interceptions. 📈

• South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley just signed an NIL agreement with Steph Curry’s brand. After winning the SEC tournament’s MVP honors, the star freshman looks to lead the Gamecocks to a championship this month 📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Keeping That Energy

Cal basketball’s Mia Mastrov is one of the most followed women’s players in the country, boasting over one million followers on her social media. It’s no wonder, then, that Accelerator Active Energy tapped her as their newest NIL energy drink spokesperson.

Mastrov is not the first high-profile name to rep the brand. Full-time trophy boyfriend and part-time NFL superstar Travis Kelce also sponsors the drink brand, not to mention LSU’s unquestioned NIL queen Livvy Dunne. Mastrov’s squad won’t get a shot at competing in the March Madness tournament, but she’ll likely be happy cashing checks nonetheless. (More)

• Providence guard “Ticket Gaines” – yes, that’s his name – agreed to an NIL deal with ticket broker StubHub in what seems to be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, the 6’7 basketball stud will not be able to promote his NIL in March Madness, as Providence didn’t make the cut.

• The NCAA sent an update to their rules for two-time transfers as the portal opened on Monday. The memo affirms the rule change put in place as a result of the injunction resulting from a lawsuit in West Virginia.

COLLECTIVE 101

UCLA Wants to Re-Join the Big Dance

For the first time in four years, the UCLA men’s basketball team won’t be playing in March Madness. The school has won more national championships than anyone in college basketball history, so it goes without saying that the school’s collective is looking to change things around.

The Men of Westwood NIL collective just launched a donation matching campaign to get the school the talent it so desperately needs. Until Friday, all NIL giving will be matched by some secret donors until they reach their goal of $100K.

As of Wednesday, they’re a little over 30% of the way there. It’s been tougher than one might think to raise NIL funds for the Bruins, so it’s yet to be seen if they’ll hit that goal. (More)

• Syracuse just launched a football-only NIL fund to bolster new head coach Fran Brown’s operation. For a small $150K fee, you can enjoy a one-on-one meal with coach Brown.

• Florida Atlantic’s head football coach Tom Herman tapped former Ohio State Buckeye Cardale Jones for NIL consultation. “Cardale has actually flown to Boca as a consultant if you will with our collective,” he said of his former player.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Sydney Parrish

Introducing Sydney Parrish, the Indiana women's basketball star who's not only dominating the court but also social media. With an impressive following of 345,000 across platforms, Sydney's influence transcends basketball. She's strategically leveraging her reach to secure game-changing NIL deals with powerhouse brands like Ritz Crackers, Raising Canes, The NIL Store and many more.

From captivating highlights to engaging with fans online, Sydney Parrish is redefining what it means to be a student-athlete, setting the stage for a future where athletes like her wield influence.

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Topps releases first ever March Madness cards

♦️ Charleston basketball player brings diabetes awareness through NIL

♦️ USC hoopers sign deal with Morgan & Morgan 

♦️ Why Kirby Smart is worried about development, not NIL

BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Which #1 seed has the best chance of winning March Madness?

• Houston - 18%

• North Carolina - 20%

• UConn - 40%

• Purdue - 22%