For UNLV, NIL is a Gamble. Literally.

Teaming up with

Hey there

It’s conference championship week, which means we’ve officially entered my favorite point on the American sports calendar. Fun fact: Since 2002, there’s only been eight teams to win their conference championship and the March Madness tournament… Do with that information what you will. Heck, it could help you win your bracket league this year.

While you’re here, you should really check out our sponsor today, Trigger Point Systems. They keep the bills paid for us, so please go take a look at their ad in today’s edition.

If you’re interested in advertising with NIL Wire, we’d love to link up with you. Just respond to this email and we can work out the details.

Lastly, as always, we want your feedback. Send us an email at [email protected] to let us know how we can make NIL Wire work best for you.

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

UNLV Goes All In

Unrelated to one another to one another, NIL and sports betting have risen to prominence since the turn of the decade, and with that rise, many have questioned the potential consequences of mixing sports and gambling. UNLV, however, has seen the confluence of these trends as a godsend. 

UNLV basketball has not returned to championship form since their rise to power in the 90s, but the massive amounts of capital being spent on NIL by casinos in the area could propel them back into contention. With The Palms resort and casino, they’ve devised a promotional partnership that’s netting the collective thousands of NIL dollars.

Optically, the partnership between casinos and college athletes can seem dubious at best, downright unethical at worst. But, with the rise of the sports gambling industry, casinos like The Palms have vested interest in UNLV athletics’ success. (More)

For the First Time: NIL-to-NFL Prospects

NFL hopefuls descended upon Indianapolis last month for the league combine. While it’s an annual event, this year’s a bit different, because for the first time ever most of these players are already accustomed to getting paid for their services. The NFL has officially entered the era of the NIL prospect.

Most players at this year’s combine entered college as NIL became permissible, 2021. As a result, they’re more business-minded than any class before them.

“It definitely has you grow up,” Alabama O-Lineman JC Latham said of receiving NIL money, “You gotta understand that you’re getting more money now, so there’s gonna be a bigger target on your back… “If you want to create more wealth for yourself and your family, you gotta really understand how to maneuver it and manage it.” (More)

Colorado’s Chicken Trio

KFC continues to believe in the Colorado football team – at least as promotional partners. Last year, Deion Sanders and his sons starred in commercials for the fried chicken brand. Now, they’ve added another to the KFC pack, the Buffaloes multi-positional superstar Travis Hunter.

Shedeur Sanders, Shilo Sanders, and Travis Hunter were all tapped to promote the new KFC Smash’d bowl on their Instagram. The video, which features the athletes demolishing the food after practice, has a more casual vibe than usual promotions, allowing each player’s personality to come through:

shedeursanders

View more on Instagram

The food looks good, but let’s hope Colorado’s NIL-superstar trio isn’t eating fried chicken after every practice. They’ll look to improve upon the team’s 4-win season in 2023, which ended on a 6-game skid after a hot start. (More)

Teaming up with

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

LSU and South Carolina Get Chippy

Things got heated between South Carolina and the NIL-royalty LSU Tigers in the SEC women’s basketball championship this weekend. When Flau’jae Johnson — who holds the #3 NIL valuation in women’s basketball — got decked by one of South Carolina’s players, her brother jumped over the scores table to defend her. He ended up leaving the arena in handcuffs.

“I just want to apologize to the basketball community,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said after the game, “In our league, things get heated… sometimes these things happen.”

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Florida's Optics Issue

UNLV’s collective isn’t the only one with an NIL optics problem. Across the country down in Florida, there’s debate raging about whether NIL should be allowed for high school athletes at the same time that the state’s high school football coaches are raising questions about their own pay. 

When discussing Florida’s NIL proposal, USA Today panelist Alex Martin brought the issue to everyone’s attention: “Florida’s in a weird position because… coaches have obviously been vocal about their players making more money than them. Florida is not the best state at all when it comes to coach’s pay.”

“It’s a sour note down here,” added Larry Blustein, speaking of Florida coaches’ opinions on the new NIL bill, “I think they’re going to fight it, and I think you’re going to see a lot of high school coaches call it a day.” (More)

• Fox executives actually considered offering Caitlin Clark a massive NIL package to stay at Iowa next season to continue benefitting from her ratings. Other networks (likely CBS and NBC, the other Big 10 broadcasters), would have been looped into the deal as well.  

• Utah’s new NIL bill doesn’t just obstruct the public from viewing NIL contract details; it also constricts potential business partners on certain issues like gambling and alcohol. The state’s policy would be an essential extension of the NCAA’s, making it the strictest state for NIL in the country.

COLLECTIVE 101

Ole Miss Madness

Ole Miss’ collective is yet again finding creative ways to raise NIL money. This time, the ever-innovating Grove Collective is using the March Madness hype to see which region of the country is the best for giving. 

In a 16-team bracket, Ole Miss has divided their fanbase into 16 regions, each trying to out-donate the other regions to advance to the next round of the tournament. We’re currently in the “seeding round”, which will determine who gets the coveted #1 seed in this NIL donation-fest.

The tournament will come to an end at the month’s end. Their goal by that time? Get the 10,000 collective members and raise $10 million. (More)

• Michigan State held an NIL fundraiser to fly basketball player Mady Sissoko’s brother, Souleymane, to America to watch him play. Originally from Mali, Souleymane facilitated Mady’s being discovered by talent scouts eight years ago.

• The University of South Carolina decided to combine their collectives, consolidating their NIL efforts into Garnet Trust exclusively. Their reasoning: “clarity for our fans, donors, and the businesses through which our student-athletes work.”

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Laney Choboy

Laney Choboy isn't just your average Nebraska volleyball player with 176.9K followers across various social media platforms, Laney has become a viral sensation. But her influence extends far beyond the volleyball court. Laney has strategically utilized her platform to secure NIL deals with companies like Bet on Yourself Clothing, Ambitious Desires, Premier Window Tinting, and more, solidifying her status as a brand ambassador and influencer. Through her partnership ventures, she not only showcases her passion for fashion and lifestyle but also empowers others to believe in themselves and chase their dreams. 

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is not happy about Dartmouth’s union

♦️ High school golf stud signs deal with Transcend Capital B

♦️ Fashion brand Express signs a March Madness superteam B or DTB

♦️ The plight of Boston College’s women’s basketball team B

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should NIL contract details be publically available?

• Yes - 62%

• No - 38%