Hey there,

The college sports weekend was wild, but so was the NIL news. We’ve got a packed edition for you today — including a meeting with the president, a standout NIL powerhouse, and more. Keep scrolling to see the latest NIL news from across the country!

BEFORE YOU DO THOUGH — We’d love to hear feedback on anything and everything about our newsletter. Hit reply or send us an email at [email protected] to tell us how we’re doing. Now let’s get to the news!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Biden’s Lineup

President Biden just hosted a few former NCAA studs at the White House to talk about college athlete’s rights. The guest list included former Stanford QB Andrew Luck and Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard.

 “I think [the conversation] fits in line with some of the larger labor considerations that are being had as well,” former Georgia running back and co-founder of NIL platform The Players’ Lounge Keith Marshall said, “but [Biden] seemed genuinely interested.” (More)

Standouts in the Swamp

LSU has established itself as perhaps the premiere NIL destination in the entire country. Student-athletes in Baton Rouge have reportedly signed over 2000 NIL deals to date, according to their associate NIL director.

Interestingly, the LSU NIL landscape is actually dominated by women at the top. Livvy Dunne and Angel Reese both find themselves with top ten NIL valuations in the country – men’s or women’s, regardless of sport – with Flau’jae Johnson peeking right into the top 20. QB Jayden Daniels has also seen a meteoric rise as his Heisman campaign heats up, doubling in value since the college football season started. (More)

Teddy Bear Travis

Travis Hunter has redefined what the modern college football player is capable of. His two-way play (combined with the all-consuming media hailstorm that coach Deion Sanders has attracted) has catapulted him into the #6 NIL valuation in the country. But he’s not just a rough, hard-nosed baller… he’s kind of a softie, which shows through his latest NIL deal.

He just signed on with Squishmallows, a popular stuffed animal brand that Hunter himself has loved for years. His popular Twitch stream has featured the brand for months now, so it only makes sense that he’d ink a deal of this kind. (More)

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Fast Lane Firing

It’s not just NIL that Texas A&M has to pay up for now. They fired Jimbo Fisher this week, who has a $76M contract buyout. Check out the school’s reasoning by clicking on the video below.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

An Industry Value-Add

“As the collegiate model and athlete compensation continue to evolve, there is a need for quality analytics and insights that will help key stakeholders build and shape the future,” Cravens explained, “We will aggregate quality data and deliver benchmarking and detailed athlete data to our customers so that they can make informed business decisions.” (More)

Small Deals are a Big Deal!

When we hear about NIL, many people immediately think of the top earners like Shedeur Sanders, Arch Manning, and Angel Reese. But small deals are far more common, and just because they don’t provide a salary doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference.

“Our goal is not only to help the top 1% of athletes, but also the other 99%,” Lo Davis said, who runs Virginia’s Cav Futures program.

By redirecting focus toward the “99%”, Virginia’s NIL strategy sets kids up in the long term. Seeing as massive brand deals aren’t coming to them, these athletes need to learn things like business and brand management if they want to get paid. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

Loophole Lunacy

You’ve probably seen NIL partnerships that involve alcohol; in fact, we tell you about them all the time. But did you know some states are actually exploiting a loophole in NIL legislation to promote these products? 

It’s true. In many states, there’s a morality clause that disallows student-athletes to even promote things like tobacco or alcohol through NIL. Pennsylvania, for instance, has such a rule in place – which is why Penn State must promote NIL-driven alcohol sales through their NIL collective, not through individual NIL deals.

The loophole further muddies the waters about the true relationship between collectives, schools, and the athletes themselves. (More)

Temple Think Tank

Temple student-athletes are creating a Co-Op to share ideas about how to take advantage of NIL. It’s being called a “think tank” by its organizers, and could be an in-house solution for many schools.

"This all started with a series of conversations that we've had about NIL and where we are right now," Justin Miller said, who works in the athletic department, "We thought it would be great to gather student-athletes across sports with similar mindsets and passion…and see what comes from it." (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Chloe Landers

Chloe Landers is a senior soccer player at the University of Connecticut. As a junior, Chloe showcased her center back skills, starting in all 18 matches and leading the team with 1606 minutes played. She contributed to six shutouts and helped the team tie for second in the Big East in goals allowed.

Chloe has secured NIL partnerships with innovative brands such as Ziynx, Movember, and the Hoolest brand, making her a truly unique blend of athleticism and business savvy. Beyond individual success, Chloe is a member of the D'Amelio Husky Collective, where she contributes to a dynamic and collaborative NIL community.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Men of Westwood links with Rivals Media for sweepstakes

♦️ Chip Kelly talks about the connections between NIL and recruiting

♦️ IHOP has college sports stars salivating over pancakes

♦️ Marvin Harrision Jr.’s 7-Eleven cleats rake in over $5K at auction

♦️ An Illinois swimmer has created a sustainable NIL coaching model

♦️ John Calipari wants NIL guardrails, and soon

♦️ USC beefs up their NIL game with a steak partnership

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should NCAA DI athletes be entitled to TV revenue compensation?

• Yes - 65%

• No - 35%