Name, Image, and Likeness

[Bogus Smith]

Happy New Year everyone!  Only 305 days left until the beginning of the 2024-25 basketball season.  

The future of college athletics is directly tied these days to the paying of student-athletes.  How that transpires is still in its formative stages, but what we do know is that the ability for athletic programs to pay a premium for higher-tier talent will dictate the success of college athletic programs in what we know today to be the NCAA.  The future of the NCAA and what they look like will be changing (IMHO) so we may see a different college athletics landscape than what you-and-I grew up in very shortly.

To that end, there is a good podcast (if you have the time) that can get you a perspective from a P5 athletic director on this topic.  In essence, his summary comments are:

• He explains that he tells donors if they are focused on winning then they should give to #NIL. It’s less expensive than giving for facilities and has a greater immediate impact.
• He also calls the current NIL model of college athlete compensation a transitional period.
• He thinks there will be revenue sharing in 18 months, and says he’s in favor of a model where a percentage of a school’s athletics revenue is paid directly to athletes.
• Importantly, he notes that some sort of settlement with athletes (i.e. collective bargaining) or an antitrust exemption is needed to bring stability to the college athletics model.

If we go to a revenue sharing model for student-athletes, a school like ORU won't compete favorably in that scenario.  We will be better than the D-II & D-III schools, but we won't be able to compete for a NCAA tournament bid or College World Series opportunity without donors and divine intervention (however, we have been living on that scenario since 1963). 

Only active participation from a school's fanbase will be able to compete at the highest levels.  To that end, ALL OF US have a part to play in our favorite school's athletic programs in the future.  If we want to continue to control our school's outcomes in athletics, we must decide to participate and participate intentionally and aggressively.

[Dave Connor]

I would like to see South Carolina's WBB NIL budget. Today I saw freshmen coming off the USC bench that looked better than most WBB players on any college team. During the post-game ceremonies the USC WBB coach gave quite a sermon about trusting in God and thanking Jesus for success.

[Bogus Smith]

2 hours ago, Dave Connor said:

I would like to see South Carolina's WBB NIL budget. Today I saw freshmen coming off the USC bench that looked better than most WBB players on any college team. During the post-game ceremonies the USC WBB coach gave quite a sermon about trusting in God and thanking Jesus for success.

I would venture a guess that the NIL money paid for USC WBB student-athletes are much more than what they could make on a WNBA team, where the average salary is approximately $150K.  USC dominated the glass - and especially the offensive boards.  Iowa looked like they learned their block out skills from watching tapes of the ORU MBB this past season. 

[theeagleman5]

Dawn Staley is the real deal....a tremendous coach who does it the right way at So. Carolina....honestly, I think she's got the talent to break the barrier in the NBA and become the first female head coach in that league...if she wants to do it I am sure the right forward thinking team would hire her......gleaning from some of her past interviews she appears to also be a devout Christian but TheEagleman really doesn't know.....but she says the right things....I know she gets paid a lot of $$$ to be the Gamecocks coach so maybe she is just satisfied doing that.....Staley has a powerhouse team there and surely can continue to dominate the NCAA Women's CBB Tournament.....38-0 this year and I think like 109-3 over the past few seasons....crazy stuff.....

[2014Grad]

I think NIL is a bit less of a factor when you have the chance to win national championships or play under one of the best coaches in the game. I don’t know for sure, but Alabama under Saban was rumored to not have as high NIL as other schools, but there was value in playing for a championship or under Saban. I have no idea about South Carolina, but playing under Staley has to be appealing for any women’s basketball player, making them willing to come off the bench if needed.

[ORU40]

The article below shows that USC wbb has an excellent NIL program, the article is from 2022 but shows every player on the team gets at least $25,000 and the top players are over $1mil.  Not surprising as coach Staley made a base salary of $3.1mil this year and hit all her contract incentives for another $680k, she also does Aflac and several other endorsements herself, so she has an excellent agent/management team and is very plugged in and excels in the NIL and endorsement arena. Success brings success!

 

South Carolina women's basketball: New NIL program is a game-changer

by:Chris Wellbaum•09/28/22•

ChrisWellbaum

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South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships

Garnet Trust announced a groundbreaking name, image, and likeness deal Wednesday morning that will pay each member of the South Carolina women’s basketball team an average of $25,000 for the 2022-23 school year.

The South Carolina women’s basketball program has been one of the most successful programs in the country on the court – winning two of the last five national championships – and off the court – leading the nation in attendance for eight consecutive seasons. This NIL arrangement creates a tangible, financial connection between players and fans.

For some players, the $25,000 payday may not be a game-changer. For example, Zia Cooke and Aliyah Boston reportedly earned over $1 million last year. But they are the exception, not the rule. For most players, a guaranteed $25,000 will be a significant amount of income.

Special: Get a year of Gamecock Central for $10!

It’s also a significant enticement in recruiting. Recruits can’t be offered money to sign with South Carolina without violating pay-for-play rules, but this initiative is a firm indication of the opportunities available at South Carolina. Dawn Staley has embraced opportunities for her players since it became clear NIL would be made legal, and that is a contrast to many other programs that have been more ambivalent about NIL.

This is not the first team-wide NIL deal for women’s basketball – that distinction belongs to Texas Tech. Level 13 Agency, a Texas Tech-allied NIL marketing agency, announced in July that it would sign each member of the Texas Tech women’s basketball team to a $25,000 NIL contract.

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That deal was focused on a one-time agreement. The deal with South Carolina players is more sustainable. It also requires active participation from players, a valuable learning experience that should help players after they graduate. Some players will have the opportunity to earn more than $25,000. 

Garnet Trust has partnered with NOCAP Sports to help bring in national brands. Slate Milk, a high-protein milk brand that targets athletes, is already in the fold. It is proof that there is interest from national brands who want to be associated with the Gamecocks. 

Bakari Sellers is one of the Gamecocks’ most high-profile supporters, so it is only fitting that he is involved from the ground floor. He brings visibility and credibility to the project, but a unique aspect of the initiative is how average fans can be a part of the program. Garnet Trust has made it possible for fans to contribute to a fund specifically for women’s basketball.

For more information on how fans can connect with the women’s basketball team, visit www.wbb.garnettrust.com.