Sun Devil Dilemmas and Seal Breaking Decisions

Hey there,

Another loaded week in NIL, which means another loaded edition of NIL Wire. First things first though: In today’s edition we’ve got a new, Saturday exclusive section called Best Practices. Think about this section as a resource on how you can best operate in the NIL industry. We hope you like it!

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— Cole, Justin and Collin

Breaking the Seal

In Utah, a massive decision was made on whether NIL contracts are matters of public or private record. Here’s the gist: A news company – Deseret News – requested that five schools provide copies of NIL contracts that their student athletes had signed. Those schools declined, claiming that NIL contracts are “education records” under the FERPA. Deseret News appealed that decision.

Right now, seems like they’ve won that appeal. The Utah State Records Committee unanimously agreed that Deseret News should be allowed access to those agreements under the state’s open records law.

Committee member Nancy Dean explained the decision, responding to criticisms that the ruling allows for an invasion of privacy: “They’re selling their name, image, and likeness, so I feel like their name is not private.” (More)

Kickin’ Back

Alabama football coach Nick Saban hasn’t exactly been a fan of NIL to this point, but he thinks the policy provides certain players – specifically kickers – exactly what they deserve. Take Will Reichard, the Tide’s elite kicker who is on historic pace to set SEC scoring records. He returned to Alabama because it gave him a level of financial stability he couldn’t get in the NFL.

“I think this is one of the good things that (NIL) brings to players,” Saban explained, “A guy didn’t have to be poor…  [as] opposed to going to the draft, being a free agent possibly, not making the team, and then you’re out.” (More)

Family First

Many have been conditioned to think the NIL world operates in the most capitalistic possible way. Wherever there’s money, big-time talent will come.

Well, basketball stud Xander Rice is putting that notion to bed. He reportedly turned down an offer of around $250,000 to play at a high-major school, instead opting to suit up for Monmouth University, where his father coaches.

“If I would’ve known that it was that much money, I might’ve talked him out of coming to play for his dad,” his father King Rice said jokingly. Xavier’s story isn’t typical, but it’s a reminder that not everyone is money-motivated. (More)

How To Secure a Local NIL Deal (as an Athlete)

As an athlete, it can be stressful to ask for an NIL deal with a local business. Here’s how to make your venture as smooth as possible.

• Identify 10 Potential Companies in the Area. You like Mexican food? Model trains? Exotic plant species? Whatever it is, find ten businesses to target — higher volume will increase your chances of landing a deal.

• Reach Out. There are tons of ways to do this: send an email, reach out on social media, or go in person and introduce yourself. Maybe it’s a combination of these. At the end of the day, you have to catch their attention, but be respectful.

• Elevator Pitch. Come up with a 30 second pitch or a 150 word offering on why you would be a great business partner. Make sure you focus on how you can further their brand, and why an NIL deal could be a win-win. Lather, Rinse Repeat — Persistence is key!

Cautious Charlie

You may remember us telling you about the big congressional hearing on NIL where the idea of student-athletes becoming employees was brought up multiple times. Since then, NCAA president Charlie Baker has been cautious in choosing his words.

While he didn’t necessarily endorse the idea, Baker said he wasn’t opposed to the idea of an athlete union. He does, however, oppose “creating a system where you have one brush” to paint all student-athletes as employees. (More)

Campus Ink Upgrades

Campus Ink already established themselves as one of the premiere players in NIL with ventures like the NIL Store, which seemingly every school sells player-branded merchandise through. As the company looks to expand their influence, they’ve added a premiere industry talent – Tate Gillespie.

Gillespie formerly served as the head of Kansas’ NIL operations in Lawrence. In his new role, he’ll be utilizing the connections he made at Kansas to expand company efforts to other schools, as well as deepening relationships with talent agencies.

NIL is a relatively new industry, so nabbing Gillespie is a success. Not many people in the world have the direct, high level NIL business experience he has, making his employment a huge addition. (More)

Sun Devil Dilemma

In 2024, Arizona State will officially start competing as a member of the Big 12. Questions swirl, however, on whether the school has the NIL infrastructure to stay competitive. Schools in the Big 12 spend far more than those in the Pac-12 on NIL, and Arizona State already struggles in that department.

It’s why they lost QB Jayden Daniels to LSU, who may be stringing together a Heisman campaign as we speak. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have only logged a single win this season for themselves.

This problem isn’t exclusive to ASU. Tons of schools have found themselves at a severe disadvantage in recruiting simply by lacking an active donor base. The Sun Devils will have to get creative in how they adjust to the NIL landscape in their new conference. (More)

Spartans Scramble for Support

Michigan State got absolutely trounced by Michigan last week, but the school’s collective tried to rally some support before the matchup. MSU’s SD4L collective got Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders to their tailgate to build intrigue ahead of the game, and hopefully score some NIL donations.

SD4L has their work cut out for them though. The collective made headlines recently for cancelling around thirty contracts with MSU football players. That’s about as bad of press as you can get in the NIL world, and putting up a goose egg against your sworn rivals doesn’t help much either. (More)

A Walk in the Park

Pierce Miller plays football at Briar Cliff, a small NAIA school in Sioux City Iowa. However, his newest NIL deal transports him back home to Montana – at least mentally – as he leads a nature walk through Stone State Park for the Boys and Girls Club of Siouxland. The NIL opportunity hits close to Miller’s own heart as an outdoorsman himself.

Part of his motivation for this outreach was remembering the encouragement he received from mentors during his own youth. “It always inspired me” he said of the help he received from older student-athletes pouring into his own life, “I actually gained my love of football through that way.” (More)

JJ Weaver

Check out how Kentucky’s JJ Weaver landed a very unique NIL deal with Nike.

♦️ Two ‘Bama football studs are creating their own apparel brand

♦️ Girls NIL basketball clinic put on by Syracuse University

♦️ Tom Izzo tears into NIL and “unhappy” transfers

♦️ Navigating NIL in New York is a bit different…

♦️ Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) talks NIL in Congress

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Will the University of Houston's massive $350K NIL donation fetch them a top five basketball prospect soon?

• Yes - 84%

• No - 16%