Players earning from their likeness (the NIL thread)

[Son_of_Spam]

I still don’t think this is going to be that big of a deal. Most college players aren’t going to be that big nationally. Some local people may pay them to do a commercial or something. Nobody from say Michigan is going to give a shit about someone from Texass, say. There aren’t going going to be big bucks spent on college athletes to promote shit.

[jdcatty]

I hope you guys that are saying it won’t be that big of a deal, but I don’t really agree. 

Even if it starts slow, I think it may grow fairly quickly into a big deal, especially in recruiting.   I can see schools showing recruits a list of sponsors ready to find the “right person” to back. 

[lawtiger]

If there is any money to be made, someone will figure a way to make a boatload.  Legit or not.

[bleedinred]

Taking Arkansas as our test case; which athlete would you pay money to hock your shit?

[SpiderHam]

Taking Arkansas as our test case; which athlete would you pay money to hock your shit?

Still can't believe Kauffman Lumbar never used DMac. 
"Got That Wood Right Here!"

[TexZilla]

I’m in agreement that this won’t be much money for athletes once it all shakes out.  That’s not the point.  It’s the fact they now have the right to earn based on their talent and likeness that is important, no different than any other student or non student.

The only football player I can think of this past season that could make some big coin would be Trevor Lawrence. No one else could do anything much beyond local or regional stuff.  I think it helps athletes like golfers and tennis players do lessons .

[BASS]

Taking Arkansas as our test case; which athlete would you pay money to hock your shit?

Right now? Devo Davis. Kevin Kopps, Jalen Catalon.

[TexZilla]

Right now? Devo Davis. Kevin Kopps, Jalen Catalon.

So how much would you pay?  And for what?  And do any of these players have the ability to speak in front of a camera and pitch something? 

There will be some novelty with all this for a short time, and some players might think they bring value, but the reason folks pay for a celebrity spokesman is they move goods and sell shit.  Does Catalon stripped of Razorback marks or film bring foot steps to your car lot, close a deal, or improve your brand? 

One thing that helped players in olden times was they were on a team for four or five years.  Now if they got game they are around a year or two.  It’s been a while since we had huge statewide stars like a Moncrief, Matt Jones, DMac.  Or characters like an Oliver Miller. 

[acater]

I’m in agreement that this won’t be much money for athletes once it all shakes out.  That’s not the point.  It’s the fact they now have the right to earn based on their talent and likeness that is important, no different than any other student or non student.

The only football player I can think of this past season that could make some big coin would be Trevor Lawrence. No one else could do anything much beyond local or regional stuff.  I think it helps athletes like golfers and tennis players do lessons .

You are looking at it wrong. The problem is the Memphis car lot owner that is willing to pay a kid if he goes to Ole Miss. That is where this gets dirty.

Right now? Devo Davis. Kevin Kopps, Jalen Catalon.

No business in NWA that honestly wanted a return on some kind of investment would do that. 95 out of 100 people in NWA could not name any one of those guys based solely on a picture. They could then say their name and that they play for Arkansas and 90% of NWA could not tell you the sport each one plays.

[VegasHog]

You are looking at it wrong. The problem is the Memphis car lot owner that is willing to pay a kid if he goes to Ole Miss. That is where this gets dirty.

that's happening now anyways.

and how willing are some of these boosters to give a kid big bucks knowing they get a free transfer if they think they're not getting the playing time expected?

[TexZilla]

You are looking at it wrong. The problem is the Memphis car lot owner that is willing to pay a kid if he goes to Ole Miss. That is where this gets dirty.

No business in NWA that honestly wanted a return on some kind of investment would do that. 95 out of 100 people in NWA could not name any one of those guys based solely on a picture. They could then say their name and that they play for Arkansas and 90% of NWA could not tell you the sport each one plays.

You seem to be saying two things here.  The big spending pay for play booster is there and this has nothing to do with it. 
You are correct that most folks don’t recognize SA’s by name or without the uniform. 

So, say a kid is a teen rapper outside of sports, or a girl pole vaulter is also a model.  This enables them to do both.  It’s a rare case.  Maybe Petit Jean ham wants different players to eat a sandwich for radio each week.  How much is it worth for “I’m Felipe Franks and I love Petit Jean pickle loaf!”  Not much.

[DirkPiggler]

You are looking at it wrong. The problem is the Memphis car lot owner that is willing to pay a kid if he goes to Ole Miss. That is where this gets dirty.

No business in NWA that honestly wanted a return on some kind of investment would do that. 95 out of 100 people in NWA could not name any one of those guys based solely on a picture. They could then say their name and that they play for Arkansas and 90% of NWA could not tell you the sport each one plays.

It will be more like "Come to Joe's Used Cars today.  Devo Davis and Jalen Catalon will be signing autographs from 9 to 4." 

You underestimate the appeal to the average Arkansan of something like that...particularly in smaller towns.  Hell, an acquaintance did that shit (illegally) with Nicky fucking Davis back in the late 1990s and brought in a shit ton of business to her restaurant. 

It will absolutely be used by boosters to sway players to particular schools.  YellaFella will promise to let some five star DT wear the yellow suit and ride the fucking horse with him on national TV in exchange for picking Auburn over Alabama or Georgia.  And once they let players share in profits from merchandise sales, he'll promise to buy 200,000 jerseys with that same kid's name on it. 

[TexZilla]

It will be more like "Come to Joe's Used Cars today.  Devo Davis and Jalen Catalon will be signing autographs from 9 to 4." 

You underestimate the appeal to the average Arkansan of something like that...particularly in smaller towns.  Hell, an acquaintance did that shit (illegally) with Nicky fucking Davis back in the late 1990s and brought in a shit ton of business to her restaurant. 

It will absolutely be used by boosters to sway players to particular schools.  YellaFella will promise to let some five star DT wear the yellow suit and ride the fucking horse with him on national TV in exchange for picking Auburn over Alabama or Georgia.  And once they let players share in profits from merchandise sales, he'll promise to buy 200,000 jerseys with that same kid's name on it.

And what do you think a dealership will pay a kid to sign autographs for a couple hours?  $200.  $500?  At some point it has to drive sales, footsteps, or awareness. If it works great, if not he’s not gonna do it.  For a signed pic of a kid in street clothes.  The town may know who he is but can see him at church or the Dairy Queen.

I dont care really what players or parents are paid.  I don’t think it should be against the rjles.  It doesn’t usually translate to performance on the field.

[DrMongoose]

It will be more like "Come to Joe's Used Cars today.  Devo Davis and Jalen Catalon will be signing autographs from 9 to 4." 

You underestimate the appeal to the average Arkansan of something like that...particularly in smaller towns.  Hell, an acquaintance did that shit (illegally) with Nicky fucking Davis back in the late 1990s and brought in a shit ton of business to her restaurant. 

It will absolutely be used by boosters to sway players to particular schools.  YellaFella will promise to let some five star DT wear the yellow suit and ride the fucking horse with him on national TV in exchange for picking Auburn over Alabama or Georgia.  And once they let players share in profits from merchandise sales, he'll promise to buy 200,000 jerseys with that same kid's name on it.

Speaking of Jersey sales…. Will schools stop selling ones with a star player’s or any number? If they do, does the kid get a cut while he wears that number?

[TexZilla]

Are you going to buy a college kids jersey?   $150 and they go to the portal.  I’m with Deion Sanders on jerseys.  Why are you putting another man’s name on your wife’s back?  Or across hour own?

I don’t see at the WalMarts any jersies other than Cowboys.  All the college stuff is licensed apparel like polo shirts and sweatshirts.

[Trigger7672]

Are you going to buy a college kids jersey?   $150 and they go to the portal.  I’m with Deion Sanders on jerseys.  Why are you putting another man’s name on your wife’s back?  Or across hour own?

I don’t see at the WalMarts any jersies other than Cowboys.  All the college stuff is licensed apparel like polo shirts and sweatshirts.

It seemed like every other Arkansas fan had a DMAC jersey when he was here but he’s obviously an exception to the rule. I think Tex is spot on with his arguments in this thread.

[DirkPiggler]

Are you going to buy a college kids jersey?   $150 and they go to the portal.  I’m with Deion Sanders on jerseys.  Why are you putting another man’s name on your wife’s back?  Or across hour own?

I don’t see at the WalMarts any jersies other than Cowboys.  All the college stuff is licensed apparel like polo shirts and sweatshirts.

Just because you and I don't wear them doesn't mean that they won't sell.  Go to any sporting event and you'll see tons of fans...yes, even adults...wearing jerseys.  At Cardinals games in St Louis you'll see more people wearing jerseys than without them.  For a college example, look at the Sugar Bowl versus Ohio State.  Most of their fans were wearing some form of jersey.  You aren't seeing college jerseys in Walmart where you live because it's a market dominated by pro sports. 

None of that is really relevant to the point I was making about jerseys though.  YellaFella isn't buying those 200,000 Auburn jerseys to resell at a profit.  He's doing it as a legal way to funnel cash to the player he wants to buy for his alma mater. 

[TexZilla]

But right now the players don’t get any jersey revenue as it’s controlled by the school.  So is yella going to buy 200k white jerseys with the next Bo Jackson’s number with no Auburn marks?  You gonna wear that? Nope you’re going to wear a real jersey, with that player you like on it, and school will get the money.

The big win for some athletes will be on social media, if they are hip to it and have something to say.

The ncaa also says it has to have a business case and make sense.  Pay for play is a concern in this. 

[jdcatty]

What happens if the player shows up on tv with a Razorback color jersey, with no Razorback emblem, just a number that happens to be the same number the kid wears on the field?  Will that be permitted?

And I agree with Dirk on the small town appeal of this whole thing.  I guarantee you Montaric Brown and the other player from Ashdown (whose name escapes me) could draw a crowd in Ashdown a few times a year.    Probably in Texarkana too, since a lot of people around here seem to know them.

Guess we are going to find out soon, cause it is gonna happen.

[DirkPiggler]

But right now the players don’t get any jersey revenue as it’s controlled by the school.  So is yella going to buy 200k white jerseys with the next Bo Jackson’s number with no Auburn marks?  You gonna wear that? Nope you’re going to wear a real jersey, with that player you like on it, and school will get the money.

The big win for some athletes will be on social media, if they are hip to it and have something to say.

The ncaa also says it has to have a business case and make sense.  Pay for play is a concern in this.

Jerseys are a big part of this, or at least a major point of contention for the players.  That's why in the last few years the jerseys available for sale have been generic #1 or whatever year it is instead of the best player's number.  It may not be a part of the agreement now, but it's only a matter of time.  The schools will allow jersey sales, and the player whose name and number are represented will get a cut per jersey sold. 

I hope you don't really trust the NCAA to be able to manage this, to the point were they are determining if a transaction between a small town/small state booster and a player makes sense for the business.  They can't keep up with the limited scope of enforcement they have under today's rules. 

[DirkPiggler]

What happens if the player shows up on tv with a Razorback color jersey, with no Razorback emblem, just a number that happens to be the same number the kid wears on the field?  Will that be permitted?

And I agree with Dirk on the small town appeal of this whole thing.  I guarantee you Montaric Brown and the other player from Ashdown (whose name escapes me) could draw a crowd in Ashdown a few times a year.    Probably in Texarkana too, since a lot of people around here seem to know them.

Guess we are going to find out soon, cause it is gonna happen.

That's the other side of the NCAA enforcement challenges.  There's no way in hell they are sending an investigator to Ashdown to track whether Brown or Bishop were paid fair market value for the two hours they spent signing autographs at the Tastee Freeze.  If the owner wanted to buy a recruit (or pay to keep a current player out of the portal), there's nothing the NCAA could do about it. 

[VegasHog]

there's nothing that can keep a player from being paid, or paid to stay out of the portal as it is. at the very least the nil contracts will be summitted for a review and approval.

cheaters are going to cheat, the 5* 'can't-miss' kids are getting theirs regardless. no reason to not allow the golf player from getting paid for some lessons or the volleyball player from getting the chance to monetize their instagram.

[Swahili Steve]

there's nothing that can keep a player from being paid, or paid to stay out of the portal as it is. at the very least the nil contracts will be summitted for a review and approval.

cheaters are going to cheat, the 5* 'can't-miss' kids are getting theirs regardless. no reason to not allow the golf player from getting paid for some lessons or the volleyball player from getting the chance to monetize their instagram.

many won’t get lucrative deals but you can bet your sweet ass they’ll monetize their Instagram no matter what. Doesn’t matter if they’re a star or not, pretty much anybody can utilize IG for money

[VegasHog]

many won’t get lucrative deals but you can bet your sweet ass they’ll monetize their Instagram no matter what. Doesn’t matter if they’re a star or not, pretty much anybody can utilize IG for money

indeed. the sports business folks seem to think that because of their large social media presence, this will be a huge opportunity for the women.

[DirkPiggler]

there's nothing that can keep a player from being paid, or paid to stay out of the portal as it is. at the very least the nil contracts will be summitted for a review and approval.

cheaters are going to cheat, the 5* 'can't-miss' kids are getting theirs regardless. no reason to not allow the golf player from getting paid for some lessons or the volleyball player from getting the chance to monetize their instagram.

I'm not at all opposed to letting kids earn off their likeness.  But there are pitfalls.  Many (not on here) act as if cheating will magically go away now that athletes are able to earn money on their own.  If every football player in the SEC was pulling down $1 million per year in salary there would still be schools like Auburn, Alabama, and LSU who would find ways to give them extra benefits over and above the base rate.  Ole Miss probably couldn't afford it, but they'd try their best to find an illegal edge as well.