Tag: Collectives

NCAA agrees to allow college athletic departments to directly pay players

Players are going to get paid…directly from the schools:

A major milestone was reached on Thursday that will eventually allow college athletic departments to directly pay players.

The NCAA agreed to settle three ongoing antitrust cases, which will lead to the organization paying damages to past and current athletes. Part of the agreement includes a ‘revenue-sharing plan allowing each school to share up to roughly $20 million per year with its athletes,’ according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Related: Ranking the Big Ten football television windows from worst to best

Thamel also notes that the NCAA made the decision along with powerful members of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12. It is likely to be universally adopted.

The move toward a revenue-sharing model has been rumored since players profiting off NIL began in 2021. Given the current climate of the sport and the unsustainable nature of unregulated pay-for-play, this monumental shift should lead toward a clear financial model and roster-building structure.

Instead of collectives and silent boosters funding the teams while athletic departments profits off lucrative television revenue, now each school’s athletic department will need to operate more like a business. If $60 million comes in every year from television deals, the department will now be forced to use some of that money to operate a player payroll and keep the team together. In a perfect world, this should help to even the playing field from the current richest-takes-all climate.

This ongoing legal process should take time. Thamel notes the new model could be adopted as early as 2025.

 

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

[lawrence-related id=77467,77417,76896,76741,76752,77257]

Crimson and Cream one of On3’s most ambitious NIL collectives

Crimson and Cream one of On3’s most ambitious collectives in the NIL game.

In the age of NIL, you better have some collectives on board, or you’ll get left behind.

NIL has made it legal to pay players for their name, image, and likeness. There isn’t much regulation, so it’s become a  tool to lure big-time recruits to campuses.

On3 Sports put out a list of the most ambitious NIL collectives, and one that benefits Oklahoma is ranked in the top 20.

Crimson and Cream came in at No. 17 on the list. It has more than 1,800 members, and more than 300 athletes have signed deals with the collective, including more than 90 female athletes.

In December, Crimson and Cream merged with Strengthening Oklahoma to strengthen its influence.

Crimson & Cream’s initial fundraising campaign resulted in $1.6 million in annual donations. By January, the collective signed or offered a NIL deal to the entire 115-member Sooner football roster. Oklahoma is really just getting started, though. A new state law prohibits the NCAA from coming down on institutions involving protected NIL activities. Athletic departments are now legally allowed to throw their power behind preferred collectives, too. – Pete Nakos On3 Sports

The Oklahoma athletic department is expected to endorse the collective. This makes it so that coaches can openly discuss which collectives fans should donate to.

NIL has taken the college football world by storm and the teams at the top of On3’s list, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oregon, Texas, and Miami, are making the biggest waves in the NIL game. They’ve made splashes on the recruiting trail with the help of their collectives. However, one thing is clear, results on the field will soon matter. Donors aren’t going to be happy giving up their money for recruits and a program that doesn’t win.

Until then, a new age is upon us. You either get behind NIL or watch your team fall behind.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.