Hey there,

It’s Thursday, which means we’ve got your tri-weekly dose of NIL news. But today’s not just any other Thursday… In fact it’s one of the most important Thursdays of the year for us, because starting next week, the transfer portal is officially open.

On December 4th, we’re going to see a barrage of players enter the portal. While that may sound stressful, you don’t need to worry, because we’ve got Transfer Portal Madness coming at you every Thursday for the next few weeks.

As usual, we love feedback. Just hit reply or send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch.

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Transfer Portal Madness

As you may have learned by now, the transfer portal and NIL go hand in hand. Because of that, we want to keep you updated on all of the latest transfer portal news (and its NIL impact) from around the country. Here’s a few big-name players to look out for, each one already announcing their intention to transfer.

• Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke announced that he was leaving Miami after a disappointing season, which included a 3-5 record in the ACC. Van Dyke started the season with an $814K NIL valuation, but finished the season teetering on $300K.

•  Notre Dame WR Chris Tyree called it quits in South Bend, ending a four-year career for the Irish. He led the team in receiving yards last year, but with a shaky end to the season, his NIL value may be heading the wrong direction. He lost more than half of his valuation between November 15^th and 22^nd.

• Kansas State QB Will Howard surprised many with his decision to transfer. The quarterback led the Wildcats to the Big 12 title game last year, beating TCU in a thriller. If he transfers to a big market, look for his already impressive stock to soar.

NIL’s Biggest Problems, Explained

On3 asked over fifty college sports leaders – we’re talking coaches, commissioners, athletes, legal experts, and more – what they thought the biggest issues in NIL currently are. Among the massive list of responders were NCAA President Charlie Baker, UConn basketball’s Paige Bueckers, and sports law expert Mit Winter.

The article is one of the most informative pieces on NIL that’s come out in recent months. The wide range of perspectives allows readers to look at NIL multi-dimensionally, separating out each of the industry stakeholder’s motivations. (More)

Horsing Around

Two Kentucky football players were tapped by Lexington tourism officials to advertise their college town to the world. Dubbing themselves “The Horse Capital of the World” the city rearranged Jackson Moore and Kenneth Horsey’s names to create a pretty hilarious campaign.

“Moore Horsey” joins the list of creative name-pun campaigns we’ve seen using NIL. If this doesn’t get people to Lexington, it’s hard to imagine anything else will. (More)

WHAT’S TRENDING

Ups and Downs

• Ja’Kobe Walter’s scorching hot start for Baylor has earned him over $100K in valuation since the college hoops season started 📈

• Texas A&M shooting guard Wade Taylor IV has seen an over $150K valuation slippage due to some ice-cold shooting nights 📉

• Ohio State’s failure to win against their rival led to an NIL success for Michigan defensive back Rod Moore 📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Brothers Battle NCAA

The NCAA has denied their eligibility on account of their forfeiting their amateur status by playing for OTE, and legally, it’s not looking promising. They were just denied a restraining order that would have allowed them to play this season. (More)

Cardinal Compensation

Stanford University was part of a high-profile court case on athlete compensation, NCAA v. Alston. The court ruled on the side of the students, and as of this month, they’re starting to pay out athletes.

There’s been a reluctance to embrace athlete compensation on Stanford’s campus for reasons a bit different than other schools. According to the school’s former sports information director Gary Cavalli, “Stanford philosophically has tried to treat athletes like everybody else… it doesn’t want to give athletes benefits the rest of the student body doesn’t get.” (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

Cane You Dig It?

The University of Miami has been a lightning rod for controversy during the NIL era, most notably getting slapped with the first NIL-related sanctions dealt by the NCAA. Looking for a bit more stability, they just named Canes Connection as their official NIL Collective partner.

By simplifying their NIL efforts, Miami will streamline their grand NIL strategy in-house, working closely with collectives on roster building. Their first order of business figures to be replacing their soon-to-be former QB Tyler Van Dyke. (More)

Stressin’ in Starkville

Mississippi State shocked the college football world when they fired head football coach Zach Arnett after only one season at the helm. Now, some are left wondering whether the school has the NIL infrastructure to win big.

According to one source, the current NIL budget sits around $5M. That may sound like a lot, but it’s certainly not enough to bring the Bulldogs anywhere near national title contention. Newly hired coach Jeff Lebby will have to prove himself worthy of NIL donations, or risk suffering the same fate as Arnett. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Angel Reese

Hailing from Baltimore, Angel Reese ranked second in the 2020 high school recruiting class. Her play at Maryland earned her All-American honors, steering the Terrapins to the Sweet 16 in 2022.

She continued her illustrious career at LSU the next year. In a historic title game over Iowa, Reese clinched the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player title. Off-court, she's a social media sensation and sitting at a $1.7M NIL valuation.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Leilani Aermenta, first female HBCU kicker, signs with Leaf Trading Cards

♦️ Kentucky forward gives gifts to coach Calipari and Drake using NIL

♦️ UVA’s O-Line lands an NIL deal with a local BBQ joint

♦️ Big Sky Conference announces an expanded partnership with INFLCR

♦️ How Boise State is losing the NIL arms race

♦️ Hoosiers’ collective start a $1M fund matching campaign

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Using NIL, how far can Rick Pitino take St. John’s Basketball team?

• Solid Season and Tournament Appearance - 65%

• Final Four Appearance - 8%

• National Champs - 4%

• Multi-Year Dynasty - 11%

• It won't change much - 12%