Nico's approach to NIL

[VolForLife83]

This is refreshing.


"The thing that I'm most encouraged by when it comes to the makeup of who Nico is, is what he has between the ears," said Pickell on Wednesday. "This is a guy who very easily, in the day and age of social media and visibility of athletes, he could take all of that, wrap his arms around it and just amplify his own image, amplify that hype and feed into it. He hasn't done any of that.

"In fact, talking to folks yesterday at Tennessee, they told me that he's actually done his best to downplay all of that. He's not trying to jump at every single opportunity to be in front of a camera and tweet something out and juice his own NIL valuation. Nico is very happy to just let it all come to him, play the long game, and focus on the main thing which is, of course, football."

https://atozsports.com/nashville/college-football-tennessee-vols-nico-iamaleava-approach-nil-deals/

 

[Volador]

Hope to heck Nico Suave stays humble. Never gonna be a fan of NIL as wish kids could at least play at college level for one year before making biggest buckos.

 

[m1al]

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Romans 8:25

Patience is definitely a virtue....

 

[JRich]

Hope to heck Nico Suave stays humble. Never gonna be a fan of NIL as wish kids could at least play at college level for one year before making biggest buckos.

You don't think someone should be allowed to make money off of their own name, image, or likeness?

 

[Volador]

You don't think someone should be allowed to make money off of their own name, image, or likeness?

Not crazy about someone doing so before, and the key word is before, they earn it. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

You don't think someone should be allowed to make money off of their own name, image, or likeness?

I suspect our, uh, mutual Vol fan is like many here. Knowingly or unknowingly, they're avowed capitalists as long as it teeters in their own direction, but not in certain other's favor. A one way street down Sepulveda Boulevard as it were.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

Not crazy about someone doing so before, and the key word is before, they earn it. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

How would one go about earning the right to sell what the good lord and hard work blessed them with?

 

[ClearwaterVol]

Not crazy about someone doing so before, and the key word is before, they earn it. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

They have earned it. It is what the market bears.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

They have earned it. It is what the market bears.

I don't mind NIL where the athlete actually monetizing their name, image, and likeness (see Livvy, Caitlin, etc.).

My issue is more with the paying of high school recruits disguised as NIL (i.e. sign a few items and we will pay you a million dollars)....

 

[DonDiego]

If they're going to earn like pros, there should be some restrictions put on them like pros. Something needs to be done about the uncontrolled free agency, also know as the portal. Let them unionize and deal with collective bargaining.

 

[GoodTimeVol]

I don't mind NIL where the athlete actually monetizing their name, image, and likeness (see Livvy, Caitlin, etc.).

My issue is more with the paying of high school recruits disguised as NIL (i.e. sign a few items and we will pay you a million dollars)....

Your issue is the same stance Saban and Kirby have on it…not a great crowd to align with if you are a Tenn fan

 

[Volador]

They have earned it. It is what the market bears.

Stupid market then...!!!

 

[WoodsmanVol]

I don't mind NIL where the athlete actually monetizing their name, image, and likeness (see Livvy, Caitlin, etc.).

My issue is more with the paying of high school recruits disguised as NIL (i.e. sign a few items and we will pay you a million dollars)....

No different than bigwigs who make big bucks off these kids names and likeness, including long after they have departed the sport. What they do and will do is exploit the youthful ignorance and inexperience of young people to enrich themselves. Not giving half a dayum about the young 'uns as long as their pockets get cash puffed. Now, think about it, why does these businesses sign high school kids? It's called an investment toward future earnings. And now they can do it openly. I like the potential of kids possibly screwing their screwers. Exploitation ain't so one way anymore, which you seemingly prefer it was.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

No different than bigwigs who make big bucks off these kids names and likeness, including long after they have departed the sport. What they do and will do is exploit the youthful ignorance and inexperience of young people to enrich themselves. Not giving half a dayum about the young 'uns as long as their pockets get cash puffed. Now, think about it, why does these businesses sign high school kids? It's called an investment toward future earnings. And now they can do it openly. I like the potential of kids possibly screwing their screwers. Exploitation ain't so one way anymore, which you seemingly prefer it was.
View attachment 634003

I have no issue with players truly monetizing their name, image, and likeness. If a business wants to pay Nico a market rate for hawking their product, that's fine....


Where I have the issue is a group of boosters forming a collective and paying Quinn Ewers or Bryce Young, for example, two million dollars to sign a hundred footballs. This isn't a player monetizing his name, image, and likeness. It's a bunch of boosters paying for a recruit disguised as NIL....

 

[WoodsmanVol]

I have no issue with players truly monetizing their name, image, and likeness. If a business wants to pay Nico a market rate for hawking their product, that's fine....


Where I have the issue is a group of boosters forming a collective and paying Quinn Ewers or Bryce Young, for example, two million dollars to sign a hundred footballs. This isn't a player monetizing his name, image, and likeness. It's a bunch of boosters paying for a recruit disguised as NIL....

I got it. But all I can say about that is, long live capitalism. Wherever there is profit or advantage, there will be greed and hook or crook tactics. Often, both.

 

[LittleVol]

Not crazy about someone doing so before, and the key word is before, they earn it. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Volador, quantify Nico’s impact on ticket sales just by him choosing Tennessee.

He already has earned something.

That’s a bit of a shallow view you have there.

 

[Alto1]

Sounds like he is getting some wise advice. Probably a close family member…..

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

If they're going to earn like pros, there should be some restrictions put on them like pros. Something needs to be done about the uncontrolled free agency, also know as the portal. Let them unionize and deal with collective bargaining.

Not gonna happen. As a matter of fact I am sure it won’t be long until there are absolutely zero restrictions on transfers at all. Now Vol fans who talked crap about Saban retiring understands why he did. College football is getting ridiculous. The fact that you have to constantly recruit every one of your players ALL the time is dumb.

 

[DonDiego]

Not gonna happen. As a matter of fact I am sure it won’t be long until there are absolutely zero restrictions on transfers at all. Now Vol fans who talked crap about Saban retiring understands why he did. College football is getting ridiculous. The fact that you have to constantly recruit every one of your players ALL the time is dumb.

I suppose things may get worse before they get better, but they will eventually get better. Chaos is unsustainable, ultimately. There will be patterns that lead to organization. They always do.

 

[Jackcrevol]

This is refreshing.


"The thing that I'm most encouraged by when it comes to the makeup of who Nico is, is what he has between the ears," said Pickell on Wednesday. "This is a guy who very easily, in the day and age of social media and visibility of athletes, he could take all of that, wrap his arms around it and just amplify his own image, amplify that hype and feed into it. He hasn't done any of that.

"In fact, talking to folks yesterday at Tennessee, they told me that he's actually done his best to downplay all of that. He's not trying to jump at every single opportunity to be in front of a camera and tweet something out and juice his own NIL valuation. Nico is very happy to just let it all come to him, play the long game, and focus on the main thing which is, of course, football."

https://atozsports.com/nashville/college-football-tennessee-vols-nico-iamaleava-approach-nil-deals/

So, a leader? I'm astonished that Josh Huepel recruited someone who is a good human and player.

 

[tombowalker]

You don't think someone should be allowed to make money off of their own name, image, or likeness?

They should absolutely be allowed to make money off of name, image and likeness.

If these guys want to build a following and monetize it, I'm all for it.

But that's not what's happening now.

This is free agency. Without contracts.

 

[ZZ13]

They should absolutely be allowed to make money off of name, image and likeness.

If these guys want to build a following and monetize it, I'm all for it.

But that's not what's happening now.

This is free agency. Without contracts.

So what? When we all went to college we could go to a different college anywhere anytime, as many times as we wanted. Why should a student playing a sport be any different? The reality is we have all way overvalued the meaning of college sports to our personal daily lives.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Not gonna happen. As a matter of fact I am sure it won’t be long until there are absolutely zero restrictions on transfers at all. Now Vol fans who talked crap about Saban retiring understands why he did. College football is getting ridiculous. The fact that you have to constantly recruit every one of your players ALL the time is dumb.

Kind of like coaches' dollar-chasing and hopscotching from college to college for years and years and still doing it. Hmmm, players learned from these master capitalists. Suddenly Saban and so many others don't like players dollar-chasing college hopscotching. Well, like I insist:
Long live capitalism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Probably_in_Class]

So what? When we all went to college we could go to a different college anywhere anytime, as many times as we wanted. Why should a student playing a sport be any different? The reality is we have all way overvalued the meaning of college sports to our personal daily lives.

You're right, but the differnce is universities spend a significant amount more resources on football players as opposed to the average student. Letting those resources walk out the door at will is certainly detrimental.

 

[Gandalf]

Players getting what money they can is a good thing. Just Nico's commitment and its eye popping price tag brought a lot of great attention and I am sure helped us land some recruits we may not have gotten otherwise.

The portal however, makes everyone a gunslinger, NIL money or not. Nobody is really committed to anyone else for the long term. That goes for players as well as coaches.