Tag: name

Nov 4, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers Athletic Director Troy Dannen watches warmups before the game against the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Arbitrator upholds denial of NIL deals for 18 Nebraska football players

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A third-party arbitrator upheld the decision of the College Sports Commission to reject NIL deals for 18 Nebraska football players.

The commission announced the decision in the name, image and likeness case on Monday. It was the first arbitration process to be completed about NIL deals since the commission was established following the landmark decision in the House v. NCAA settlement case.

The players appealed the rejection of their NIL agreements, which the commission denied because they did not serve a “valid business purpose.” Under NIL rules, all deals must offer “fair-market value for a valid business purpose, rather than act as pay-for-play in disguise,” Front Office Sports reported.

“This process shows the system is working as intended: a decision we made was challenged, and a neutral arbitrator assessed the facts to inform a final decision,” said Bryan Seeley, the CEO of the College Sports Commission said in a statement. “We hope and expect that the student-athletes will submit new deals that comply with the rules, so we can promptly review them.”

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement that the players had the university’s support.

“I am proud of our football student-athletes and how they represented themselves during this process and the patience they have shown,” he said. “We continue to operate within the parameters of the House settlement and the CSC process, while monitoring changes in the collegiate landscape. We fully support all our student-athletes maximizing the value of their Name, Image and Likeness during their time at the University of Nebraska.”

According to Front Office Sports, the commission rejected the NIL deals over concerns about the valid business purpose as well as the members’ belief that they were considered to be “warehousing.” That means entering an agreement where money is paid to the players in advance of future, non-specified deals.

The arbitrator did not, however, judge if the proposed deals were for a fair market value.

-Field Level Media

Report: President Trump wants D.C. stadium named after him

Posted on | by Field Level Media

President Donald Trump wants the Washington Commanders to put his name on their future stadium, ESPN reported on Saturday.

A “senior White House source” told ESPN that the commander-in-chief has expressed his wishes to the NFL team’s ownership group, led by Josh Harris.

“It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” the source said.

Trump, of course, is no stranger to putting his name on buildings, hotels, casinos and golf courses as a real estate developer, in addition to selling Trump-branded items ranging from sneakers to bibles.

“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ESPN on Friday night via email.

The planned $3.7 billion domed stadium will be constructed in Washington, D.C., at the former site of RFK Stadium, home to the then-Washington Redskins from 1961-96. The 65,000-seat stadium is projected to open in 2030.

A spokesperson for the Commanders, who currently play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., declined to provide a comment to ESPN on Saturday.

Other than Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and Chicago’s Soldier Field, NFL stadiums almost always sell their lucrative naming rights to corporate sponsors.

A few facilities have both nicknames and sponsors, including Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High.

Presumably, the Commanders still could sell the naming rights while also keeping the White House happy: Northwest Field at Trump Stadium, for example.

Trump is expected to attend the Commanders’ home game Sunday against the Detroit Lions as a guest of Harris.

–Field Level Media

April 10, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Christian Kline of FedEx participates in a safety wiring demonstration as part of the aerospace maintenance competition at the Aviation Week Network's MRO Americas at McCormick Place. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY NETWORK

FedEx, Memphis enter $25M NIL partnership

Posted on | by Field Level Media

FedEx is entering into a five-year, $25 million name, image and likeness commitment that will benefit student-athletes at Memphis, particularly in the Tigers’ football and men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as additional women’s sports.

The shipping giant, which launched its operations in Memphis in 1973, has annual revenues of $88 billion.

As part of the initiative, Memphis athletes receiving NIL funding will participate in FedEx initiatives via social media and in person around the city. The company supports events that include the FedEx/St. Jude Championships, the Southern Heritage Classic and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, all in Memphis.

“We evaluated the evolving NIL landscape, exploring how we can best deliver positive impact to student-athletes and connect them to meaningful opportunities for both themselves and the community and made the decision to reallocate marketing funds to an NIL platform,” said Brian Philips, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at FedEx, in a news release. “This gives us an opportunity to invest in bright, young athletes in our great hometown of Memphis, strengthening our connection to the next generation of leaders.”

The program was announced Friday via a social media video that featured both FedEx employees and Memphis athletes.

The first FedEx in-person NIL initiative will be a tailgate event at Memphis’ spring football game, featuring the women’s soccer team.

Athletic director Laird Veatch told 929 ESPN radio in Memphis on Friday that the contribution includes a clause stipulating a 50 percent match and that the university will launch a campaign to raise $2.5 million per year.

Veatch acknowledged the boost the FedEx partnership will give to his department.

“It does elevate us to a highly competitive NIL space, and it’s something that’s sustainable at the same time,” Veatch said. “If you ask many athletic directors around the country, I don’t know that they’d be in a position to say that.”

This is not the first partnership between the company and school. The campus has a degree program for FedEx employees and also boasts the FedEx Institute of Technology. Company CEO Fred Smith agreed to donate $50 million from his personal foundation for renovations for the Tigers’ football stadium.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2020; Washington, DC, United States; Washington Football Team players helmets rest on the field during a practice at Fedex Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Snyder open to keeping Washington Football Team name

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Maybe the moniker Washington Football Team is growing on Dan Snyder.

In an email to The Wall Street Journal for an article published Sunday, team owner Snyder said the temporary name just might stick.

“If the Washington Football Team name catches on and our fans embrace it then we would be happy to have it as our permanent name,” he wrote. “I think we have developed a very classy retro look and feel.”

The organized adopted the temporary name in late July after dropping the Redskins nickname amid mounting pressure from sponsors and activists. The team had used the previous name since 1933, but for years, those individuals and groups that considered Redskins to be a slur had pushed Snyder to change it.

He finally relented this summer, and the franchise installed Washington Football Team as an interim name to get through the season because of the lack of time to thoroughly research and test a permanent one. The logo is a simple but stylish “W,” and the team kept its classic burgundy and gold colors. Players have their numbers instead of a logo on their helmets.

“Over the past few years the name had increasingly become a distraction from our primary focus of football,” he wrote. “So, in the spirit of inclusivity, we made the decision to move forward. We want our future name and brand to stand for something that unifies people of all backgrounds and to continue to be a source of pride for the next 100 years or more.”

The name is just one issue facing the Washington Football Team. The NFL is leading an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against the franchise.

–Field Level Media