Ever since the US Court System ruled in late June of 2021 that College Athletes could legally profit from promotional, marketing, and commercial use of their Name, Image and Likenesses once a player is at a school, programs around the country have grappled with how to approach this new dynamic. Some school’s boosters have formed “collectives” where business entities exchange ideas and come up with NIL offers and compensation. Others have little to no NIL involvement thus far and then there’s an entire other group of schools that have been accused of using NIL as a loophole to lure recruits or transfers to their program with up front cash and benefits, a clear violation of both the spirit and practicality of NIL.
Thus far, many of Notre Dame’s NIL efforts involve some local deals in place that revolve around South Bend children’s education and other charitable work, certainly noble endeavors I support. In addition to these efforts, Notre Dame is in a unique position as a worldwide brand to utilize their vast alumni base spread across almost every business sector there is through NIL. An opportunity not every fan base can offer. Right now I feel Notre Dame has one toe dipped in the NIL water. For them to keep up with the times they will need to be open to players branching out and flexing the Notre Dame reach muscle more broadly while also ensuring all of Notre Dame’s values are being upheld. NIL isn’t a dirty word, it’s an opportunity. Let’s get creative here and look at 10 simple, fun and obvious NIL deals Notre Dame players should have / pursue. ls