Somebody educate me about NIL. We have rich boosters

[ClockworkOrange]

Other teams do too. What is to stop them from paying to have a stud record a single commercial saying, "I like this company" -- okay, here's your check for $100K?

Seems like it would be open season for boosters to have free reign to go completely nuts?

 

[piratelifeforme]

Return on investment maybe!! They have money cause they dont spend it on things that don't make them more of it. Just throwing it at some college kid isnt a smart investment.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

Return on investment maybe!! They have money cause they dont spend it on things that don't make them more of it. Just throwing it at some college kid isnt a smart investment.

What kind of return on investment did the booster get who paid $200 grand for Albert Means? Or any other under the table deal? $100K is barely a burp for a billionaire, and heck, now they can legally count it off on their taxes!

 

[37620VOL]

I have no idea what the rules are other than UT compliance has to ok them. What's to stop a booster from writing a $100k check for an autograph on each freshmen's first day of class. Or, 10k to each player for an autograph the day after the drop/add cutoff date?

 

[imw8n4u]

 

[piratelifeforme]

What kind of return on investment did the booster get who paid $200 grand for Albert Means? Or any other under the table deal? $100K is barely a burp for a billionaire, and heck, now they can legally count it off on their taxes!

How often have you sent $1000 to the university so the game day experience could be better?

 

[Voltopia]

This topic gets so damn old. Just because Tennessee has billionaire alumni doesn't mean those alumni are either (1) interested in Tennessee athletics or (2) interested in bankrolling Tennessee student-athletes.

First it's the Haslams - and boy people better hope the Haslam family stays invested in Tennessee athletics after their father passes on - but invariably some genius brings up Charlie Ergen and his billions, never mind the fact that EVERY report we ever read about Ergen says he's not a booster and doesn't really have any affinity for Tennessee athletics. Just because a person graduated from Tennessee and are obscenely wealthy doesn't mean they're going to fork over tens or hundreds of millions for Tennessee athletics. Gah, I swear, this topic gets so damn old.

I have no idea what college sports are going to do when the programs with serious groups of ultra-wealthy boosters start buying up guys for real. Kentucky gave a basketball player a Porsche. He won't be the only one. Schools who have guys like Phil Knight or T. Boone Pickens (I know he's passed on, I'm using him as an example), really any program with alumni who have significant wealth and are invested in their college programs, are going to do very well.

 

[Fullfillmer]

Other teams do too. What is to stop them from paying $1 million to have a stud record a single commercial saying, "I pump at Pilot" or whatever? Or heck, $100K?

Why isn't this happening all over the country? How is it different than deals with Pals or Moonshine Cookies, other than enormity of scale? Seems like it would be open season for boosters to have free reign to go completely nuts?

How is this not a strategy?

This is happening and this is a strategy. It is open season. Most wealthy boosters probably have no interest - but a few do - that's why Alabama's qb has a $1M NIL allegedly. It's a very flawed system -

 

[sona]

You need the right product fit. You don't make money by throwing it away. There are not a lot of products that use 20 year old spokespersons. There is a reason for that.

 

[usagary]

What kind of return on investment did the booster get who paid $200 grand for Albert Means? Or any other under the table deal? $100K is barely a burp for a billionaire, and heck, now they can legally count it off on their taxes!

Rich people don’t put money into something unless they’re going to get more than that back. I’ve worked for rich people who are obsessed where every penny is going, right down to what department is using the copier the most. It drives you nuts at times as that is how they are. The notion that a rich person is going to shell out a million dollars so UT could get so and so isn’t the way I understand they are.

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

All i know is they have to want to attach their reputation. The kid at Ohio State that doesn't play because true freshman is ridiculous. Now it assures he wont Joe Burrow and transfer. But based off what we have seen most places giving something to players are players that have reputations already. Like we know Alontae Taylor and Jacob Warren and John Fulkerson. Those company owners probably aren't concerned about them tarnishing theit image. But lets say senior in high school not named Arch Manning do we know if that guy is going to be a terrible representative for a company. The boosters have proven they prefer cash under table for those type of players to come to university. Because if they come and become low life thugs or criminals they dont have that kids attachment to their company. Thats why I used Arch Manning as an example. He is the one rare stud recruit that everyone has enough smaple of family and upbringing he could warrant that type of payday with little risk of embarrassment. And of course he is financially in a different spot that wouldn't need it like others.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Expecting Heinz to be calling any day now

 

[IndianaVol]

NIL agreements work much like endorsement deals for pro athletes.

For example, AT tweets a day or two before every game promoting the deal he has with Moonshine Cookies, same for Velus and Krystal...they use their name and following to promote a brand.

In no way can a booster or business owner give money to a player without getting some type of brand promotion in return. So the scenario of giving a recruit a check the day after signing day or every player money for an autograph is still not legal with the NCAA.

However, a business person could get creative and say have the entire team, as individuals, promote a particular brand (i.e. Pilot gas) and issue checks.

 

[VolArmy74]

Autograph signing events are big in NIL so far. I'd think a ton of businesses in Knox/Tennessee will now start using UT players for promotion. Alontae Taylor's deal gets blasted across national television broadcasts and social media every game. I never knew the Moonshine Mountain Cookies place existed but now I'm willing to go and buy from them because of their deal with a UT player. We as fans can make the biggest difference, frequent places that use UT players and make sure and mention to them that you are there for that reason.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

NIL's still cannot be conditioned on signing with any particular school, so you could end up with an Eric Dickerson trans am situation, except with a million dollars.

 

[Batman1948]

NIL's still cannot be conditioned on signing with any particular school, so you could end up with an Eric Dickerson trans am situation, except with a million dollars.

So you believe schools are not using the NIL as a recruiting tool. The coach, who just quit at TCU, said TCU was at a disadvantage regarding NIL's and recruiting. Cheating is real and the NIL arrangements just make it legal now. The QB, at Oklahoma, was given a big Dodge Ram truck and a Dodge Charger for his NIL arrangement with a Dodge dealer in Norman. Wake up----it's real.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

So you believe schools are not using the NIL as a recruiting tool. The coach, who just quit at TCU, said TCU was at a disadvantage regarding NIL's and recruiting. Cheating is real and the NIL arrangements just make it legal now. The QB, at Oklahoma, was given a big Dodge Ram truck and a Dodge Charger for his NIL arrangement with a Dodge dealer in Norman. Wake up----it's real.

Those are players who are already on scholarship you are talking about (and they can leave if they want, they aren't legally bound to stay). What I'm saying is there are still risks for somebody to give a million dollars to a high school kid. Of course those risks certainly seem more minor when it's not your money.

 

[sona]

Autograph signing events are big in NIL so far. I'd think a ton of businesses in Knox/Tennessee will now start using UT players for promotion. Alontae Taylor's deal gets blasted across national television broadcasts and social media every game. I never knew the Moonshine Mountain Cookies place existed but now I'm willing to go and buy from them because of their deal with a UT player. We as fans can make the biggest difference, frequent places that use UT players and make sure and mention to them that you are there for that reason.

Try one before you spring for a dozen @ $30.

 

[Zues1]

This whole thing is doomed. We now have free agents and players, some still in highschool with million dollar deals.
This can't work out well for most programs. The big schools will get richer.

 

[SoddyAllVol]

Has to make sense financially. Just because they’re ultra rich doesn’t mean they’ll piss money away.

 

[SoddyAllVol]

Manziel just missed the bus. Would’ve made millions

 

[Elhanan]

It can and should happen.

Don’t limit it to boosters though. Anyone who’s a UT fan and who has the means can directly impact recruiting.

How much would you pay to make UT a national powerhouse again?

 

["It's Time"]

Danny White needs to quit battling the money and organize it, but that’s require him to surrender his ego.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

 

[ftsandersvol]

Actual footage of a NIL deal taking place.