Tag: image

Notre Dame athletics announces new Name, Image and Likeness collective

It’s time to “RALLY”

While many schools across the nation were quick to push out Name, Image and Likeness collectives, Notre Dame wanted to wait to roll out its own that best suited the needs of the Irish’s student-athletes.

That day has finally come, as on Monday the Irish announced “[autotag]RALLY[/autotag],” described in a press release as “a collective and lifestyle agency for the next iteration of collegiate athletics dedicated to creating meaningful and market-based name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for Notre Dame student-athletes.”

RALLY is led by the Board of Directors chairman Jack Shields, who graduated in 1983, along with a few others most notably [autotag]Jordan Cornette[/autotag] and [autotag]Hannah Storm[/autotag]. Having two former Irish media stars in the group is a big deal, as they’ll help navigate through some potentially unknown waters within that industry.

You can learn more at ndrally.com, where they attempt to connect prospect student-athletes, businesses and fans of Notre Dame to help the cause.

While some students-athletes have already gotten themselves involved in NIL deals, this will open the doors for many more in the future.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Zion Williamson could reportedly receive more than $1 million in NIL back damages

As the NCAA settles with athletes unable to profit off of NIL, On3’s Pete Nakos reports that Zion Williamson could receive more than $1 million.

Former Duke basketball star Zion Williamson would have made millions in name, image, and likeness compensation if it existed back when he played in Durham. Now, based on one court case, he still might.

According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos on Friday, the NCAA reached a 10-year settlement to pay more than $2.5 billion in back damages to athletes unable to profit off of NIL.

According to the report, athletes are broken into categories based on their sport with the most compensation given to football players and men’s basketball players. The money comes from different categories as well, meant to reflect profits from broadcasting deals, potential video game compensation, and other lost opportunities. That final category will prove the most lucrative for Williamson.

“Just 3,000 athletes fall into the lost opportunities category in football and men’s basketball,” Nakos wrote. “But for some of the top talent that missed out on NIL, they could command $800,000.”

The report named Williamson, former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, and former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield as prime examples of such top talent.

Nakos reported that the first payment will be due in May 2025.

Logos may be coming to an Owen Field near you, but should they?

The NCAA is considering opening the door for advertising on playing surfaces and jerseys may not be far behind.

College football is evolving at a rapid pace. The idea of amateur athletics had been eroding before our eyes with the money not talked about, but with name, image, and likeness, it’s pretty much an idea of the past.

With the proposed settlement of a trio of anti-trust lawsuits against the NCAA leading to damages in the billions and the move to allow programs to pay players directly, schools may have to get creative in how they generate revenue.

According to USA TODAY Sports, the NCAA is considering letting schools sell advertising space on the playing surface during the regular season.

“I believe the NCAA is going to allow us to put a sponsor logo on the field during the regular season,” Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference’s spring meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida. “That’s an obvious revenue stream that has not been there in the past. The pro sports are putting patches on jerseys. That doesn’t seem like something that’s crazy for us to consider these days.”

On June 6, and NCAA association committee will discuss a proposal that would allow corporate sponsors as part of the midfield decor like it is during bowl games.

The door is opening for universities to earn more in advertising revenue. However, as Dr. Ian Malcolm so poignantly stated in Jurassic Park, “Yeah, yeah. But your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

Creative programs like the Oklahoma Athletics Department will do whatever it takes within the rules to put the most competitive team on the field every season. And that may one day mean selling advertising space to some corporate sponsor. But there comes a point where it could detract from the most important brand; the University of Oklahoma.

The main characters in college football have always been the programs. Whether it’s Oklahoma or Alabama or Michigan, players and coaches come and go, but it’s the programs that have stood the test of time.

Putting logos on Owen Field, selling naming rights to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, or putting sponsor logos on the jersey would certainly provide revenue for an athletic department that will now be tasked with paying its athletes. At the same time, if not done well, could take away from what’s left of what we love about college football.

More than ever, college football is embracing the idea that it’s a business. It’s been about the money for a long time, but athletic departments are hiring general managers to help manage the business aspects that programs are being forced to undertake to stay competitive.

There’s no going back now. We’re in the end game.

At the same time, do fans want to see telecommunication companies or airline logos on the hallowed grounds where their favorite teams play? Do they want the uniforms of their beloved universities sullied with logos from fast food companies?

Creating revenue streams is the next arms race in college football. At some point,, the beloved backdrop of the game we love will highlight a corporate entity. But ultimately, like in professional sports, the things that will matter most are the wins and losses.

Win, and most won’t care about sponsorships on the field or on the jerseys.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Women’s History Month Spotlight: basketball star, entrepreneur, and activist Sedona Prince

Alex Sinatra next highlights Oregon Ducks star Sedona Prince for Women’s History Month.

This Women’s History Month, I will be spotlighting women athletes and their achievements in college, after college, and beyond. Athletes are Humans First and while I want to highlight their athletic ability and achievements, I also want to point a spotlight on what they are doing off their field of play.

Sedona Prince made headlines when she shared a TikTok video of the NCAA’s inequitable treatment of the women’s and men’s basketball tournaments. She helped usher in change and when rules allowed college athletes to monetize their NIL, Prince was well-poised to excel in the space. Since then she has inked deals with Crocs, Uninterrupted, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Champs to name a few. She is set to enter the 2023 WNBA draft which airs on ESPN on April 10.

@sedonerrr

it’s 2021 and we are still fighting for bits and pieces of equality. #ncaa #inequality #fightforchange

♬ original sound – Sedona Prince

Her athlete advocacy off the court is just as impressive as she continues to shed a spotlight on what it means to be More Than an Athlete. Prince enjoys merging her advocacy and entrepreneurship with brands that align with her core values.

“I’ve always been very passionate about activism and advocacy, so the fact that I’m able to do that now with such a large platform and actually make a difference is really, really cool,” Prince told Insider of her equity-driven partnership and role as Chief Community Officer for plat-powered energy drink company Riff . “It’s impactful. And, you know, I’m just happy that I have a space to do this and that people actually listen and respond to it because it’s how we’re making change.”

The way she navigates this NIL ecosystem shows that it is more than one-off deals. It is about building a future for yourself and your family.

In an interview with Boardroom, Prince shared her philosophy on what NIL did for her, “I guess I just became empowered. Like I have a voice to make change. I can partner with companies that I love. I’m making this money, to support my family, that I can have for the rest of my life to invest or to save.”

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Oregon’s Sedona Prince shared her plans for the future of her career

With the way the seasons are structured, there is no conflict for athletes to play in the WNBA and in Athletes Unlimited.

If you follow along with March Madness, you have heard the name Sedona Prince. She shined a spotlight on the NCAA’s inequitable treatment of the women’s and men’s basketball tournaments.

@sedonerrr

it’s 2021 and we are still fighting for bits and pieces of equality. #ncaa #inequality #fightforchange

♬ original sound – Sedona Prince

This brought a national spotlight to not only the women’s March Madness, but to Prince herself. She made headlines again when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against the NCAA in Alston v. NCAA, which ushered in the era of college athletes being able to monetize their own name, image and likeness.

Prince told Boardroom in 2022 that “with the help of her representation at Wasserman, she’s made north of $500,000 across 18 business and partnership deals, with no plans of slowing down” in one year after the Alston decision. She has deals with notable brands Crocs, Uninterrupted, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Champs to name a few.

With her ability to make money in college through her platform, she opted to stay at Oregon for the 2022-2023 season. However, a season-ending elbow injury cut the season short.

She graduated from the university in May 2022 and entered her name into the 2023 WNBA draft that takes place on April 10. It will be exclusively televised on ESPN from 7-9 p.m. EDT and available on the ESPN app.

However, in a short interview on March 11, Prince also revealed she wants to play in Athletes Unlimited basketball Season 3. With the way the seasons are structured, there is no conflict for athletes to play in the WNBA and in Athletes Unlimited.

While Prince’s college career was cut short, we could see her in the upcoming WNBA season and the upcoming Athletes Unlimited season. More Prince is good for all of us.

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Proposed changes to state NIL law could give Texas schools a recruiting advantage

A proposed amendment in Texas NIL law could give Lone Star schools an advantage.

The NCAA issued its first infraction related to name, image, and likeness and improper inducement and improper facilitation. This infraction centered around University of Miami booster John Ruiz, the head women’s basketball coach, and NIL superstars Hanna and Haley Cavinder, among others.

As per the negotiated resolution, “women’s basketball head coach violated NCAA rules when she facilitated impermissible contact between two prospects and a booster, according to an agreement released by the Division I Committee on Infractions. In facilitating the contact, the head coach also violated rules on publicity before signing and, because of her direct involvement, she violated head coach responsibility rules.”

While many speculated whether the NCAA should have been focusing on this area of their regulations, others surmised this might be a hint of things to come. While the negotiated settlement did not hand down a punishment to the athletes or the booster, many believed the move to punish the women’s basketball program made the NCAA look bad.

The NCAA looks to be cracking down on schools that are toeing the line between permissible and impermissible activities, but it is unclear who or where the NCAA might target next.

When a state doesn’t have a NIL law, they follow the NCAA interim policy which in some cases is broader than state laws. This has led to some states amending or totally repealing, as is the case in Alabama, their NIL laws. Will changing the laws in your state make you more valuable to prospective college athletes? Only time will tell, but it seems that creating more athlete-friendly laws would be more appealing to athletes.

In Texas, high school athletes are not allowed to monetize their NIL which puts the state at a disadvantage and has caused some high school athletes to graduate early and leave the state so they can pursue deals earlier, see Quinn Ewers. However, recently House Bill 1802 was introduced which would amend the Education Code and allow those athletes competing in University Interscholastic League (UIL) the ability to monetize their NIL if they meet certain requirements. Although, the requirements rule out a large majority of high school athletes.

The UIL “exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests.” It is strange that this sort of change to ostensibly allow high school athletes to monetize their NIL is a change to the Education Code and not a change to the Texas NIL laws. This act “takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023.”

In addition to this proposed change that could affect high school athletes, another House Bill was introduced into the Texas legislature to amend the NIL laws relating to college athletes. House Bill 2804 would make many notable changes in the law including allowing an “employee of the institution, may identify or otherwise assist with opportunities for a currently-enrolled student-athlete to earn compensation from a third party for the use of the student athlete ’s name, image, or likeness”, with some specific restrictions. Previously, employees of institutions could not assist with NIL deals for college athletes. If this bill receives the requisite votes then it will go into effect July 1, 2023, however, if it does not, then it will go into effect September 1, 2023.

We will see states begin to amend their laws related to NIL monetization and some even repeal those laws, but with everything in the space changing so fast, what is the best move? New Jersey, for instance, has NIL legislation known as the New Jersey Fair Play Act, but it does not go into effect until 2025. High school athletes in New Jersey can also monetize their NIL as of January 2022.

This sort of approach seems to be the most logical so a state can assess the landscape without limiting the athletes’ and schools’ ability to navigate the new ecosystem freely.

Ohio State lands in final four of star Ohio running back’s trimmed list

Will the Buckeyes be able to keep this star player home? #GoBucks

The Ohio State recruiting philosophy might be changing right before our eyes and it has a lot to do with [autotag]Name, Image Likeness[/autotag]. The Buckeyes will still continue to have a national reach, but we might see much more of a hometown flavor with recruits going forward.

A case in point is the recruitment of Ohio running back [autotag]Jordan Marshall[/autotag]. The in-state back has become a focus for [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and the Buckeyes. That effort paid off today as the 6-foot, 190-pound Marshall dropped his final four schools with Ohio State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Michigan making the cut. He also held offers from Oregon, Michigan State, and others.

Marshall is a 4-star prospect out of Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati and is ranked as the No. 12 running back in the country and fourth best talent in the state of Ohio. He is also a top 200 recruit in the 2024 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Proximity hopefully plays a part in Marshall’s final decision, as it would be much easier for his family to see him play in Columbus than his other three finalists. Expect Ohio State to be in the mix until the end of Marshall’s recruitment.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Two concerning videos regarding Ohio State and name, image and likeness

The issues could be fixed fairly easily but at some costs #GoBucks

The Buckeyes have one of the biggest athletic department budgets in the nation but it seems like there is a big disconnect between what [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] Athletic Director [autotag]Gene Smith[/autotag] wants to do regarding Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) with his program.

He has gone on record to say that the university will not give money to players, it has to be through collectives, like the one former national championship-winning quarterback [autotag]Cardale Jones[/autotag] has a hand in, THE Foundation.

As we saw during the early signing period, prospects all across the country were lured by upfront payments and schools like Oregon and Alabama reaped the benefits of 5-star prospects and transfers.

As I scoured the Twittersphere today, I came across two separate videos that go over Ohio State’s NIL strategy or lack thereof, and I outline my takes from each of them.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Dear Old Clemson launches NIL collective

Clemson, South Carolina – June 2, 2022 – Two Clemson graduates and area business owners have launched Dear Old Clemson, a name, image and likeness collective to bring Tiger fans, businesses and student-athletes together to make sure they all win …

Clemson, South Carolina – June 2, 2022 – Two Clemson graduates and area business owners have launched Dear Old Clemson, a name, image and likeness collective to bring Tiger fans, businesses and student-athletes together to make sure they all win together.

Robert MacRae, a 1987 Clemson graduate, and Jason Beaty, who graduated from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree in 1997 and an MBA in 2002, founded Dear Old Clemson, LLC. Jay Courie, a lawyer and longtime Clemson supporter, serves as the legal counsel and advisor for Dear Old Clemson.

“Our mission is to do NIL the ‘Clemson way’,” MacRae said. “Dear Old Clemson was created to benefit the student-athletes, the Clemson business community, and the best fans in the nation.”

For businesses and fans that just want to contribute to football, they can hop on the Roy Bus and have their contributions dedicated to football. Two club options will be available: the Clemson Athletic Club and the Lady Tiger Club. Contributions from subscriptions to the Lady Tiger Club will go exclusively to support the athletes of Clemson’s women’s sports. The Clemson Athletic Club will support football and other sports with a majority of the funds going to football.

Club members will have access to exclusive events with student-athletes, receive early access and discounts on collectibles and other exciting benefits. Dear Old Clemson has a road map of new benefits planned for club members in order to continue to add value to the memberships.

“Dear Old Clemson’s initial focus will be on football, baseball, softball and basketball but will extend to other sports in the future,” said MacRae, CEO of MacRae Consulting Corporation and owner of The Clemson Insider Media Group. “We believe we can be a game changer for the partial scholarship sports of baseball and softball.”

One of the goals of Dear Old Clemson is to help the Clemson business community. Some of the funds raised will be used to compensate student-athletes in exchange for appearances at Clemson area businesses. Dear Old Clemson will match portions of funds from local businesses that pay student-athletes to help promote their businesses.

“When the Tigers are successful on the field, it certainly helps the local business community. We plan to do our part to help,” said Beaty, owner of Clemson Variety & Frame in downtown Clemson.

A number of former Clemson athletes have already agreed to serve as advisors to Dear Old Clemson. These former Tigers will help determine the best way to raise and distribute funds for the sports they starred in at Clemson. Kyle Parker, Shaq Lawson, Adam Humphries and Sam Russ have all agreed to help in this capacity and several others will be announced in the near future.

“The Clemson community has always raised to the occasion to help the Tigers compete at the highest level,” MacRae said. “It will take a grassroots effort for the Tigers to compete in NIL. Dear Old Clemson will provide a platform to allow all fans to do their part and enjoy an experience that is sustainable and repeatable.”

About Dear Old Clemson

Dear Old Clemson, LLC was established in April 2022. The collective compensates Clemson student-athletes for attending events, promoting businesses, signing collectibles, sales of collectibles and interacting with members in person and virtually. Dear Old Clemson is fully compliant. The only athletes compensated for use of their name, image and likeness are ones that are currently enrolled at Clemson University.

Clemson fans and businesses are encouraged to visit DearOldClemson.com for more information.

Changes to NIL could be announced this week

Big changes are on the horizon for Name, Image, and Likeness!!

Multiple media outlets have reported that significant changes coming to Name, Image, and Likeness, known as NIL, could be announced as soon as Monday. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic have reported in the last week that guidelines to clarify booster engagement related to recruiting and inducement are in the works. Ohio State AD Gene Smith and Colorado AD Rick George have been leading working groups on new guidelines for NIL. Smith told Auerbach that they “have to begin to crack down on bad actors and behavior that is inappropriate.” Those guidelines, according to Dellenger, could lead to retroactive punishments for schools found to violate NIL policy. Essentially, a NIL deal could have been made since the practice became legal in July of 2021, and if violations are found the NCAA could investigate those schools for possible sanctions.

Nebraska has been at the forefront of this new NIL movement. The athletic department has already launched a website that will allow individuals and businesses to send support directly to Nebraska athletes. Back in early April, we reported that the company behind the NIL website, Athlete Branding & Marketing, announced that since the company’s partnership with the University began in August of 2021, more than 90 Husker athletes in five different sports have received combined payments of $850,000. The Lincoln-based company also announced that they had raised an additional $3.5 million for NIL-related activities. There’s no evidence and talk that Nebraska would be at the center of any investigation or has done anything improper since NIL became legal. However, it’s clear that significant changes are coming to Name, Image, and Likeness, or the NCAA is attempting to make big changes. An announcement could happen as soon as Monday, and everyone is anxiously awaiting.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinion.

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