🏅 We're Predicting the Future

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Hey there,

Here at NIL Wire, we’ve always been on the cutting edge of NIL, but we may have officially outdone ourselves this time. In today’s edition, we’re telling you how we predicted the future yesterday – keep reading to see how we did it.

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KICK-OFF

NIL Wire Predicted the Future

Funny story… So yesterday in a special edition we sent you an analysis of how Caitlin Clark’s NIL is actually undervalued. I wrote that story mid-day Sunday, the day she broke the record – her valuation at the time was a bit under $1 million. Well, as of Monday… On3 has adjusted Caitlin’s NIL valuation to over $3 million. 

It seems like On3 saw exactly what we’ve seen and adjusted accordingly – Clark’s brand value almost tripled overnight after breaking the scoring record. She’s up to the fourth highest valuation in the entirety of college sports – only trailing Livvy Dunne, Shedeur Sanders, and Bronny James Jr.

What’s the lesson here? Well, for one, trust NIL Wire to keep giving you top tier information and analysis about the NIL world… We’re always ahead of the curve, as you can see. But the second lesson is that, if you want to understand NIL, you have to understand the difference between collective payments and “true” NIL payments. We explain it in that same story, so check it out here to learn more. (More)  

NIL Agents are Getting Impatient

According to sports lawyer Darren Heitner, NIL agents are becoming increasingly frustrated with a lack of payoff for their services. In a recent twitter thread, he revealed that many agents are considering adding commission fees on NIL deals they broker with collectives.

“Some agents are also considering only taking a commission on the amount of compensation they can add, in negotiations, above the original offer presented by the NIL collective to the player,” he said, “Many agents are playing the long game, but are growing tired of ‘giving away’ services.” (More)

Changing the Narrative

Last week when Jaxson Dart signed an NIL deal with a private jet company, many people reacted with disillusionment. To be sure, part of NIL includes the luxurious benefits – private jets, cars, and the like – but that’s not the case most places. In fact, far more often athletes are using NIL to give back to the people that helped them get to where they are now, like Oregon center and Mali native N’Faly Dante.

When asked about what he uses his NIL money for, Dante said he was “building a house for my family… As long as my family is good, I’m good. But just got to do whatever I can for the people that have tried to help me and my family. Do anything for them.”

Oregon coach Dana Altman spoke glowingly of the young man: “NIL, he was more worried about taking care of his family back in Mali than himself,” Altman said. (More)

Teaming up with

The N.I.L. Playbook, developed by NXT Level Holdings, is a comprehensive guide designed for college and high school student-athletes looking to learn more about their new opportunities.

The book is useful to coaches, administrators, parents, alumni and NIL industry pros to help navigate the rapidly evolving landscape in college and high school athletics.

The Playbook covers everything. Topics include: how to utilize social media to build your personal brand, how to seize potential N.I.L. partnerships, and what to look for in contracts — not to mention tons of other resources and strategies that student-athletes can use to enhance their profile and monetize their Name, Image and Likeness.

Check it out today!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Caitlin Clark Makes History

If you haven’t seen it by now, here’s your chance to watch Caitlin Clark beat Pete Maravich’s all-time college basketball scoring record. After the game, Caitlin admitted to not even knowing that these were the record breaking points at the time.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

An Influx(er) of Cash

NIL service provider Influxer just got a huge boost thanks to a $1.8M private investment. The company, which has established itself as an early industry leader, stated that the investment will allow them to expand their strategic operations in key areas of product development and production efficiency. 

“We are thrilled to have secured this investment, which underscores the confidence investors have in our vision and propel our company to new heights," CEO and Founder Tyler Jaynes said of the investment, “This funding will empower us to execute on our strategic initiatives that will benefit thousands of student-athletes for years to come.” (More)

• Winthrop just elevated cornhole to collegiate status – meaning student-athletes can receive scholarships and make NIL within the sport. Bag sponsorships are currently the biggest NIL opportunity in cornhole.

• EA Sports just cut 670 jobs, or 5% of their workforce, after sending out 11,000 NIL offers to college athletes. Considering each offer amounts to about $600, the total cost of the offers likely cost EA over $6.6M.

COLLECTIVE 101

Kumeyaay Nation Donation

San Diego State’s nonprofit NIL collective, MESA Foundation, just received a $50K donation from the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The native American tribe is one of the first corporate sponsors of MESA Foundation.

“It's inspiring to witness the student-athletes of SDSU making such a positive impact throughout the community," said Cody J. Martinez, who serves as Chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, “The rising stars of Aztec Basketball have an incredible champion in the MESA Foundation. On and off the court, Sycuan is proud to support the unique mission of promoting academic and athletic achievement through personal service and sincere outreach.” (More)

• Washington State’s NIL collective announced a donation matching campaign up to $100K. The campaign is specifically supporting the men’s basketball team, which currently sits second in the conference.

• Arkansas fans fired back when collective head Chris Bauer urged them to donate money to support the Razorbacks NIL efforts. One fan was particularly brutal, saying “You are in charge of running a multi-million-dollar fund, not a local community tee-ball fund raising event.”

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Juju Watkins

Meet Judea "Juju" Watkins, a basketball prodigy hailing from Chatsworth, California. Rising through the ranks as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2023, Juju's talent and dedication to the game have propelled her to incredible heights. Following her senior season, she clinched the Naismith High School Player of the Year title, solidifying her status as a #1 prospect. Notably, during her junior year, she averaged an impressive 24.8 points and 10.3 rebounds, earning her the esteemed Los Angeles Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year accolade. 

Juju's success extends beyond the high school court; she proudly represented Team USA, securing a gold medal with USA Basketball. Juju also made history by becoming the first high school star to sign with Klutch Sports for NIL representation. This helped her land deals with companies like Celsius Energy and her receipt of a Mercedes through the House of Victory Collective.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Two Maryland athletes sign deals with the Washington Capitals

♦️ South Dakota is voting on NIL in High School

♦️ Indiana announces NIL partnership with distillery

♦️ Pitt continues to grow it’s NIL apparel options

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should the NCAA be able to punish college administrators for athletics rule violations?

• Yes - 74%

• No - 26%