🏅Here's why a non-Michigan alum paid millions to get them a QB

Teaming up with

Hey there,

The holiday season is officially in swing, and while it may be the “most wonderful time of the year” according to Andy Williams, December also means a whole lot of stress for college football fans. There’s conference championships, the transfer portal, and the CFP in January. Good stress, to be clear, but stress nonetheless.

Today’s edition is packed out too. First, we’ve got updates on why Larry Ellison — who didn’t even attend Michigan — is paying top-dollar for the Wolverines to get a QB. Then we’ve got a crazy story on how much roster turnover we’re seeing at Nebraska next season. Oh, and not to mention one of the biggest NIL industry acquisitions, well, ever. It’s all coming up right now — let’s do it!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

The Big 3

Why Ellison Wanted Michigan to Have a Top QB

Thanks to convincing from Tom Brady, Dave Portnoy, and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, QB recruit Bryce Underwood just flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Now, those first two names make sense… but why is Ellison, who’s not even a Michigan alum, paying his own money to get Underwood to Ann Arbor? 

It’s actually a very shrewd business move. As On3’s Shannon Terry points out, Ellison is boosting his own investment’s value by luring Underwood away from the SEC: 

This is interesting – it’s a way for Ellison to boost the conferences profile, which will get better TV ratings, which will turn massive profits for him. It’s a win for basically everyone except the LSU Tigers. The question now is, will he continue this strategy for other Big Ten schools too? (More)

Nebraska’s New Look

The times are a-changing, and Nebraska football is no stranger to these changes. But even with new changes to the portal, I’m not sure anyone expected the Huskers to lose this much of their team to the transfer market next year.

While this is a crazy change, it’s likely a one-year change – the massive turnover has more to do with the new roster limit rules than guys simply seeking an NIL payday. The Huskers currently have about 150 players on their roster… that needs to be cut by about 33% by next season.

With these new roster limits, there will likely be an exodus of DI players to DII, with trickle-down effects cascading throughout college football. While Nebraska’s grabbing the headline, you shouldn’t be surprised if other schools see a similar amount of turnover. (More)

Teamworks Acquires Basepath in Massive Move

Teamworks has positioned themselves as a leader in the NIL-tech industry. Well, their new acquisition of Basepath – another NIL tech platform – will allow them to handle around 90% of the country’s NIL Division I transactions. 

“Basepath was a company that we kept hearing from our customers was doing great work,” explained Teamworks CEO Zach Maurides, “Where’d we’d traditionally focused on the school side of NIL, they had really focused on building solutions for collectives. So they were working on the other half of the equation.”

After the deal is official, Teamworks will have a partnership with over 90% of NIL collectives across the country – and that’s in addition to their already huge portfolio of direct-to-school relationships. (More)

Teaming up with

Navigating the Nuance of Cap Management: Pro v. Collegiate

Cap management has long been an aspect of professional sports, and now it’s making its way into collegiate athletics. While it may seem at first glance that the technology and methodologies used in the pros can seamlessly translate to the collegiate level, the truth is there are key nuances that differentiate how cap management operates in each market. Understanding these distinctions is essential for effectively navigating the new world of financial oversight in collegiate athletics.

Discover how Teamworks GM is leading the way in cap management solutions for collegiate athletics.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Hailey Van Lith

• School: TCU

• Position: Guard

• Sport: Basketball

• Class: Senior

• Accolades: 

• 2024 Olympics 3x3 bronze medalist

• Selected to the 2023 and 2024 USA Basketball 3x3 Women's National Teams

• Seven-time FIBA medalist

• Five FIBA gold medals

• 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup gold medalist

• NIL: With an NIL valuation of approximately $565K, she ranks among the top earners in women's college basketball. Her marketability has attracted major brands, with Adidas leading the way as her biggest NIL deal.

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Dabo Swinney on the rev-share era: “Nobody’s gonna have more money than Clemson”

♦️ The prospect of professional women’s volleyball grows larger – and so does the potential NIL market

♦️ Here’s how much men’s basketball players are making with NIL per conference

♦️ Cal Poly’s Annika Shah talks about how to balance basketball with business 

♦️ Opendorse lays off 20% of their staff

♦️ Move over, Lamborghini Longhorns. There’s a new car in Austin now

♦️ Is UCF is the first school to take their entire NIL collective in-house?

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should college athletes be penalized for leaving their NIL contracts early?

• Yes, and we should take legislative action to stop it - 37%

• No, legal action isn't required for this issue - 25%

• It's a problem, but it should be worked out within the contract negotiation itself, not in Congress - 38%