Hey there,

National Signing Day has been electric; meanwhile, the Transfer Portal has added layer upon layer of dramatic moments. During this crucial period of the college sports calendar, we're glad you’re relying on us, NIL Wire, to deliver all the NIL news from around the country.

Today’s edition is a wild one, but before we get to that, we think you should check us out on Instagram. There you’ll find the absolute best NIL content anywhere on the web. Give us a follow — you won’t regret it.

Lastly, we’d love to hear feedback on anything and everything about our newsletter. Hit reply or send us an email at [email protected].

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

National Signing Day was an NIL-fest

Due to NIL, December’s National Signing Day has provided college football with all the drama of a professional sports league. NIL is driving insane recruitment pitches that would have been seen as hyperbolic.

According to an anonymous agent, one school “sent tickets for a private jet even after the elite recruit had turned them down,” all in hopes that they could potentially flip him. “Crazy times” that very same source told On3.

“Every single recruit asks about NIL,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz lamented of the recruitment process, “a lot of schools are now just calling within the last 48 hours of a kid’s signing and throwing out crazy numbers just to get them to sign with them on signing day.”

Interestingly enough, there’s reports of Missouri paying out $12-15 million in NIL to their football roster this year. (More)

NCAA Leadership Doesn’t Like Uncapped Portal

If you’ve been frustrated by the explosion of NIL/Transfer Portal change that’s happened in the past few years, you aren’t alone. Jere Morehead, who serves as the chair of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, spoke out on the potential of uncapping transfer opportunities.

“I think unlimited transfers is inconsistent with the goal of graduating student-athletes,” he said, “In my judgment, you should have one transfer. Otherwise, you should sit out a year to focus on academics or focus on resolving your mental health issues.”

Morehead’s words come as a West Virginia federal judge mulls an antitrust lawsuit that, depending on his ruling, could radically alter the transfer portal for years to come. (More)

It’s All About Context

Former Texas QB Maalik Murphy is showing that sometimes you have to make your own way in the NIL world. It may seem counterintuitive, but he just saw his NIL valuation skyrocket because he left one of the biggest brands in the country.

The reason for this jump is simple: Because of the context of Texas’ QB room, he was perceived as an obstacle more than an asset.

Ahead of Murphy on the depth chart was Quinn Ewers, who led the Longhorns to a playoff appearance. Behind him on the depth chart, Arch Manning has successfully formed one of the largest college hype trains in recent memory. Murphy found himself in the middle – under-appreciated (and underpaid).

Well, he won’t be for long. Maalik Murphy hasn’t decided on a school as of our writing this, but his valuation has already risen from a little over $200K to nearly $900K since announcing his intent to transfer last week. (More)

BEST PRACTICES

Social Media Compliance Tips

It’s no secret that social media has become one of the major avenues for athletes to capitalize on their NIL. With the possible exception of NIL collectives, brand promotions on social media are the number one way for athletes to monetize their NIL.

Are you compliant with your posts though? Here are 3 simple tips to keep in mind in order to stay compliant with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.)

1. Athletes must make honest statements about the brand’s product or service. (Often times brands will provide you with a brand guide to follow)

2. Athletes must have used the product or service.

3. Athletes must disclose their relationship with brand. i.e. adding #ad or #paidpartnership.

In addition, here is a guide put together by the FTC on how to stay compliant.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

NLRB Case Heats Up

There’s a huge trial going on right now involving the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the University of Southern California. The case asks the question of whether USC’s football and basketball athletes should be considered employees by the school.

Here’s one little nugget from the hearing:

They’ve already covered a ton of topics during questioning. Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports gave daily play-by plays on Twitter if you want to do a deep dive into the court arguments. (More)

Nerf’s NIL Strategy

Just in time for Christmas, Nerf is advertising their new sport using NIL. “Nerfball,” as they call it, uses Nerf products to score points in a variety of ways – with balls, blasters, and more.

Pursuing NIL is an interesting business strategy for the company, and potentially quite effective. Building on the successful soft-launch of the game in the Fall, the company announced there would be an annual Nerfball tournament from here on out, signing college athletes to play in the showdown each year. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

Campus Ink Launches Collective Program

Climbing the Mountain(eer)

West Virginia’s Country Roads Trust NIL collective just landed an amazing $500,000 donation from an anonymous member. The donation was a reward for hitting the 1,500 member goal that the collective set for itself.

Ironically, the actual state of West Virginia continues to be a legal battleground for NIL-adjacent issues around transfer portal reform. However that ruling comes down, the Mountaineers look poised to excel thanks to this influx of NIL cash. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Alissa Pili

Meet Alissa Pili, a former USC basketball standout and reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year. She dominated the court, leading the conference in scoring while using her 31K-strong social media following to secure impactful NIL deals with Bumble and Champion Sports.

Off the court, Alissa's influence extends far beyond basketball, showcasing how student-athletes can leverage their platform for positive change.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Dylan Raiola signs on with Panini America

♦️ Texas promotes recruits on hometown billboards

♦️ NC State hosts an NIL event at Tobacco Road

♦️ Brent Venables doesn’t want NIL to “distract”

♦️ Washington State’s AD calls college sports “beyond repair”

♦️ Shedeur Sanders launches new Gatorade ad

♦️ Nebraska Volleyball has NIL MiniJerzeys

BATTER UP

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