Name,image,likeness closes gap or widens it?

[Gamecock Lifer]

I think you are looking at this situation as if all of the teams are going to play by the rules. The NCAA has just made it possible for unscrupulous individuals to funnel money to top players without fear of retribution. We all know that this has been going on forever but now it will be out in the open. People will come up with innovative ways to provide endorsements. Recruits will simply hold out for the best deals. MONEY TALKS! Pretty simple really.

That is certainly possible. Is it better to do it illegally behind closed doors or out in the open though? Doesn’t that assumption mean the playing field is kind of leveled for teams who want to play by the rules now?
I just don’t see this change as a death knell for college FB personally. I am uncertain as to how much it will actually impact the game and recruiting TBH. It seems if money is a deciding factor then it opens the door for more high profile guys to go with the local team they love where they already probably have a bit of a name from their HS days instead of feeling they have to go to one of the “big name” schools with a chance to make the playoffs to get exposure and play in the big games.. I guess we will see how it all plays out. There is no putting the cat back in the bag now!

 

[uscusc1987]

I guess no one knows for sure at this point but here’s a scenario.
I’ll use the Manning kid as an example.
Clemson gets this guy. Then the next recruiting cycle another top QB (I’ll call him Tim )has Clemson as a choice.
Now Tim can go to Clemson and know he has a good chance of playing limited snaps for at least two years.
Or Tim could go somewhere like Columbia or Knoxville and probably start making $ on his NIL right away.

Do you think recruits will think this way? Do schools in cities like Columbia provide more opportunities than a Starkville for example?

It will close the gap. Just like CFP expansion to twelve teams helps everyone except 5-7 schools. Those that are already in the CFP every year. Having to play extra games doesn't help those teams already there every year. The name likeness comes down to using where you are located and alumni connections to help recruiting. Say x recruit knows ahead of time if he commits to wherever the local alumni that owns the following businesses will pay him this amount for commercials, etc. Why would a top recruit go sit behind another top recruit when he can attend another school and make a ton more on his likeness. Most of the top recruits are going to care more about the money in my opinion. That will out weigh I just love this environment at this school so I don't care as much about the money.

 

[uscusc1987]

Who determines the market value also? Could a 5* recruit sign an autograph for $200,000 after being promised by a booster if you sign with our team well buy the autograph?

Yes

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

It will close the gap. Just like CFP expansion to twelve teams helps everyone except 5-7 schools. Those that are already in the CFP every year. Having to play extra games doesn't help those teams already there every year. The name likeness comes down to using where you are located and alumni connections to help recruiting. Say x recruit knows ahead of time if he commits to wherever the local alumni that owns the following businesses will pay him this amount for commercials, etc. Why would a top recruit go sit behind another top recruit when he can attend another school and make a ton more on his likeness. Most of the top recruits are going to care more about the money in my opinion. That will out weigh I just love this environment at this school so I don't care as much about the money.

Seems plausible. It will be a couple of years before we see the true impacts of all these changes but nothing I have heard or seen announced has diminished my excitement for CFB or my optimism for the future of the sport.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Schools in wealthy states will benefit the most, IMO. Here, WBB will benefit the most because we have a large and engaged fan base.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

Gamecock Twitter is coming for the Tigers! 😂

 

[duckcock2.0.0]

Do y'all think that Congress will actually step in and set limits on what can be made through NIL?

 

[GatorlandGamecock]

Do y'all think that Congress will actually step in and set limits on what can be made through NIL?

No, they can't do their job now, and if they did, they would screw it up worse. They would ensure that all players got the same amount by making the ones with the $$$ distribute it equally, just like food stamps and welfare.

 

[gamecock1999]

As others have said or alluded to, it sure seems like the bigger market/alumni teams are going to have more of a competitive advantage now that the cash doesn’t have to be filtered under the table.

All things being equal, it should help hasten the Gamecocks climb back up and help bring the Tigers back to earth. However, our administration doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that we can capitalize on this, whereas IPTAY probably has a “mortgage your mobile homes for Dabo” campaign ready to roll.

 

[gamecock1999]

Does anyone have a link to the new rules? I couldn’t find them. Just summaries of what they supposedly do.

 

[JamesRob]

I think NIL will benefit teams in bigger cities more. How many viable businesses with substantial resources are there in “South Bend” Ia for instance? Will some wealthy business owner who is a fan of ND but lives in Miami or LA think that using a player for ND will help him promote his brand?

This is not going to be funded by donations to the schools being funneled to players, this is still going to be driven by decisions around supply and demand and what a business owner feels is good business… Sure- some will use it as a way to help their schools lure recruits. I just think the teams in bigger markets with the bigger/more wealthy fan based will benefit most.

With that said, if I am right- it could hurt clemsun being in cow town with limited resources and a much more regional fan base than a team like Miami for instance… Or even compared to us. Columbia is WAY bigger than cow town, growing fast we have many wealthy business owners who would love a nice tax advantaged way to pay for better players to come here!

You are totally missing the social media aspect of this benefit. Gymnasts and women’s basketball players with big online support are already getting paid. Some companies pay upwards of $1500 (and more) per tweet. Physical location is irrelevant in a virtual world.

 

[The Doctors Back]

Neither. It doesn't close, or widen, the gap. Things have just gotten out of hand on the recruiting trail. And much easier to cover ones tracks than it used to be. This is simply making legal what has been going on for decades. They have just wrap it up in a named package. Car dealers and other businesses that are "friends of the program" will love it. Gives them a tax advantage as it is just another employee.

I would agree that things have gotten out of hand, but disagree that it doesn’t widen the gap. With NIL rules a player can only make money if he has a “worth” to an advertiser. To have a worth, they need exposure. The better your team, the more the exposure the more the individual worth. Is there any doubt a 5 star playing for Alabama, Clemson or OSU won’t have more exposure than playing for USC, Maryland or Vanderbilt? Any doubt that those schools won’t promote that advantage?

 

[section2cock]

I think NIL will benefit teams in bigger cities more. How many viable businesses with substantial resources are there in “South Bend” Ia for instance? Will some wealthy business owner who is a fan of ND but lives in Miami or LA think that using a player for ND will help him promote his brand?

This is not going to be funded by donations to the schools being funneled to players, this is still going to be driven by decisions around supply and demand and what a business owner feels is good business… Sure- some will use it as a way to help their schools lure recruits. I just think the teams in bigger markets with the bigger/more wealthy fan based will benefit most.

With that said, if I am right- it could hurt clemsun being in cow town with limited resources and a much more regional fan base than a team like Miami for instance… Or even compared to us. Columbia is WAY bigger than cow town, growing fast we have many wealthy business owners who would love a nice tax advantaged way to pay for better players to come here!

To a certain degree I agree with what you said. However, the really big markets will still be NFL markets. It’s the Ohio States in Columbus, the NC States in Raleigh and Alabama’s in Birmingham-Tuscaloosa that will benefit the most - Power 5’s in mid major population centers

 

[NC Garnet & Black]

Commitment announcements to a school will be shortly followed by these...

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

To a certain degree I agree with what you said. However, the really big markets will still be NFL markets. It’s the Ohio States in Columbus, the NC States in Raleigh and Alabama’s in Birmingham-Tuscaloosa that will benefit the most - Power 5’s in mid major population centers

Imagine that- a rule change Bama may benefit from! 🤔😂

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

I highly doubt this. You seem to be picturing these athletes' deals being on a local billboard or for an athlete becoming the spokesperson for lizard's thicket. But it looks like most of Clemson's starters already are landing national deals with apps or brand deals. Physical location is irrelevant in today's world. That's where I think 90%+ of these deals will come from, and the schools that are dominant right now have a huge leg-up in these first deals. In that way, the gap will widen.

The concern isn't the size of the city (although I think it's adorable you think Columbia gives South Carolina an advantage for being a "big, wealthy city"), but the wealth of a school's alumni. Those alumni who could offer a 5 Star QB a $10 million brand deal to come to their school, which you know some schools are going to exploit. South Carolina and Clemson are both very similar in production of wealthy alumni, but neither are close to the top. Those top schools are Stanford, USC, Michigan, UVA, Miami, Texas, UCLA, Cal, and Notre Dame.

Just to be clear I only made mention of Columbia’s size and wealth relative to Clemson SC. Not sure how you confused that into some slight on my knowledge of market sizes, but your comprehension is what is lacking here.

Beyond that- yeah a FEW athletes will get national deals, certainly. The vast majority of FB players are not national names and a national brand is not going to hire the back up TE from Clemsun to be their spokesman just because people know who coemsun is. The starting first baseman for any college is not likely to be a name 99.999% of America will recognize.. but local fans of his team likely will. The majority of the brand endorsements most athletes get from this will be local brands. Many will get money for signing autographs or if they can generate some social media fame- like that kicker a few years ago who the NCAA told he could not make money from youtube videos of him doing “trick” kicks- that sort of stuff is allowed and more attainable for all athletes. Nike will not be hiring a bunch of unknowns to rep their brand on a national level, but I find it “cute” you think national brands will be handing these contracts to everyone…

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

The truth of it all is that none of us can accurately predict how things will ultimately transpire. I predict limited impact to the game itself and my enjoyment of it- some seem to think this is the end of the world for college sports… Who knows? It is too new at this point. All we know is that the Supreme court says what the NCAA has been doing was simply illegal and they had no choice but to at LEAST allow kids to make their own money at this point. Like it or not- it is here and it will not be walked back. I hope our school is well prepared to navigate this new market and take advantage of it to help us dig out of the hole some of our teams are in.

 

[USMCatFan]

Do y'all think that Congress will actually step in and set limits on what can be made through NIL?

Has Congress ever set income limits on any other occupation?

This all got started when the SCOTUS bitch-slapped the NCAA for trying to arbitrarily cap student/athletes at "$0.00".

I don't see how any type of income/revenue/salary cap would fly past the SCOTUS.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

It will close the gap. Just like CFP expansion to twelve teams helps everyone except 5-7 schools. Those that are already in the CFP every year. Having to play extra games doesn't help those teams already there every year. The name likeness comes down to using where you are located and alumni connections to help recruiting. Say x recruit knows ahead of time if he commits to wherever the local alumni that owns the following businesses will pay him this amount for commercials, etc. Why would a top recruit go sit behind another top recruit when he can attend another school and make a ton more on his likeness. Most of the top recruits are going to care more about the money in my opinion. That will out weigh I just love this environment at this school so I don't care as much about the money.

This scenario just occurred to me. In this example SC and a Florida school both have an eye on a recruit. They make their pitch and the NIL component is deemed equal. So the final pitch from the Florida school, "Yeah kid, but are you aware the state of SC has state income tax and we don't"
Oh yeah, THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

 

[GamecockJL]

I think it keeps recruits more local. Big name recruit out of Maryland where everyone knows them probably has more money making potential there than in Georgia or Florida.

 

[GamecockJL]

This scenario just occurred to me. In this example SC and a Florida school both have an eye on a recruit. They make their pitch and the NIL component is deemed equal. So the final pitch from the Florida school, "Yeah kid, but are you aware the state of SC has state income tax and we don't"
Oh yeah, THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

Dang, I hadn't thought of the no income tax thing.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

Do y'all think that Congress will actually step in and set limits on what can be made through NIL?

Set up a law to determine financial limits of what an individual can make in an open market environment ??
In a capitalist society ?
In a word NO.

 

[Bad seed]

I hope this doesn't ruin college football as much as 14 team conferences and the CFP. Idiots.

 

[RoosterBooster1]

I think NIL will benefit teams in bigger cities more. How many viable businesses with substantial resources are there in “South Bend” Ia for instance? Will some wealthy business owner who is a fan of ND but lives in Miami or LA think that using a player for ND will help him promote his brand?

This is not going to be funded by donations to the schools being funneled to players, this is still going to be driven by decisions around supply and demand and what a business owner feels is good business… Sure- some will use it as a way to help their schools lure recruits. I just think the teams in bigger markets with the bigger/more wealthy fan based will benefit most.

With that said, if I am right- it could hurt clemsun being in cow town with limited resources and a much more regional fan base than a team like Miami for instance… Or even compared to us. Columbia is WAY bigger than cow town, growing fast we have many wealthy business owners who would love a nice tax advantaged way to pay for better players to come here!

ND is a NATIONAL brand, always has been. It has more connections to Boosters and corporations in more states than probably any other school. ND market is not South Bend….it’s the whole frigging country.

 

[RoosterBooster1]

Big cities have more competition. Do you want a Chicago Bears QB promoting a product or a player from Nothwestern?

It benefits teams in relatively big markets that don't have professional sports teams. For example. Ohio State in Columbus or even Vandy in Nashville. They do have hockey but...

Last I checked they had an NFL team in Nashville….

 

[RoosterBooster1]

True. The entire NE loves Notre Dame or they did when I lived in Ohio. They would have a huge market.

Hilinski's family doesn't appear as if they are hurting for $$ but he could make some money if he were to become NW starting QB.

Ohio is west of here, and certainly not in the NE.

 

[GoCocksFight2021]

In football, the teams with the richest boosters with the most desire to win will benefit. They don't give a damn about what kind of marketing they can get from the players. It will simply be a tool to purchase who they want in order to win. Tons of money spent today with no value returned other than on the field.

Amateurism was created to prevent money from polluting competition. That's over now. College football is nothing more than pro football now. The only difference is where the money comes from.

 

[Lakecock1]

Does anyone have a link to the new rules? I couldn’t find them. Just summaries of what they supposedly do.

These are the guidelines for all student/athletes at USC:

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS NIL RULES​

• Academically eligible student-athletes at the University of South Carolina may earn compensation for their name, image, or likeness.
• University of South Carolina institutional staff members shall not be involved in arranging NIL agreements, contracts, appearances, gift-in-kinds and/or compensation for an intercollegiate athlete or providing compensation themselves.
• Athletic boosters may create or facilitate NIL compensation opportunities to current and prospective student-athletes provided those deals are not used as a recruiting inducement or inducement to remain enrolled for current student-athletes at University of South Carolina.
• NIL activities must occur outside of participation in academic, athletic, or University of South Carolina sponsored activities.
• A student-athlete’s scholarship awarded by the University of South Carolina is not considered compensation and may not be revoked or reduced because of a permissible NIL agreement.
• A student-athlete’s compensation earned may be used in the calculation for need-based financial aid available to the general student population based on federal guidelines, and therefore, could impact the amount of need-based aid a student-athletes is awarded.
• Student-athletes may use University of South Carolina intellectual property with the prior written approval of the University of South Carolina Athletics Department. Student-athletes may autograph and sell officially licensed memorabilia that includes University marks that is purchased by the student-athletes.
• South Carolina State Law prohibits the use of University of South Carolina facilities for NIL activities.
• All NIL activities must be disclosed through the Compass app 48 hours prior to the activity. All in-kind deals should be submitted as soon as the deal is agreed upon.
• The University of South Carolina retains all rights to content produced or published by the University or associated entities.
• The University of South Carolina will provide student-athletes with both required and optional education opportunities regarding NIL including, life skills, career development, and financial literacy to best prepare student-athletes for the new landscape.
• Due to federal guidelines, student-athletes attending the University of South Carolina on an F-1 visa are encouraged to contact International Student Services prior to participating in any name, image, likeness activities.
• Student-athletes may secure representation such as an agent or marketing representative for NIL activities. The prior guidelines on professional representation stay in place and student-athletes may not secure representation for future professional athletic contract negotiations.
• All athlete agents representing student-athletes from the University of South Carolina must comply with federal and state regulations surrounding athlete agents and their activities.
• If an athlete agent is an attorney, then he or she must also be a member in good standing of in all state bar associations the athlete agent is a member of.

​

 

[Elgringo]

If this reflects the rest of the culture, there will soon be a player getting paid for disrespecting the flag, another one getting paid for being openly gay, another trans, etc. Really hope it doesn’t turn into a pissing contest of victimhood, but I can totally see that happening.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

ND is a NATIONAL brand, always has been. It has more connections to Boosters and corporations in more states than probably any other school. ND market is not South Bend….it’s the whole frigging country.

It is- but again, how many companies located in Miami or NYC- or wherever said business owner who may also be a ND fan is located- will pick a college played at ND to rep their brand over say a pro player from close to their location? You think the WR for ND is going to move the needle advertising like a local restaurant chain or something in the Miami area? I don’t. It would be a waste of money and time. They might buy the player’s t-shirt off a website or something but I just don’t think most college athletes have the national appeal to get these big wins from NIL, so those schools in small markets may be at a bit of a disadvantage ven if they have wide spread fan bases. Who knows… 🤷‍♂️

 

[GoCocksFight2021]

This will be no different than the "jobs" scam the NCAA cracked down on years ago. The "employers" didn't care about work from them. In fact, there was evidence that some never even showed up to the job. Just got paid.

Boosters don't care about "wasting money". It won't be a business decision that they expect to profit from, just like today. It will purely be a way to purchase the players they want. The market will be the players themselves, not what they can add to some businesses marketing plan.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

This will be no different than the "jobs" scam the NCAA cracked down on years ago. The "employers" didn't care about work from them. In fact, there was evidence that some never even showed up to the job. Just got paid.

Boosters don't care about "wasting money". It won't be a business decision that they expect to profit from, just like today. It will purely be a way to purchase the players they want. The market will be the players themselves, not what they can add to some businesses marketing plan.

There will be some of that, sure… there has always been fans throwing money into the pockets of players to try to help their team and some of the NIL will be about that… Not the majority. The majority will be more direct marketing by players- small instalments like selling things, booking autograph signings, showing up to events… the sponsorships will mostly be with some intent by the business owners to benefit from it. That is what advertising is about in the end… Tom Brady is a more marketable spokesman for large brands (like Subway for instance) than the starting QB for ND.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

I guess no one knows for sure at this point but here’s a scenario.
I’ll use the Manning kid as an example.
Clemson gets this guy. Then the next recruiting cycle another top QB (I’ll call him Tim )has Clemson as a choice.
Now Tim can go to Clemson and know he has a good chance of playing limited snaps for at least two years.
Or Tim could go somewhere like Columbia or Knoxville and probably start making $ on his NIL right away.

Do you think recruits will think this way? Do schools in cities like Columbia provide more opportunities than a Starkville for example?

Please tell me there is no one named Manning considering quempsum!!!

 

[Lakecock1]

Historical data shows that approximately 2% of all college student/athletes turn pro. And, the vast majority of those are NOT names or faces that would be recognized nationally.

I would guess that same percentage will apply to the number of athletes who actually are able to negotiate 'decent' NIL contracts while in school. We have approximately 530 student/athletes at USC, so less than a dozen can or should expect to enter into decent contracts under the NIL laws.

IMHO, the biggest 'winners' will be the this year's current and prospective athletes. There will always be opportunities for athletes, whether super stars or not, to earn a little money via the sales of memorabilia, autograph sessions, conducting their own training camps, or marketing their own skills (art, music, writing, etc). But, the stars of the team will always reap the biggest benefits. And, those benefits extended this year to athlete X may not be available nor offered to athlete Y in the following year or years.

What we haven't seen at this point is an actual contract that would include a timetable or duration of the contract. Depending upon the timeframes included in the contract, a superstar with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining MAY ink a deal for an extended period of time.

A company is not going to sign the next incoming superstar to the same deal as that would be cost prohibitive. That in and of itself MAY induce a smart recruit to look elsewhere prior to making a commitment to any particular school.

We are just seeing the tip of this iceberg.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

I guess no one knows for sure at this point but here’s a scenario.
I’ll use the Manning kid as an example.
Clemson gets this guy. Then the next recruiting cycle another top QB (I’ll call him Tim )has Clemson as a choice.
Now Tim can go to Clemson and know he has a good chance of playing limited snaps for at least two years.
Or Tim could go somewhere like Columbia or Knoxville and probably start making $ on his NIL right away.

Do you think recruits will think this way? Do schools in cities like Columbia provide more opportunities than a Starkville for example?

I have always thought if USC uses it wisely and timely they could outsmart some of our opponents to get the recruits we want and need to pivot our program to a much higher level.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

Please tell me there is no one named Manning considering quempsum!!!

There is… and Yes it is THAT Manning family.
Sorry Freddie.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

This. We obviously sucked at cheating. Surely, we have to do better when you can do it without fear of repercussions. Our fans give a bunch of money to the Gamecock Club surely they will be willing to shift some of that money to the hands of recruits.

The above is what I've always said. We need to do a good job of the above. If we continue to stink at this game then we lose out big time.

 

[uscedge21]

In reference to the "South Carolina Gamecocks NIL Rules," they are a total joke! For instance,

Athletic boosters may create or facilitate NIL compensation opportunities to current and prospective student-athletes provided those deals are not used as a recruiting inducement or inducement to remain enrolled for current student-athletes at University of South Carolina.

ALL of these NIL compensation deals will be used solely for the purpose of a recruiting inducement or to persuade a current athlete to remain at USC. How could one possibly argue otherwise? So, in effect, any deal offered will be in violation of this self imposed rule. We are handcuffing ourselves right off the rip! What a cluster this is gonna be!!!

 

[TAV31]

This whole thing will be an unmitigated disaster. The teams with access to the most money will win. No other way to look at it....

If I win a 500 million dollar lottery, USC will win damn it. I'm going to buy the best at every position, including water boy.

 

[GoCocksFight2021]

With these new rules, you've got a better shot at the $500 million than we ever do winning the NC in football.