On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott signed a senate bill that allows for college athletes in the state of Texas to be paid for use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
This law will take effect on July 1, 2021, and can give the University of Texas a major recruiting edge and also allow for current players to reap the benefits immediately.
Texas had already implemented courses and educational ventures prior to the passing of the bill in order to prepare and teach the athletes the best ways that they can maximize the profit off their personal brand. There will also be courses provided as to further educate the athletes on financial aid, debt management, and budgeting of money.
College athletes being able to receive benefits was bound to happen, and the programs that are in the best position to succeed are the ones that are willing to learn about and facilitate these ventures.
Take a look at what Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said about the passing of the bill:
No better place to build your brand.#LEVERAGE 🚀 pic.twitter.com/V4qANcBlyE
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) June 15, 2021
Texas’ preparedness for this situation will be huge in their recruiting pitches, as prospects will surely recognize that they will be able to boost their brand with the Longhorns.
There is evidence backing this from May 2020, in a study published by Axios, where data showed that multiple Texas athletes would make insurmountable profits if they were allowed to profit off NIL at the time. At the top of the list, above players such as LSU’s star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, was former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who they estimated would make close to $1 million dollars. This was large enough to show a $700,000 margin separation than the second highest athlete.
How does this come into play for recruiting?
For starters, there is nothing more attractive to a young athlete than a school that willingly adapts to the current times and wants athletes to develop and profit off their following on social media. It will also be more incentivized for an athlete to attend Texas as they would develop even more of a fanbase while taking their career to the next level on the field.
For a school like Texas, who has not been contending for titles recently, this law going into place boosts recruiting by showing the top recruits that they can still maximize their profit regardless. The fact that the program is on the come-up again will only assist in doing so. Ehlinger was never truly in contention for a Heisman, didn’t win a conference title, and was a sixth round draft pick. To be rated as the most valuable player in college football in that aspect just shows how big of a market Texas is working with.
With a new staff that has a winning history at the highest level, the Texas program can certainly reassert themselves, all while boosting the brands of the athletes. Current players such as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who has a large social media following on TikTok and has a future in the NFL, could potentially make the same if not more money in college than he would likely make on his first NFL contract.
For some athletes, there is no professional career after college, so being able to take advantage of when they are most profitable and help their future is all the reason that Texas will likely be the model program after the passing of this law.