How is Michigan utilizing NIL?
Hello all.
Now that NIL is out, I’m curious how we (Michigan) are using the new regulations to our advantage. I get glimpses of what other schools are doing, but I can’t seem to find out what Michigan is doing (even after using Google).
Does anyone have a source or any information?
Good luck... This question has been asked a hundred times, and never answered. I'm beginning to think nothing special is happening. Somebody Friday, I think it was, suggested that Ivy League President Schlissel might disallow AD-wide involvement with any over-arching NIL program, as it may be seen as unseemly. I sincerely hope this isn't the case, because Warde will glom onto that opinion and won't argue it one bit (arguing a salient point doesn't seem to be his forte). It would leave the athletes completely on their own.
And that would be very sad.
"Somebody Friday, I think it was, suggested that Ivy League President Schlissel might disallow AD-wide involvement with any over-arching NIL program"
Ah yes...UM 'Academia' hoisted by their own petard...
Get out of the way, Schlissel.
It is my understanding that the players cannot associate their NIL with their university, or vice versa. And the universities are not allowed to help their players broker NIL deals. Something like that. So I don't think Michigan is directly utilizing NIL in any fashion. But they are allowing their players to do their own thing. The players are recognized because they are part of a popular entity called Michigan football. That recognition opens the door for their own NIL deals.
This is my basic understanding which is probably not the whole story or completely accurate.
It’s a patchwork of new laws and rules, they vary more than a little bit state to state.
Believe one of the front page posts here said that the Michigan law allows schools to be dealmakers. Whether that’s happening or not I have no idea.
That's the way it seems to be working at Michigan but there is no prohibition (for Michigan at least) on facilitating deals or lending usage of trademarks or facilities.
OK thanks for the correction. I thought I read somewhere that universities cannot facilitate deals. Like Warde can't call up Quicken Loans and offer up his 22 starters on the football team for a TV ad. But I think it's better if stuff like that is allowed to happen because it would certainly be a regulation that is prone to be abused.
That is part of the state law in Florida.
Michigan's policy is that they make no promises on facilitating deals. It seems in general they won't be.
Why should college athletes be treated any differently in terms of endorsements/deals than professional athletes? In professional sports there may be contractual language between teams and players that disallow certain types of endorsements and the NFLPA may exert certain influences. If State Farm is willing to pay an NFL athlete for a cutesy ad why would the same privilege and earning opportunity not be available to a college athlete?
My semi-uneducated guess is that limitations that are placed on athletes are going to be challenged in the courts with outcomes that are similar to what the SC gave us.
In another thread, I asked a question wondering whether scholarships and coaching and facilities usage could be seen as income, particularly in bball where a player is at a university for a year, drops out of classes after bball season ends and then goes pro. I definitely see the potential for tax questions
Regardless, I think Michigan needs to get the hell out of the way and do what works best for the athlete. The game has changed and if the School fails to go along, it is going to be a kick in the recruiting nuts. As for Schlissel, I've thought for quite some time that he does not fit the Michigan culture, I truly don't see much that he does that another president more willing to embrace the Michigan culture, that includes an athletic as well as academic component, couldn't do better.
Even Eastern State had the "Kain is Abel" campaign in 1990 season.
He couldn't outdo Tim Wayman, but still.
Why can't we have the a bunch of marketing majors from the b-school handle this?
"It is my understanding that the players cannot associate their NIL with their university, or vice versa."
Interesting, since it seems like many of the recruiting posts mention that UM "hit it out of the park" in regards to the NIL plans.
It’s Michigan. Expect the Schliss to not understand it from his ivory tower and instruct the AD to keep an old school mentality while all of the other programs embrace the benefits of the NIL.
Players will get to use NIL on their own and profit, but the university/AD won’t allow the inevitable underhanded tactics that everyone else will use - further pushing the football program into the shitabyss.
All kidding aside, what’s stopping Michigan from going after a guy like Jalen Duren in basketball and getting him a $1mm+ deal? If he truly is looking to go to the G League, likely for monetary reasons, why doesn’t Howard connect the right people in place and beat that G League offer? Doesn’t seem like it would be hard to do.
Andrel Anthony announced a deal today with something called Redcup College Football.
If a guy who hasn't even played a game and wasn't a high profile recruit is getting deals, imagine what a guy like Hutchinson can get.
By the way, a very easy way to support UM in this new era is to follow the sponsors on their social media accounts after a deal with a UM athlete is announced. More views makes UM athletes more appealing to advertisers. More appeal to advertisers means bigger deals for UM athletes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRMVQrcjNH6/?utm_medium=copy_link
It's actually interesting. Anthony is pretty active on social media and has 2.5x the number of Instagram followers as Aidan Hutchinson. However, Hutchinson is obviously the more known name in the fanbase. I think that will translate to different opportunities, where Anthony will have more social media based opportunities and Hutchinson will have more in local media.
This is a very big deal. If you're on social media...follow the players. Their followers/views can help them get deals as it shows they have a bigger reach.
MGoBlog SuperPAC let’s go!!!
We need a wealthy M football donor in finance to set up a sham agency immediately if this hasn't already happened. Call it the Woodson Foundation or similar. Then solicit M donors everywhere to direct their funds to the agency, which in turn signs players to absurd NIL deals.
The Woodson Foundation remains completely unaffiliated with the University. Bonus points if the Foundation can classify as a nonprofit.
Get on it, Harbaugh.
This site raised over $100k for Ace in no time, imagine if they channeled the whole fanbase to a single cause.
But then wouldn't a good amount of the money that is raised need to go to Woodson for, you know, using his name?
As far as I can tell Warde is preventing JH, or at least deterring JH et. al from taking full advantage of it, thus putting us behind teams like OSU yet again who have been ready and willing and working on taking full advantage of this for over a year. We likely need not just a new coaching staff, but a new AD as well. He seemingly did a great job with Howard and bball, but seems to be handcuffing our football program, if what I'm ready is accurate.
“As far as I can tell Warde is preventing JH, or at least deterring JH et. al from taking full advantage of it”
You’ve reached this conclusion based on what evidence?
reading it in your own posts doesn’t count.
I don't have a scintilla of information. NIL, actually.
Someone with a Michigan sports website should crowdfund the money to have former five star recruits appear on their podcast.
As a Michigan fan I would say more of the same. “Nothing is happening now, when it really should be, but just wait a bit longer it will all work out.”
Michigan beats OSU = Fans will say it's because of NIL
Michigan does not beat OSU = Fans will say it's a lack of the money cannon for NIL
I don't think the University or the AD is going to announce what player is sponsoring what.
Considering a simple Google search will show you seemingly ALLLLL the NIL stuff that those in Columbus are doing (within the rules - the rest you'll never hear of), the silence about UM is flat-out DEAFENING in comparison.
They were getting free cars when it was against the rules.
Now NIL is here and they are getting free cars...that we know of: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-athletics/2021/07/123382/four-predictions-on-the-impact-of-nil-from-an-advertising-industry-veteran
"Finally, we get to the little guys. These are the personal injury lawyers, car dealers, and local fast food spots that put a beloved local athlete in a generic uniform that vaguely resembles the one they wear on game days"
There is a whole lovely section entitled:
AGENTS WILL FINALLY OPERATE OUTSIDE THE SHADOWS...
But Sam Webb told us NIL would be the great equalizer
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
The highly ranked players UM was after going to TCU speaks volumes.
Well their campus is surprisingly beautiful and the co-eds are…um…nice ladies.
Maybe when the band comes out we will stop sitting on our hands. Ill use game logic here.
I expect Michigan to behind on this like everything else. They still prefer it to be 1997 and sell blank 7 Jerseys until the end of time.
Michigan is one of the few Universities that could take the most advantage of NIL. But it seems like they're not interested rushing into and other schools are going full bore. Of course we will fall way behind but we have the historic name to pull back to the lead once the University implements NIL, probably waiting for the 2022 season when the NIL state legislation takes effect.
Ohio already took care of this - can't let other schools put O$U at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, in Michigan...Schlissel and the State Legislature enjoy mediocrity...
I'm guessing that brokering a Million dollar deal for an incoming freshman that has no advertising value (yet) may be very sticky.
Sticky as in there are zero laws against it? Yeah our money cannon agrees with you. Best to sit tight.
Seems to be some basic assumptions in several replies that Schlissel doesn't understand/get/care about sports. Where does that come from? Maybe he's indifferent to football but he is a pretty huge basketball fan.
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