Is The NIL F*ck!ng S#it Up?
Larry Ellison, billionaire software and media tycoon and founding member of the Wolverines NIL collective, helped flip top-ranked recruit Bryce Underwood. An EIGHT figure deal, understandably, convinced Underwood to flip his commitment to LSU and intrust his college career at the University of Michigan.
This is great for Bryce and the Wolverines… perhaps?
Similarly to Bryce Underwood, Texas Tech poached softball Player of the Year NiJaree Canady from Stanford for a $1 million deal. As elated for her as we are, what does this mean for athletes’ expectations and well-being? If they sign deals like professional athletes, will they still be treated and given grace like student-athletes who are developing as people?
I remember the fun of visiting various campuses and meeting different teams, and my ultimate decision to attend FSU lay in the fact that I felt like they cared about me as a person. They put their student-athletes well-being at the forefront. The expectation was to come to their beautiful campus, trust in the coaches to make you the best player you could be, get your degree, and become your best self. At least, that’s what I felt. Naturally, there were transfers in and out of organizations, likely because everyone didn’t mesh with every coach or a desire for more playing time. Now, however, due to the NIL, young athletes may be leaving schools best suited for them and their well-being for money.
Are the schools and collectives still putting student-athletes at the forefront? Or is it now about their ROI?
I felt some pressure about performing well to justify my full-ride but also knew in the grand scheme of it all, my scholarship was a drop in the bucket amongst the amount of money budgeted for all athletes. When we talk about millions on top of scholarship money, not only are athletes feeling the pressure, but the school is too. How does that impact the star athlete and their teammates who would love a piece of the pie? Everyone raises expectations.
Speaking of teammates, one of the greatest joys of sports is our team’s camaraderie. Before COVID and the NIL, there was a dynamic that encouraged closeness and togetherness, which is being lost at the helm of making money. When I think back on my time in college, the experiences that impacted how my mind is wired positively, there were moments that I will cherish for a lifetime and relationships that are imperative to who I am today; all of those things are priceless.
The NIL impacts Student-Athletes and College Culture time will tell if it's had a positive or negative one.
Learn more about the $10.5 million dollar deal and who was behind it here
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