Tag: NIL

Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Matthew Sluka (3) throws a pass during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Promise sweepers? Kirby Smart predicts ‘really tough times’ ahead for college football

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart issued a dire warning regarding the immediate future of the sport in light of UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka packing his bags and ending his season because of a financial commitment he claims was promised but not received.

“There’s probably going to be more and more of this going on, especially as the year goes on, November and December,” Smart said on the SEC media teleconference on Wednesday. “Athletic departments are going to struggle to be able to make their commitments come to fruition. I think we’re going to see some really tough times in college football when all this is said and done.”

Sluka, a senior, announced Tuesday night he was taking a redshirt and not playing the rest of the season for UNLV. He transferred to Las Vegas after four seasons at Holy Cross when, according to Sluka’s father, UNLV committed to paying the quarterback $100,000 under allowed Name, Image and Likeness rules.

Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, told ESPN an assistant coach gave the six-figure verbal commitment to Sluka. Only after multiple inquiries, Cromartie said, did UNLV and its collective agree to make a payment. But it was for far less — $3,000 for four months, or $88,000 short of what the player and his representative claim was the initial agreement.

Bob Sluka said his son, Matthew, was told when he arrived at UNLV that he would be put on a payment plan but didn’t receive pay. The elder Sluka said Cromartie eventually was told the quarterback would receive only $3,000 to cover the move to Nevada, and his living expenses weren’t covered.

“I guess you’re asking me for a solution? I don’t have the answer,” Smart said Wednesday. “I can tell you that I don’t think it will be the last, and the way we’re moving into this abyss of unknown, and I’m talking about fiscal responsibility, financial commitments, financial promises, people sometimes make promises, and I know I’ve come across it in our recruiting, that they can’t keep.

“I’m not suggesting UNLV made promises they can’t keep. I’m not saying that. I don’t know that situation. I want to be clear. What I’m saying is it happens more and more. And it’s going to happen even more and more as we move into this revenue-share, where I feel like unless there’s a contract, and there’s a set contract where Person A has to stay a certain amount of time or they’re going to have to pay back this contract, we’re never going to get to where we want to get to.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs cheerleaders cheer during the third quarter of the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Anonymous donor gives Mississippi State football $8M

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A donor family that wishes to remain anonymous pledged $8 million to Mississippi State football to launch the State Excellence Fund, which will pay for things such as recruitment and athlete compensation, the university announced Thursday.

It is the second-largest commitment ever to the Bulldogs’ athletic program, the school said.

“This thoughtful and generous investment in our program is critical to what we are building here in Starkville in this new era of college athletics,” athletic director Zac Selmon said in a statement. “To be an elite-level program, it takes elite-level resources. A gift of this magnitude shows the unwavering drive to establish Mississippi State Football as a premier college football destination for many years to come. I could not be more grateful for the commitment to championing our programs and players.”

The growth of name, image and likeness programs has made it imperative that schools develop the infrastructure to funnel money for player recruitment and retention, especially in highly competitive leagues such as the Southeastern Conference.

“This investment in our program shows that State fans are ‘all-in’ when it comes to helping provide the resources it takes to compete in the toughest conference in the country,” football coach Jeff Lebby said. “Having their support and belief in what we’re building is crucial for us as we continue to move forward.”

The university statement included a comment from the donors.

“We want to ensure we are doing our part to bolster Mississippi State Football. To build a sustained winning culture and program in today’s climate it’s going to take us all coming together to ensure our program has what it needs to recruit, train and keep top talent,” the family said. “With the launch of the State Excellence Fund, it provides the opportunity for fans and supporters to make a direct investment, regardless of the amount, in our future. We firmly believe in what we can accomplish together. We are proud to be Mississippi State Bulldogs.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs order allowing schools to pay athletes

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Tuesday that effectively allows the state’s universities and colleges to pay students directly for the use of their name, image and likeness.

Kemp’s order specifically prohibits the NCAA or any collegiate athletic conference from punishing Georgia schools for “offering compensation, or compensating an intercollegiate student-athlete for the use of such student-athlete’s NIL.”

College athletes were granted the ability to profit off their names, images and likeness in the 2021 Supreme Court decision of NCAA v. Alston. Still, the current rules and regulations don’t allow schools to pay players directly. Rather, players often enter agreements with affiliated but independent “collectives,” or they strike NIL deals with companies on their own.

As part of an antitrust settlement that could further alter the landscape of college sports, the NCAA did agree to drop the restriction on direct payments. But the settlement is still pending and may not kick in until the 2025-26 school year.

Georgia’s order goes into effect immediately.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to Governor Brian Kemp for his leadership today,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks and Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt told ESPN in a joint statement. “In the absence of nationwide name, image and likeness regulation, this executive order helps our institutions with the necessary tools to fully support our student-athletes in their pursuit of NIL opportunities, remain competitive with our peers and secure the long-term success of our athletics programs.”

Other states are considering similar measures, which is the opposite of the stated goal of Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey in July, when he called on Congress to restore and further develop “national standards for college athletes.” Georgia athletes participate in the SEC.

“I’m actually the voice of our student-athletes because they have said over and over, we deserve better as student-athletes than to have a patchwork of state laws that tell us how to manage our name, image and likeness. We deserve better than a race to the bottom for competitive purposes on a state-by-state basis, and we as student-athletes want to know when we line up for a kickoff, tip off in a basketball game, first pitch in a softball or baseball game, that the people occupying the other uniforms are governed by the same set of standards governing us,” Sankey said at SEC Media Days in July.

Georgia wasn’t the first state to adopt its own governance on the matter.

The Virginia Legislature passed a law in July that aims to protect its schools from NCAA penalties for paying college athletes directly.

–Field Level Media

ASU quarterback Jaden Rashada (5) throws a pass during a spring practice at the Kajikawa practice fields in Tempe on April 16, 2024.

Jaden Rashada sues Florida’s Billy Napier over NIL deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Florida recruit Jaden Rashada is suing Gators football coach Billy Napier and a prominent booster over a $13.85 million name, image and likeness deal that went awry.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida alleges that they made “false and fraudulent promises” to induce Rashada to sign with the program in 2022.

Rashada initially committed to the University of Miami, where he reportedly had a $9.5 million NIL deal on the table. He flipped to Florida after agreeing to a $13.85 million deal with the now-defunct Gator Collective.

The lawsuit claims that Napier promised a $1 million “partial payment” to Rashada’s father when the quarterback prospect signed his national letter of intent, but that the payment never was received.

“As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against such egregious behavior by adults who should know better, Jaden seeks to hold Defendants accountable for their actions and to expose the unchecked abuse of power that they shamelessly wielded,” states the lawsuit, according to a copy obtained by USA Today.

Florida booster Hugh Hathcock and a former Florida staffer, Marcus Castro-Walker, are named in the lawsuit along with Napier.

“Once Jaden committed to UF, rather than make Jaden ‘rich’ as promised, these people — with Hathcock leading the charge — changed their tune and went back on their word. The amount of UF-affiliated NIL money available for Jaden decreased drastically,” the lawsuit states.

Florida athletic department spokesman Steve McClain issued a statement on Tuesday.

“We do not comment on ongoing litigation, and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are named in the complaint. The UAA will provide for Coach Napier’s personal counsel, and we will direct all questions to those representatives,” read the statement.

Rashada ended up withdrawing his letter of intent with Florida and enrolled at Arizona State. He appeared in three games for the Sun Devils as a freshman in 2023, passing for 485 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

He transferred from Arizona State to Georgia for the upcoming 2024 season and has four years of eligibility remaining.

–Field Level Media

Apr 13, 2024; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes the hands of fans following the conclusion of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State coach James Franklin makes appeal for NIL money

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Penn State coach James Franklin made a video appeal to Nittany Lions football fans on Thursday, asking them to contribute to a fund to pay players through the name, image and likeness program.

The funding is key to keeping Penn State competitive in the expanding Big Ten, Franklin told fans.

“Our goal is to compete for championships while doing it the right way. But having an elite NIL program is critical to this mission. A strong NIL program is a foundational component of building and maintaining an elite roster of players that will ensure our program is competitive in today’s college football,” Franklin said.

“Our staff has done an amazing job of bringing in high level players that uphold the standard of wearing the blue and white. Now we must ensure we do everything we can to guarantee our roster is the best it possibly can be for this upcoming season.”

The university said it has raised just 25 percent of its $500,000 goal via donations to Retain the Roar, a campaign run by Happy Valley United, the school’s NIL collective that serves 31 Penn State sports.

“We need your help,” Franklin said. “Every donation matters.”

A study by a Washington, D.C., certified public accountant projected NIL estimates for each of the public Big Ten universities and reported the collective at Ohio State had brought in an estimated $20.3 million, with Michigan second at $16.4 million and Penn State next at $13.8 million. About 75 percent of the money was set to go to football, per the study.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; A helmet with the College Football Playoff logo at the CFP National Championship Head Coaches press conference at JW Marriot Houston by the Galleria. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Report: NIL antitrust case vs. NCAA may be settled in near future

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The antitrust class action lawsuit levied against the NCAA may not go to trial as college sports leaders are in talks to settle, per an ESPN report on Monday.

The plaintiffs in the case, House vs. NCAA, have accused the NCAA and its power conferences of breaking federal law by limiting how athletes can benefit from selling their name, image or likeness.

If the case were to go to trial – set for January 2025 — and the plaintiffs win, the NCAA and its schools could have to shell out more than $4 billion in damages.

NCAA president Charlie Baker, NCAA lawyers, the plaintiffs’ attorneys have been meeting with the power conference commissioners and their general counsels in the Dallas area, with talks ramping up of late, per the report.

Per the report, more information regarding a possible settlement is expected to be released soon, though no deal is close to completion. The settlement – which could cost the NCAA billions in back pay for former athletes — could be the foundation for the NCAA sharing revenue with athletes in the future.

Although it has not been settled, the top-end revenue share amount per school would be around $20 million every year.

Another issue the NCAA faces is college athletes aiming to be viewed as employees and allowing them to unionize, with the National Labor Relations Board reviewing a pair of cases.

While NCAA leaders are against athletes becoming employees, Baker has looked into methods to provide more revenue to athletes at some schools. In December, he proposed a subdivision of the richest programs to pay $30,000 per year to half their athletes or more.

The NCAA wants Congress to enact a clause specifying that college athletes aren’t employees, but there hasn’t been much progress on that front. A multi-billion settlement toward revenue sharing with athletes may lead Congress to help govern college sports.

–Field Level Media

Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada (5) throws a pass against Arizona during the third quarter at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 25, 2023.

QB Jaden Rashada transferring to Georgia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada has decided to transfer to Georgia.

He announced his transfer Thursday on Instagram with a photo of himself in a Georgia uniform and the message, “Compete with the BEST.”

Rashada, from Pittsburg, Calif., will have four years of eligibility remaining. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2023 class.

He initially was set to enroll at Florida in 2023 but when his $13 million name, image and likeness deal with the school’s collective went awry, he landed at Arizona State. His father, Harlen, played for the Sun Devils from 1992-94.

The younger Rashada announced plans to transfer last week.

As a freshman, he appeared in three games, passing for 485 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He missed spring practice at Arizona State because of thumb surgery.

At Georgia, Rashada will join a quarterback room that includes incumbent starter Carson Beck, who led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 finish in 2023, and Gunner Stockton, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 7 QB in the 2022 class.

–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

A Virginia Cavaliers football helmet. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia law allows schools to pay NIL deals to athletes

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A new law signed Thursday will enable schools in Virginia to pay name, image and likeness deals directly to student-athletes.

The legislation, which takes effect on July 1, is the first of its kind in the nation. It makes it illegal for the NCAA to punish any school in Virginia for compensating athletes with NIL deals.

The law potentially could give schools like Virginia and Virginia Tech — whose officials helped to draft the legislation — a leg up in recruiting, as current NCAA rules prohibit schools from signing NIL deals with their own players. Currently, students receive their NIL pay through third parties.

Critics consider this another step toward the professionalization of college sports, although the law does not allow Virginia schools to pay athletes for their performance in a sport. It does permit the use of university and athletic department funds to pay athletes for appearing in marketing campaigns.

Virginia athletic director Carla Williams said the new law could be a catalyst for change elsewhere.

“If this law gets us closer to a federal or a national solution for college athletics then it will be more than worthwhile,” Williams said, per ESPN. “Until then, we have an obligation to ensure we maintain an elite athletics program at UVA.”

Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock called it “a step in the right direction for the commonwealth of Virginia and the country in my opinion.”

Williams and Babcock declined to share their potential NIL budgets with ESPN. Both also said they were looking into Title IX considerations as far as an equitable distribution of NIL opportunities for male and female student-athletes.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) warming up for the Citrus Bowl NCAA College football game on Monday, January 1, 2024 in Orlando, Fla.

NCAA’s NIL rules frozen as judge grants injunction

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA cannot punish students or athletics program boosters for name, image and likeness recruiting inducements — at least for now — as a result of a federal judge’s preliminary injunction on Friday afternoon.

The injunction is not a final ruling in the case of Tennessee and Virginia v. NCAA, but the NCAA is in danger of fully losing its ability to enforce its NIL rules, which have been called into question by the attorneys general of both states.

“The NCAA’s prohibition likely violates federal antitrust law and harms student-athletes,” U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker wrote Friday.

Although the related court case is still active, Corker’s injunction means that athletes are free to negotiate NIL-related compensation before they enroll at a school. Though the judge is from the Eastern Tennessee District, his decision applies to the entire country.

The case stems from the NCAA’s decision in January to launch an investigation into the Tennessee football program over alleged recruiting violations. It centered on Nico Iamaleava, a five-star quarterback recruit coming out of high school, signing a deal with Tennessee’s primary NIL collective, Spyre Sports Group, reportedly worth $8 million.

Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman addressed a biting letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker last month, claiming the NCAA is not doing its part to establish clear rules for student-athletes, their families or universities.

“Instead, two and a half years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and ‘guidance’ about name, image and likeness (NIL) has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate. In short, the NCAA is failing,” Plowman wrote in part.

The AGs of Tennessee and Virginia filed their antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA the next day.

“Without the give and take of a free market, student-athletes simply have no knowledge of their true NIL value,” Corker wrote Friday. “It is this suppression of negotiating leverage and the consequential lack of knowledge that harms student-athletes.”

Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement to news outlets Friday that his state would continue pursuing its litigation “to ensure the NCAA’s monopoly cannot continue to harm Tennessee student-athletes.

“The NCAA is not above the law, and the law is on our side.”

NCAA student-athletes have been allowed to profit off their names, images and likenesses since the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in NCAA v. Alston in the summer of 2021.

–Field Level Media