NIL Thread (Name, Image, Likeness Rule)

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#76      
Josh has said that Illinois' position on NIL cannibalizing from DIA contributions is that NIL will lead to better teams, better teams will lead to more $$ to DIA. Hopefully the positive effects of the latter will outweigh any negatives of the former.

For every team that wins more due to NIL, there will be another team that loses more. It's not like everyone can get better. That said, I do think we're particularly well-positioned in this new environment with a large, relatively wealthy alumni base, really good coaches in both revenue sports, and a really strong AD with a legal background to boot. However things shake out over the next 10 to 15 years, I expect Illinois basketball and football results to be significantly better than they have been in recent memory.
 
#77      

Chuck Nuggets

Dip your nuggets in my staff source sauce.
The government is not in involved
I hadn't realized it was just two parties coming together to hammer out a deal with no outside influence. I withdraw that particular objection. I don't like it, but we don't get everything we desire.
 
#78      
Let's all take one giant step back collectively and remember how this got started:


Ahem...

"In July 2009, Ed O'Bannon, a former basketball player for UCLA who was a starter on the their 1995 national championship team and the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player that year, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and of actions that deprived him of his right of publicity.[9] He agreed to be the lead plaintiff after seeing his likeness from the 1995 championship team used in the EA Sports title NCAA Basketball 09 without his permission."

Now we are *here.* Neither of the major manufacturers (EA and 2K Sports) have released a college basketball video game since the decision, players still don't have the right to unionize and bargain collectively, and a Miami player has done us the great favor of showing proof-of-concept in NIL absurdity by demanding more money under threat of the transfer portal (and then promptly backing down for reasons that I still can't fathom).

I just want to be able to dunk on Duke again. When I want. As much as I want. Is that too much to ask?
 
#79      

chrisRunner7

Spokane, WA
Let's all take one giant step back collectively and remember how this got started:


Ahem...

"In July 2009, Ed O'Bannon, a former basketball player for UCLA who was a starter on the their 1995 national championship team and the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player that year, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and of actions that deprived him of his right of publicity.[9] He agreed to be the lead plaintiff after seeing his likeness from the 1995 championship team used in the EA Sports title NCAA Basketball 09 without his permission."

Now we are *here.* Neither of the major manufacturers (EA and 2K Sports) have released a college basketball video game since the decision, players still don't have the right to unionize and bargain collectively, and a Miami player has done us the great favor of showing proof-of-concept in NIL absurdity by demanding more money under threat of the transfer portal (and then promptly backing down for reasons that I still can't fathom).

I just want to be able to dunk on Duke again. When I want. As much as I want. Is that too much to ask?
YES. I really don't care about buying t-shirts with caricatured drawings of the players, to be honest, but I would spend $60 on a college basketball video game in a heartbeat.

Also, trading cards. After the portal closes and the NBA draft is over, where can I get my complete set of 2022-23 Illinois basketball trading cards???
 
#83      
Let's all take one giant step back collectively and remember how this got started:


Ahem...

"In July 2009, Ed O'Bannon, a former basketball player for UCLA who was a starter on the their 1995 national championship team and the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player that year, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and of actions that deprived him of his right of publicity.[9] He agreed to be the lead plaintiff after seeing his likeness from the 1995 championship team used in the EA Sports title NCAA Basketball 09 without his permission."

Now we are *here.* Neither of the major manufacturers (EA and 2K Sports) have released a college basketball video game since the decision, players still don't have the right to unionize and bargain collectively, and a Miami player has done us the great favor of showing proof-of-concept in NIL absurdity by demanding more money under threat of the transfer portal (and then promptly backing down for reasons that I still can't fathom).

I just want to be able to dunk on Duke again. When I want. As much as I want. Is that too much to ask?

Man…maybe if EA had shelled out some of their profits none of this would have happened!

Or at the very least did a random player/number generator for all teams and then let the online roster builders work their magic for free (like they did anyway).

Let’s all collectively blame EA.

(And then buy College Football 23 when it comes out)
 
#84      
YES. I really don't care about buying t-shirts with caricatured drawings of the players, to be honest, but I would spend $60 on a college basketball video game in a heartbeat.

Also, trading cards. After the portal closes and the NBA draft is over, where can I get my complete set of 2022-23 Illinois basketball trading cards???
I think EA sports is developing an NCAA football game again that could come out next summer. Don't think the basketball franchise was as successful, as they discontinued that 4 years before they stopped making NCAA Football, so that one may not come back.

As for trading cards, I don't know about team sets, but you can find plenty of Illinois branded cards of players that enter the draft. I have a bunch of Ayo cards and a Giorgi auto card myself.
 
#85      

chrisRunner7

Spokane, WA
I think EA sports is developing an NCAA football game again that could come out next summer. Don't think the basketball franchise was as successful, as they discontinued that 4 years before they stopped making NCAA Football, so that one may not come back.

As for trading cards, I don't know about team sets, but you can find plenty of Illinois branded cards of players that enter the draft. I have a bunch of Ayo cards and a Giorgi auto card myself.
I bought a Giorgi auto card recently for cheap but the Ayo ones are priiiicey
 
#88      

illini80

Forgottonia
https://www.si.com/college/2022/05/...experts-divided-over-boosters-laws-recruiting

Long but interesting article. Says the going rate is 50-100k per player at big time programs. And article would indicate this is all just getting started, which is not surprising.
Good read, thanks for posting. The article focuses mostly on football and I suspect the going rate for BB players is higher at the top. I wonder how we are doing on that front in football vs basketball. I don’t think many of us expect to ever compete with O$U in football, but I hope we can come up with enough money to be competitive for some good players. At the lower end of 50k and 85 roster spots, thats $4.25M per year just to fund the NIL for football alone. The $$$ just boggle my mind.

Underwood said something recently about if a player comes in asking about NIL, he’s not interested. I don’t think he will have a choice going forward. This thing is just getting started. If you don’t have a strong base figure, even the Ayo’s aren’t going to be interested in what you have to say.
 
#89      

Illini92and96

Austin, TX
Good read, thanks for posting. The article focuses mostly on football and I suspect the going rate for BB players is higher at the top. I wonder how we are doing on that front in football vs basketball. I don’t think many of us expect to ever compete with O$U in football, but I hope we can come up with enough money to be competitive for some good players. At the lower end of 50k and 85 roster spots, thats $4.25M per year just to fund the NIL for football alone. The $$$ just boggle my mind.

Underwood said something recently about if a player comes in asking about NIL, he’s not interested. I don’t think he will have a choice going forward. This thing is just getting started. If you don’t have a strong base figure, even the Ayo’s aren’t going to be interested in what you have to say.
The rumor is A&M spent >$20M for their last class in which everyone but their kicker, who was the #1 kicker, was ranked in the top 500. It could be 100k per person in general, but $1m average for a top 500 talent. I think the NIL fundraising could eventually parallel politics. Some will opt for the Super Pac model, with a couple wealthy people bankrolling it, while others might try and get masses to contribute smaller $. A billionaire could bankroll $25M for a couple years if they chose. I think it will also come down to the attitude of the school. You either chose to play or you say that's not what we are about. We *could* compete with OSU based on our alumni base *if* our athletic department and alumni were motivated to compete. I'm sure this board could muster enough to support the long snapper and punter at least. Lol.
 
#90      
The rumor is A&M spent >$20M for their last class in which everyone but their kicker, who was the #1 kicker, was ranked in the top 500. It could be 100k per person in general, but $1m average for a top 500 talent. I think the NIL fundraising could eventually parallel politics. Some will opt for the Super Pac model, with a couple wealthy people bankrolling it, while others might try and get masses to contribute smaller $. A billionaire could bankroll $25M for a couple years if they chose. I think it will also come down to the attitude of the school. You either chose to play or you say that's not what we are about. We *could* compete with OSU based on our alumni base *if* our athletic department and alumni were motivated to compete. I'm sure this board could muster enough to support the long snapper and punter at least. Lol.

Thanks for linking the SI article. I think the casual fan probably didn't expect the money to get this big as quickly as it has.

The other really weird thing about all this to me is what you're getting for your money as a big NIL donor. It's like you're a part owner of the team paying salaries, and you have access to the players for promotional events and whatnot, but then you still have to buy your own tickets to the actual games. Seems very strange.
 
#91      

Illini92and96

Austin, TX
Thanks for linking the SI article. I think the casual fan probably didn't expect the money to get this big as quickly as it has.

The other really weird thing about all this to me is what you're getting for your money as a big NIL donor. It's like you're a part owner of the team paying salaries, and you have access to the players for promotional events and whatnot, but then you still have to buy your own tickets to the actual games. Seems very strange.
Ha, that seems like a good way of describing it.
 
#94      
While I am of the mind that NIL is the beginning of the apocalypse for college sports, I’m wondering how high on the “I need to fix this s**t” this would be in Congress? The various states that have stuck their finger into the NCAA pie to legislate NIL have made it almost certain that no centralized organization is going to be allowed to administer anything regarding college athletics.

SEC & PAC12 seek help from Congress
 
#95      
Thanks for linking the SI article. I think the casual fan probably didn't expect the money to get this big as quickly as it has.

The other really weird thing about all this to me is what you're getting for your money as a big NIL donor. It's like you're a part owner of the team paying salaries, and you have access to the players for promotional events and whatnot, but then you still have to buy your own tickets to the actual games. Seems very strange.
I’ve heard some bag numbers about UT guys in the past from people who went there. The money has been big is the thing. I think it’s just deeper now (as in more people getting a piece). Now it can just be publicized.
 
#96      
While I am of the mind that NIL is the beginning of the apocalypse for college sports, I’m wondering how high on the “I need to fix this s**t” this would be in Congress? The various states that have stuck their finger into the NCAA pie to legislate NIL have made it almost certain that no centralized organization is going to be allowed to administer anything regarding college athletics.

SEC & PAC12 seek help from Congress
They didn’t want anything 2 years ago but now that NIL is rolling and benefiting players we need rules and regulations? Seems rather hypocritical no? Commissioners are basically CEOs that are there to maintain and grow their conferences. Seems most like most high level business people are economically conservative because less regulations gives them more room make and keep money. Now that they are not the sole benefactors, and the money is going to the people who actually earn it by bringing the eyeballs, they want legislation. Disgusting.
 
#97      
I think it will be interesting as to how this is all brought back under some semblance of control, as most parties agree it is the Wild, Wild, West out there right now with zero standardization state by state on NIL. Between the NCAA, the Universities, the state legislatures, and the two houses of Congress, the only thing that can be foreseen really is that whatever they come up with is going to be FUBAR.

If the athletes become employees, do college sports fans still have the same level of passion for their teams? College sports fans follow the name on the front of the jersey, through thick and thin (see Illinois, University of). And then college presidents have to ask themselves, “am I running a university, or a professional sports team?”. I like nothing I can even remotely imagine coming out of this . . .
 
#99      
Congress could call it the "BAN CRAZY MIAMI BOOSTERS act"

NIL was never meant to have schools or booster pay a player for playing for school

Congress could pass a law outlawing this type of contract but clearly define and legalize fair value "name image and likeness" contracts. Businesses would have to prove fair value to IRS.

This could still be abused. But it would eliminate consortiums like Illinois Guardians or the school itself from paying players for "imgaginary or make work".

Nothing would stop a school from increasing the academic stipend (Illinois just announced $5.9k/year) as long as they did it for all scholarship athletes.

For all the board members who thought our athletes were getting 6 or 7 figure NIL payouts all you have to do is look at Oscar @ Kentucky getting $2M to stay another year and Pack going to Miami for $400k/year. My guess is Kofi was offered low 6 figures (still great compared to nothing) and decided to get on with his chosen career. These endorsements are nice but not that size



 
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#100      
Congress could call it the "BAN CRAZY MIAMI BOOSTERS act"

NIL was never meant to have schools or booster pay for playing for school

Congress could pass a law outlawing this type of contract but clearly define and legalize fair value "name image and likeness" contracts. Businesses would have to prove fair value to IRS.

This could still be abused. But it would eliminate consortiums like Illinois Guardians or the school itself from paying players for "imgaginary or make work".

Nothing would stop a school from increasing the academic stipend (Illinois just announced $5.9k/year) as long as they did it for all scholarship athletes.
I thought that NCAA woiuldn't allow anything for athletes that it wouldn't provide for "ordinary students." My wife was a professor at a D-II school (and department chair) and I know they walked a tightrope over NCAA eligibility. Of course they're about as far from blue blood immunity as possible, but that's still the alleged philosophy.
If the athletes become employees, do college sports fans still have the same level of passion for their teams? College sports fans follow the name on the front of the jersey, through thick and thin (see Illinois, University of). And then college presidents have to ask themselves, “am I running a university, or a professional sports team?”. I like nothing I can even remotely imagine coming out of this . . .
This is something I've wondered. A large part of my faithfulness is that I have faith in the student-athletes being just that. I remember back in the later sixties football players living in the dorms. The concept of "student-athlete" was the real deal. If wouldn't be unreasonable to have one in class with you. I've always felt that I wasn't just a fan of the Fighting Illini, but that I was/am still an "Illini for Life." I have a cardboard cutout saying that. I've always, at least since becoming an adult, felt like for pro sports, it was "them" winning. With Illini sports, it's "us."

I have somewhat tongue-in-cheek proposed just going minor league professional sports, where the teams would be privately owned, and rent team names and mascots, rent facilities, and rent stadia for the best deal they could get. Then there could be a transfer portal where teams could switch colleges, the good teams going to the universities that fill the stands with the biggest gate, concessions, licensing potential. Then the teams could hire the best players who wouldn't be students, no entrance requirements, no classroom, even no limit on time on the team. I'm sure that a lot of people would still be saying "Roll Tide," but "I-L-L-"? For me, the passion, even the following, would be in severe jeopardy.
 
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