The arms race in college football is now much more than conference alignments (and re-alignments) or even facilities. Those are important, but Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano said on Thursday night that getting Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for athletes is the new frontier that must be conquered for his program.
If not, the Scarlet Knights could be left behind.
Speaking at a meeting of the Touchdown Club, a group of boosters who support the Rutgers football program, Schiano talked about NIL. His comments about the importance of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for his players certainly backs up his comments at the recent Big Ten’s annual football media days.
There, Schiano critiqued NIL. On Thursday night before the Touchdown Club, Schiano discussed the importance of NIL and how groups such as The Knights of the Raritan can directly impact the program:
“We’ll build it [a football facility] soon, but NIL is the number one priority right now for money” @GregSchiano @RU_TDClub
— Adam N (@agnach19) July 29, 2022
And then there was this sobering comment from Schiano:
“We have 4 months to raise the money we need before other teams start poaching our best players.” – Greg Schiano#Rutgers #NIL
JOIN NOW!! 💥 🪓 🛡 ⚔️ https://t.co/j1tHALZoQE https://t.co/mpIgxoeaFe
— Jeff Towers🦍💥🪓🔨 (@jeff_towers) July 29, 2022
The last tweet is from Jeff Towers, one of the most influential and generous donors in the history of Rutgers football.
The fact that a new football facility has been a top priority for Schiano since his arrival three years ago only points to the importance of what NIL means for his program’s future.
If NIL means that much to Schiano, then it has clearly become an integral part of this rebuilding project at Rutgers football.
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His comments this week in Indianapolis certainly underscore the concern that Schiano has for the implementation of NIL across college sports. He talked about providing opportunities for athletes but cautioned that NIL wasn’t intended to be a recruiting tool.
“NIL, in its formation, was for your existing roster to be able for your players to be able to monetize their name, image and likeness,” Schiano said according to The Bergen Record. “It was not meant to be used as an incentive or to try to bring someone in as a recruit. If you didn’t think that was going to happen, you’re naive because it was happening before, just illegally. It’s still illegal to do that.”
Launched in May, The Knights of the Raritan has the stated aim of “empowering Scarlet Knight student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, on the playing field and in life. The collective seeks to enable them to maximize their NIL opportunities the right way, without compromising the values of the university.”
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The group was profiled two months ago by RutgersWire including this interview with founding member Danny Breslauer.
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