Hey there,

It’s Thursday and boy do we have MAJOR updates on Transfer Portal Madness, Title IX, and an impressive athlete spotlight. Read up on the latest news from around the NIL world. 

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— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Transfer Portal Madness

We’ve got updates on some of the biggest names moving around in the transfer portal. Take a look at whats happening all around the country.

Duke QB Riley Leonard lands at Notre Dame, where he’ll look to improve his NFL draft stock in 2024. His NIL bump is already in motion.

Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel chooses Oregon, where – if he’s anything like Bo Nix – he should see an NIL valuation boom.

Baylor QB Blake Shapen has committed to Mississippi State, where new coach Jeff Lebby looks to right a broken program. According to On3 Shapen’s valuation has already jumped over $350k.

All signs point toward Ohio State’s Kyle McCord transferring to Nebraska; meanwhile, the Buckeyes are running out of replacement options. Apparently the Cam Ward dream is dead.

Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall is thought to be staying in the region, with NC State as the current betting favorite to land the QB.

Hoka’s Heroes

Hoka has joined other major shoe brands by aggressively pursuing NIL in the long-distance running world. They just signed three rising stars– all former national champions, and all also undergraduates at Colorado.

Hoka has not been quite as willing to tap into the NIL world as other shoe brands – like Nike, Adidas, or Puma – in large part because of the narrower focus of their business. Whereas Nike can, and will, sign an athlete from just about any sport, Hoka remains laser-focused on catering to runners exclusively. (More)

Compliance For Admittance

The NCAA’s athlete compensation proposal, that would turn the current NIL system on its head, is clear about one thing: Title IX compliance must be taken seriously. Julie Sommer, who heads the Drake Group Education Fund, sees the proposal as an opportunity to force schools into compliance.

“With the majority of schools out of compliance with Title IX and a billion-dollar shortfall in scholarships for women,” she said, “should we finally make compliance with Title IX a condition of membership?” 

If the trust fund model were to be put in place, her proposal shouldn’t seem too radical, seeing as they are supposed to be compliant anyway. (More)

WHAT’S TRENDING

Ups and Downs

• It’s pretty hard to not have 2023 Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels, in this weeks top spot. The LSU QB added $500k and jumped to number 6 overall with a total valuation at $2.1 million. In addition, many draft projections have him going top 10. 📈

• Nebraska head coach, Matt Rhule, is getting some backlash over his comments on how much a “good transfer portal QB costs.” However, Rhule is sticking to his guns and said “I am going to say what I think is right.” 📉 📈

• Riley Leonard’s NIL valuation has jumped more than $600k in the past 2 weeks since entering the portal. You can expect his valuation to continue to climb at Notre Dame.  📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Negotiation Complications

One of the biggest complaints with NIL is a lack of transparency in the market. That’s why On3 started their own in-house NIL valuation system, which is widely considered the best NIL valuation information in the business.

However, some are saying there are issues with On3’s valuations – or perhaps, more accurately, how those valuations are leveraged during NIL contract negotiations: 

Transfer hopefuls are asking for much more than schools can provide, due in large part to confusion about what the median Power Five athlete is actually worth. With virtually zero market transparency, you can’t really blame them for leaning on the one credible source available to them in negotiations. (More)

Labor Unions Speak out on NIL

Five American sports labor unions have officially come out in support of a college athlete employment model. The player’s associations of the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, and NHL have all endorsed a system that would bring college sports much closer to a professional system.  

This endorsement came as a result of Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reintroducing a bill that would allow athletes to organize their labor similar to employees.

The five unions said this in a joint statement: “Collective bargaining has immeasurably benefitted the workers we represent and professional sports as a whole…The same result is achievable at the collegiate level, and we applaud Sen. Murphy for his continued efforts in support of organizing and collective bargaining.” (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

 Massachusetts Money

UMass isn’t exactly considered an athletic powerhouse – at least not on the national stage. But they’ve been quietly building their program into a force to be reckoned with, and that has a lot to do with NIL.

Take football for example. The Minutemen played a few formidable non-Power-Five programs in 2023 who saw great success on the field. However, for all of their success, none of these opponents come close to UMass in terms of NIL infastructure moving forward.

With successful six-figure donation campaigns happening within the last week, the Minutemen have separated themselves from the pack in terms of NIL recruiting. While they thrive, schools of a similar stature (such as Coastal Carolina) are seeing their NIL programs fold. (More)

Rutgers AD speaks on new NCAA Proposal

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Alex Glover

Alex Glover isn't just a volleyball star—she's a game-changer in the world of NIL endorsements. Landing deals with brands like Frosted Flakes, Sprouts, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Ulta, she's redefining success both on and off the court. Alex's secret? A strategic approach that blends her killer skills with savvy business acumen.

Her latest triumph? A must-have Ebook, 'Strategies for Scoring an NIL Deal,' offering insights for anyone eager to excel in the NIL game. You can find her book by clicking (here).

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Alabama lawmaker files a bill to allow NIL at the high school level

♦️ Caitlin Clark becomes the 4th student athlete to sign with Gatorade

♦️ TCU partners with The Brandr Group for licensing

♦️ The Memphis Grizzlies announce official partnership with Buff City Collective

♦️ Georgetown signs teamwide NIL deal with DIG

♦️ Virginia Tech collective launches a $250,000 donation-matching campaign

♦️ Kentucky Wildcat, Aaron Bradshaw, teams up with RAC Recovering.

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Is the alleged $20M price tag to keep Marvin Harrison Jr. in college real?

• Yes - 54%

• No - 46%