Hey there,

It’s Thursday, which means today is the big Congressional Hearing on NIL in D.C. The event will be streamed on Youtube, but don’t worry if you miss it — we’ll have you covered in next edition with all the biggest news.

Speaking of big news, there’s a bunch today. The NCAA Convention was last week, so there’s been serious changes to NIL rules, too — It’s all ahead in today’s edition.

What can we do better? If you have thoughts, simply reply to this email or send us one at [email protected].

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Auriemma Goes Viral for NIL Comments

UConn’s legendary women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma was asked the challenges of coaching with the new NIL/portal system, and he didn’t hold back. “The average coach out there… you can’t do your job anymore.”

The crux of his criticism is that the relationships between coaches and players has fundamentally changed. “It’s all transactional now,” he said, lamenting the recent trend of players leaving for more money elsewhere.

“How do you coach in an environment where the players feel like they owe you nothing, and you owe them everything?” (More)

Massive NIL Hearing in D.C. Today

The first congressional NIL hearing is set to take place today since Charlie Baker introduced a radical new college compensation model in early December. The NCAA commissioner will be testifying at the event, entitled “NIL Playbook: Proposal to Protect Student Athletes’ Dealmaking Rights.”

The last NIL hearing in October focused on the role of collectives, with many attendees taking a critical stance toward the entities. Baker’s new proposal, however, would allow for direct payments from schools to athletes, potentially minimizing the role of collectives.

The hearing will also discuss “amateurism” in college sports. Tune in at 10:30 ET — you can stream it on Youtube here. (More)

NCAA Convention Passes New NIL Rules

Last week college sports power brokers from across the country came together to vote on a number of reforms — including many NIL changes, per Rick Allen, the founder of Informed Athlete. Among these Division I changes were the following:

• Required disclosure of NIL agreements exceeding $600

• Creating standardized NIL contract templates

• Comprehensive NIL education for student-athletes

• Creating a voluntary NIL service provider registry

Noticeably, the DI Council did not vote on proposals that would clarify the parameters of NIL and recruiting — perhaps a bit odd considering the ongoing Florida State situation.

WHAT’S TRENDING

Ups and Downs

• LSU star Flau’jae Johnson inks a huge deal with Powerade. She holds the second highest valuation in women’s basketball 📈

• Alabama’s football exodus has some thinking that the school is lacking NIL infrastructure 📉

• Texas runner Sam Hurley has risen to the #1 valuation in his sport, over $900K in value 📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Selling Signatures

Amazon’s online Fan Shop has begun selling signed NIL memorabilia from three college football powerhouses: Tennessee, Georgia, and the national champion Michigan Wolverines.

The deal was struck between the schools and Top Tier Athletics who is working with The Collective Association to expand the venture further.

The partnership combines authentication technology with direct-from-school products to ensure each signature is “real and recorded” – no fakes. Signatures that have already gone live include the likes of Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Roman Wilson, and Tennessee QB Joe Milton. (More)

Top Ten Selling NIL Stores of December

The NIL store just announced their top ten selling schools for December. The list was headlined by Purdue – likely bolstered by the basketball team, and specifically the play of superstar center Zach Edey.

It wasn’t just Purdue, though – the whole list seems to lean toward basketball, and even includes an FCS school. Check out the full list at the link. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

A Successful Vodka Venture

Minnesota football coach PJ Fleck has been outspoken about the school’s lack of NIL resources. Well, thanks to the school’s wildly successful NIL partnership with Gray Duck Spirits, that may be changing soon. The partnership is projecting $1M in NIL contributions on alcohol sales alone in 2024.

In order to hit those projections, Gray Duck is planning to occupy 30% of Minnesota’s vodka market share. Currently, the collective receives 20% of beer sales, 25% of seltzer sales, and 30% of vodka sales. (More)

Cam Ward Commits to Miami

Former Washington State QB Cam Ward declared for the NFL draft on January 1^st… or so we thought. Over the weekend, Ward seemed to have a change of heart, committing to play football for the University of Miami instead.

The move almost certainly had to do with a late NIL push from Miami, who boasts one of the most active donor bases in the country. Despite a lack of recent on-field success, the Hurricanes have been willing to push the envelope on NIL in the past. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Flau’jae Johnson

While Livvy Dunne and Angel Reese command the LSU spotlight, Flau’jae Johnson is quietly making waves. With a high school career that saw her jersey retired after scoring an impressive 1,615 points, Johnson became LSU's first McDonald’s All-American under Coach Kim Mulkey. 

Beyond basketball, FlauJae's success extends into the music industry with a record deal under Jay-Z's Roc Nation. She's making a significant impact in the NIL world with major endorsements with Puma, JBL Audio, and Tampax. 

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Alabama’s NIL program is “not a turnkey operation” for Kalen DeBoer

♦️ Caitlin Clark launches cereal using NIL

♦️ Michigan State is using NIL to support a West African community

♦️ Clemson NIL collective paid $2.4 million in 2022, according to IRS filing

♦️ Illinois State launches ale for NIL

♦️ The Battle’s End collective disassociates themselves from FSU violations

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

In your opinion, should NIL collectives get a seat at the negotiating table for NIL legislation?

• Yes - 68%

• No - 32%