These athletes already profiting from NCAA rule change

[Bronx]

Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who play for the Fresno State women's basketball team, became spokeswomen for Six Star Pro Nutrition.

 

At midnight, the deals began. By the morning, more were completed and they continued into the evening.

The first day of the Name, Imagine and Likeness era was an eventful one for college athletes, who were finally able to profit after the NCAA and its schools had made money off of them for decades.

“It was a little bit of a roller-coaster,” LSU offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil told The Post in a phone interview. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a wild day for athletes across the country.”

Dumervil was one of many players who were busy on Thursday. He agreed to deals with two companies: Jenloop, which offers fans the opportunity to get personalized videos over Instagram or Twitter from celebrities or athletes for a fee, and sunglasses company Tomahawk Shades.

Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was a big winner, agreeing to do business with several entities that paid him more than $20,000 on Thursday, he told Sports Illustrated. One of them, Dreamfield, is a public appearance business he co-founded with Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton, and includes a number of other student-athletes.

Five members of the Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State football team agreed to terms with 3 Kings Grooming products. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix locked in an endorsement deal with Milo’s Sweet Tea. The Yoke app, which enables athletes to earn money by playing video games with fans, has hundreds of collegians. That group includes St. John’s transfer Vince Cole of Coastal Carolina and Ohio State forward Zed Key from Long Island. Jenloop added several college football players on Thursday alone.

“For us, we’ve never been busier,” said Ryan Detert, the CEO of Influential, an influencer marketing company. “We’ve got dozens of campaigns lined up.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that some of the biggest deals didn’t come from the highest-revenue sports. Twin sisters Hanna and Haley Cavinder of the Fresno State women’s basketball team became spokeswomen for Boost Mobile and have a billboard in Times Square. The twins have more than 3.3 million followers on their joint TikTok account. Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Sun is partnering with volleyball apparel company, REN Athletics, to design her own crew neck sweatshirt as part of her own athletic line with the company. Sun, who has more than 75,000 followers on Instagram, has heard from several companies about other opportunities. LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, the most-followed college athlete on Instagram and TikTok, with more than five million followers, is expected to land a megadeal.

“You can tell a lot of people have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to grow their brand,” Sun said.

The debate over NIL in recent months and even years was based on the premise it would only benefit a select few people, that players in the big money college sports like football and men’s basketball would rake in a majority of the profit. Early on, that doesn’t appear to be accurate.

“Many of the state legislators who have supported NIL legislation expressed beliefs that the athletes in these sports would have a chance to capitalize on these unique business opportunities, especially for women’s sports,” said Gregg Clifton, a former sports agent who now works as a sports attorney. “Remember, not every NIL deal is going to involve superstar athletes for big dollars. The majority of opportunities will simply provide student athletes a chance to make money for the use of their name, image and likeness.”

https://nypost.com/2021/07/01/athletes-already-profiting-from-ncaas-nil-rule-change/

[k-met57]

2 hours ago, Bronx said:

Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who play for the Fresno State women's basketball team, became spokeswomen for Six Star Pro Nutrition.

 

At midnight, the deals began. By the morning, more were completed and they continued into the evening.

The first day of the Name, Imagine and Likeness era was an eventful one for college athletes, who were finally able to profit after the NCAA and its schools had made money off of them for decades.

“It was a little bit of a roller-coaster,” LSU offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil told The Post in a phone interview. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a wild day for athletes across the country.”

Dumervil was one of many players who were busy on Thursday. He agreed to deals with two companies: Jenloop, which offers fans the opportunity to get personalized videos over Instagram or Twitter from celebrities or athletes for a fee, and sunglasses company Tomahawk Shades.

Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was a big winner, agreeing to do business with several entities that paid him more than $20,000 on Thursday, he told Sports Illustrated. One of them, Dreamfield, is a public appearance business he co-founded with Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton, and includes a number of other student-athletes.

Five members of the Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State football team agreed to terms with 3 Kings Grooming products. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix locked in an endorsement deal with Milo’s Sweet Tea. The Yoke app, which enables athletes to earn money by playing video games with fans, has hundreds of collegians. That group includes St. John’s transfer Vince Cole of Coastal Carolina and Ohio State forward Zed Key from Long Island. Jenloop added several college football players on Thursday alone.

“For us, we’ve never been busier,” said Ryan Detert, the CEO of Influential, an influencer marketing company. “We’ve got dozens of campaigns lined up.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that some of the biggest deals didn’t come from the highest-revenue sports. Twin sisters Hanna and Haley Cavinder of the Fresno State women’s basketball team became spokeswomen for Boost Mobile and have a billboard in Times Square. The twins have more than 3.3 million followers on their joint TikTok account. Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Sun is partnering with volleyball apparel company, REN Athletics, to design her own crew neck sweatshirt as part of her own athletic line with the company. Sun, who has more than 75,000 followers on Instagram, has heard from several companies about other opportunities. LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, the most-followed college athlete on Instagram and TikTok, with more than five million followers, is expected to land a megadeal.

“You can tell a lot of people have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to grow their brand,” Sun said.

The debate over NIL in recent months and even years was based on the premise it would only benefit a select few people, that players in the big money college sports like football and men’s basketball would rake in a majority of the profit. Early on, that doesn’t appear to be accurate.

“Many of the state legislators who have supported NIL legislation expressed beliefs that the athletes in these sports would have a chance to capitalize on these unique business opportunities, especially for women’s sports,” said Gregg Clifton, a former sports agent who now works as a sports attorney. “Remember, not every NIL deal is going to involve superstar athletes for big dollars. The majority of opportunities will simply provide student athletes a chance to make money for the use of their name, image and likeness.”

https://nypost.com/2021/07/01/athletes-already-profiting-from-ncaas-nil-rule-change/

recruiting game is going to change drastically....

[Larz]

So if scholarships are based on need, do the schools get to waive scholarships for the big earners?

Crazy times for sure 

[isired]

So if scholarships are based on need, do the schools get to waive scholarships for the big earners?
Crazy times for sure 

Athletic scholarships aren't need-based. Each program can decide to divvy up its allotted scholarship amount however it wants.

One big misconception is that all scholarship athletes are on 'full rides' - not true of any sport, but especially in the non-revenue-generating sports (everything outside of Men's Football and Basketball) where full scholarships are more the exception than the norm.

So there, if a student-athlete is getting need-based money in addition to the athletic scholarship, I'm sure that income would have to be reported and would figure in the calculation of the need-based portion of their financial aid package.

[Embrace the Suck]

1 hour ago, Larz said:

So if scholarships are based on need, do the schools get to waive scholarships for the big earners?

Crazy times for sure 

It should, at that point they're paid endorsers with income (no need to be a big earner as most people aren't) who can pay their way like a lot of us have. Now they can give the scholarships to people who go to college for academic purposes preferably STEM students as opposed to waiters and waitresses in training (the art students).

[GreenFish]

3 hours ago, Larz said:

So if scholarships are based on need, do the schools get to waive scholarships for the big earners?

Crazy times for sure 

It’ll probably be part of the recruiting process. If Michigan says, we will give you a full ride (need-based plus athletic scholarship) and you’ll get the opportunity for endorsements, why go to a school that isn’t offering scholarship money? The top athletes have power in the recruiting process.

[Larz]

3 hours ago, isired said:

Athletic scholarships aren't need-based. Each program can decide to divvy up its allotted scholarship amount however it wants.

One big misconception is that all scholarship athletes are on 'full rides' - not true of any sport, but especially in the non-revenue-generating sports (everything outside of Men's Football and Basketball) where full scholarships are more the exception than the norm.

So there, if a student-athlete is getting need-based money in addition to the athletic scholarship, I'm sure that income would have to be reported and would figure in the calculation of the need-based portion of their financial aid package.

Thanks!   
 

today I learned…lol

[GreenFish]

I wonder how this impacts track and field and swimming athletes. The elite athletes turn pro so they can get endorsements money which helps the fund their Olympic dreams. Seems like they’ll now be able to continue competing in the NCAA.

[Paradis]

So social media, insta tik tok and the like will become major catalysts for who these marketing companies covet... IOW more insta/tik tok.

So glad i'm going to be dead in another 30 years

[Jet_Engine1]

8 hours ago, Bronx said:

Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who play for the Fresno State women's basketball team, became spokeswomen for Six Star Pro Nutrition.

 

At midnight, the deals began. By the morning, more were completed and they continued into the evening.

The first day of the Name, Imagine and Likeness era was an eventful one for college athletes, who were finally able to profit after the NCAA and its schools had made money off of them for decades.

“It was a little bit of a roller-coaster,” LSU offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil told The Post in a phone interview. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a wild day for athletes across the country.”

Dumervil was one of many players who were busy on Thursday. He agreed to deals with two companies: Jenloop, which offers fans the opportunity to get personalized videos over Instagram or Twitter from celebrities or athletes for a fee, and sunglasses company Tomahawk Shades.

Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was a big winner, agreeing to do business with several entities that paid him more than $20,000 on Thursday, he told Sports Illustrated. One of them, Dreamfield, is a public appearance business he co-founded with Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton, and includes a number of other student-athletes.

Five members of the Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State football team agreed to terms with 3 Kings Grooming products. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix locked in an endorsement deal with Milo’s Sweet Tea. The Yoke app, which enables athletes to earn money by playing video games with fans, has hundreds of collegians. That group includes St. John’s transfer Vince Cole of Coastal Carolina and Ohio State forward Zed Key from Long Island. Jenloop added several college football players on Thursday alone.

“For us, we’ve never been busier,” said Ryan Detert, the CEO of Influential, an influencer marketing company. “We’ve got dozens of campaigns lined up.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that some of the biggest deals didn’t come from the highest-revenue sports. Twin sisters Hanna and Haley Cavinder of the Fresno State women’s basketball team became spokeswomen for Boost Mobile and have a billboard in Times Square. The twins have more than 3.3 million followers on their joint TikTok account. Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Sun is partnering with volleyball apparel company, REN Athletics, to design her own crew neck sweatshirt as part of her own athletic line with the company. Sun, who has more than 75,000 followers on Instagram, has heard from several companies about other opportunities. LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, the most-followed college athlete on Instagram and TikTok, with more than five million followers, is expected to land a megadeal.

“You can tell a lot of people have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to grow their brand,” Sun said.

The debate over NIL in recent months and even years was based on the premise it would only benefit a select few people, that players in the big money college sports like football and men’s basketball would rake in a majority of the profit. Early on, that doesn’t appear to be accurate.

“Many of the state legislators who have supported NIL legislation expressed beliefs that the athletes in these sports would have a chance to capitalize on these unique business opportunities, especially for women’s sports,” said Gregg Clifton, a former sports agent who now works as a sports attorney. “Remember, not every NIL deal is going to involve superstar athletes for big dollars. The majority of opportunities will simply provide student athletes a chance to make money for the use of their name, image and likeness.”

https://nypost.com/2021/07/01/athletes-already-profiting-from-ncaas-nil-rule-change/

Whats with the Duck Faces?? ? ? 

 

 

[Jet_Engine1]

1 hour ago, Paradis said:

So social media, insta tik tok and the like will become major catalysts for who these marketing companies covet... IOW more insta/tik tok.

So glad i'm going to be dead in another 30 years

Lucky...

[The Crusher]

4 hours ago, Jet_Engine1 said:

Whats with the Duck Faces?? ? ? 

 

 

They way they are staring at those dollar bills? Can only mean one thing. @CTM

[JTJet]

7 hours ago, Embrace the Suck said:

Now they can give the scholarships to people who go to college for academic purposes preferably STEM students as opposed to waiters and waitresses in training (the art students).

[thebuzzardman]

From Title 9 to Titillation Time. 

You've come a long way baby

[undertow]

Like almost everything the media pushes all this will result in is the top 1% benefiting and everyone else will continue eating Ramen noodles.  Fight the power tho woot woot.

[rangerous]

We’ll see how this all plays.  There’s only so much money and more faces will dilute the pay out.  And just how will the QBs be able to take all that sponsorship money without the oline getting a piece?  I suppose it may keep a lot more players in school instead of those guys who play ball for one season before turning pro.

[jgb]

This is going to be a spectacular train wreck. It's also not like available sponsorship dollars are going to go up 1:1 with athletes now receiving money. It's going to come from somewhere -- we are likely to see a decrease in sponsorship money flowing to programs. Less funds for non-revenue sports, higher tickets prices, more kids jumping pro and earlier... all coming. 

If I was a corporate sponsor I'd try to get a business relationship going early with athletes before they are represented, to lock in favorable terms (to me) when and if they become college or NFL stars. We may start to see "speculative sponsorships" with kids being offered licensing deals to their likeness for peanuts right when they leave high school. Many of these kids' families could really use $5k ASAP. What if Nike offers a 5-star recruit from abject poverty a $20k lifetime exclusive license to their likeness? Then he becomes an NFL star -- will Nike let him out of the contract? Going to be just another form of exploitation. As always, the big money will find a way to benefit.

We needed a new system, not disputing that. The future earnings loans were really predatory. At UNC, all the top ballers had Escalades (it was the late-90s). People joked they were gifts from boosters. Nope. They got the money from 20% annual interest future earnings loans. Not saying every college athlete should drive around in a $50,000 car, but there is no reason for an athlete who helps make millions for his school not to have the pocket money to take his girlfriend out for a steak dinner. I'd prefer to see a reasonable stipend -- I dunno $1,000 a month or whatever no questions asked -- go to every athlete paid from program sponsorship dollars rather than just a select few of the most visible players in the most visible sports getting individual deals.

NCAA could even set up a stipend fund that a corporate sponsor must pay a percentage of any college athletic sponsorship deal into a central fund. That way even kids playing in low-profile programs get this stipend.

[sec101row23]

24 minutes ago, jgb said:

This is going to be a spectacular train wreck. It's also not like available sponsorship dollars are going to go up 1:1 with athletes now receiving money. It's going to come from somewhere -- we are likely to see a decrease in sponsorship money flowing to programs. Less funds for non-revenue sports, higher tickets prices, more kids jumping pro and earlier... all coming. 

If I was a corporate sponsor I'd try to get a business relationship going early with athletes before they are represented, to lock in favorable terms (to me) when and if they become college or NFL stars. We may start to see "speculative sponsorships" with kids being offered licensing deals to their likeness for peanuts right when they leave high school. Many of these kids' families could really use $5k ASAP. What if Nike offers a 5-star recruit from abject poverty a $20k lifetime exclusive license to their likeness? Then he becomes an NFL star -- will Nike let him out of the contract? Going to be just another form of exploitation. As always, the big money will find a way to benefit.

We needed a new system, not disputing that. The future earnings loans were really predatory. At UNC, all the top ballers had Escalades (it was the late-90s). People joked they were gifts from boosters. Nope. They got the money from 20% annual interest future earnings loans. Not saying every college athlete should drive around in a $50,000 car, but there is no reason for an athlete who helps make millions for his school not to have the pocket money to take his girlfriend out for a steak dinner. I'd prefer to see a reasonable stipend -- I dunno $1,000 or $2,000 a month no questions asked -- go to every athlete paid from program sponsorship dollars rather than just a select few of the most visible players in the most visible sports getting individual deals.

It’s really not that bad.   What are the sponsorship dollars you are referring to that will go down?   Those don’t really fund the non-revenue sports currently.  As far as kids “jumping pro earlier”, how will this encourage them to leave earlier than they already do?  If anything it may keep a kid in school longer if he’s already getting paid.  
 

Of course some kids will get more money than others, that’s just the nature of professional sports.   What we’ve seen so far are the higher profile athletes signing with agencies now rather than after they declare, and getting paid directly by those agents.  This isn’t about equity or equality among the college athletes, it will never be equal because the money isn’t coming from the school, it’s coming from outside sources.   

[KRL]

The scandals and corruption that are going to come from this is going to
be amazing.  Good luck

[sec101row23]

Just now, KRL said:

The scandals and corruption that are going to come from this is going to
be amazing.  Good luck

There were already scandals and corruption, this just makes it “legal” in the eyes of the NCAA and allows the schools to not get penalized for “improper benefits”.  

[Gramsci]

23 hours ago, Embrace the Suck said:

It should, at that point they're paid endorsers with income (no need to be a big earner as most people aren't) who can pay their way like a lot of us have. Now they can give the scholarships to people who go to college for academic purposes preferably STEM students as opposed to waiters and waitresses in training (the art students).

Wow, the glorious STEM! That must have really shown those sociologists!

[jgb]

34 minutes ago, sec101row23 said:

It’s really not that bad.   What are the sponsorship dollars you are referring to that will go down?   Those don’t really fund the non-revenue sports currently.  As far as kids “jumping pro earlier”, how will this encourage them to leave earlier than they already do?  If anything it may keep a kid in school longer if he’s already getting paid.  
 

Of course some kids will get more money than others, that’s just the nature of professional sports.   What we’ve seen so far are the higher profile athletes signing with agencies now rather than after they declare, and getting paid directly by those agents.  This isn’t about equity or equality among the college athletes, it will never be equal because the money isn’t coming from the school, it’s coming from outside sources.   

You raise good points for sure. I'm not drawing a line in the sand on my predictions coming true. Maybe it's based on cynicism that universities will use any excuse to juice their profitability and this ruling provides them with a very convenient one. As far as leaving earlier, it's just a hunch that once people get a taste of a thing they get hungry for the whole meal (I don't see athletes leaving early as a negative BTW).

And you say it's the nature of professional sports -- well, these aren't professional sports we are talking about. Although I guess it could be argued some of these kids are now true professionals. I remain worried about the vast majority of athletes who will not get sponsorship dollars, especially those that come from situations of poverty. These kids should have enough money to enjoy the college experience given their commitment to the university. I was an athlete in a non-revenue sport at UNC and it was brutal. Getting up at 5am for morning practice, full course load (no tutoring support) and then having to go to bed early 6 nights a week to be fresh to do it all over again the next day. I'm lucky to have not come from poverty so on my free night I could go out, take my girlfriend to dinner, etc. Wasn't true of everyone on my team. We (their teammates) basically sponsored them ourselves so they could participate in team parties, get new gear/supplements that weren't provided, etc. Even then a few quit because they needed to get a job. It never felt right to me and still doesn't.

I'd be fine with a hybrid system where all athletes get a spending money stipend and the ones that can get them go for sponsorship deals.

[Paradis]

2 hours ago, jgb said:

. Many of these kids' families could really use $5k ASAP. What if Nike offers a 5-star recruit from abject poverty a $20k lifetime exclusive license to their likeness? Then he becomes an NFL star -- will Nike let him out of the contract? Going to be just another form of exploitation. As always, the big money will find a way to benefit.

I don't know enough business/sponsorship economics to adjudicate this post, but this part here resonates with human behavior at any time in history. No one wants to pay for Jamar's face on their brand at peak cost. 25 million annually? Yeesh. What if i paid him 50K now in his sophomore year. Call it an investment.... 

[jgb]

6 minutes ago, Paradis said:

I don't know enough business/sponsorship economics to adjudicate this post, but this part here resonates with human behavior at any time in history. No one wants to pay for Jamar's face on their brand at peak cost. 25 million annually? Yeesh. What if i paid him 50K now in his sophomore year. Call it an investment.... 

Within 5 years (likely sooner) we'll see lawsuits by (now) pro athletes claiming they were exploited by deals signed as college athletes and wanting out.

[Jimmy 2 Times]

If a player can profit from their own abilities then let them get what they can.  Careers are short and there's A LOT of honey in the pot.

 

I just want some kind of even playing field.

[sec101row23]

5 minutes ago, jgb said:

Within 5 years (likely sooner) we'll see lawsuits by (now) pro athletes claiming they were exploited by deals signed as college athletes and wanting out.

I don’t think we’ll see that, I don’t doubt there will be some entities trying to take advantage of these kids, but I think these schools are going to aid the athletes so they don’t make a terrible deal.  At Clemson, I know they are setting up aids that will look over deals that the kids might engage in so that they don’t get taken advantage of.  They also will help vet these companies and entities looking to make deals with the kids.  

[jgb]

5 minutes ago, sec101row23 said:

I don’t think we’ll see that, I don’t doubt there will be some entities trying to take advantage of these kids, but I think these schools are going to aid the athletes so they don’t make a terrible deal.  At Clemson, I know they are setting up aids that will look over deals that the kids might engage in so that they don’t get taken advantage of.  They also will help vet these companies and entities looking to make deals with the kids.  

That's good to hear and smart. 

Side question: what if an "unsavory" company tries to sponsor a kid? You know like a vape company or online casino. These kids didn't sign contracts and there is no CBA... does the university have standing to boot a kid if he engages with a company that represents values contrary to team image? And even if they do, would they risk the recruiting/PR hit and potential tortious interference claim? Probably depends on how important/good the athlete is. 

Weird days.

[Paradis]

8 minutes ago, sec101row23 said:

I don’t think we’ll see that, I don’t doubt there will be some entities trying to take advantage of these kids, but I think these schools are going to aid the athletes so they don’t make a terrible deal.  At Clemson, I know they are setting up aids that will look over deals that the kids might engage in so that they don’t get taken advantage of.  They also will help vet these companies and entities looking to make deals with the kids.  

The "Agent" thing. Pardon my ignorance in that i haven't followed the evolution of the NIL saga, but is there a different stance on representation now? i would have to assume so, Agents would ideally kept them out of 5 dollar "we own you for life" contracts. 

[sec101row23]

Just now, Paradis said:

The "Agent" thing. Pardon my ignorance in that i haven't followed the evolution of the NIL thing, but is there a different stance on representation now? i would have to assume so, Agents would ideally kept them out of "we own for life for a dollar" contracts. 

Yup, they can sign with agents now.  I don’t think we’ll see any different deals that don’t already exist today though, they’re just able to sign them earlier.  

[jgb]

1 minute ago, sec101row23 said:

Yup, they can sign with agents now.  I don’t think we’ll see any different deals that don’t already exist today though, they’re just able to sign them earlier.  

Wow what an awesome way for agents to get in early with players. "We can maximize your earnings as a college athlete for no fee so long as you agree we represent you through your first pro contract."

[Paradis]

2 minutes ago, sec101row23 said:

 

Yup, they can sign with agents now.  I don’t think we’ll see any different deals that don’t already exist today though, they’re just able to sign them earlier.  

Right. Seems obvious now I guess, no way representation wouldn't get ahead of this. 

How you feelin' about him?

[sec101row23]

Contrast the DJ Uiagalelei signing with a big sports agency to defensive end Xavier Thomas getting an upgrade to his gaming PC.....Lol..

 

 

[sec101row23]

1 minute ago, Paradis said:

Right. Seems obvious now I guess, no way representation wouldn't get ahead of this. 

How you feelin' about him?

Honestly I have some doubts about DJ regarding his attitude, he was way less humble than Deshaun and Trevor walking onto campus.  Now with this whole NIL being legal, I fear he will be even more concerned with his “image”.  Talent wise, he’s got it, I’m just not sure if he is the worker or leader that Deshaun and Trevor were.   We’ll see soon enough. 

[extmenace]

2 hours ago, jgb said:

This is going to be a spectacular train wreck. It's also not like available sponsorship dollars are going to go up 1:1 with athletes now receiving money. It's going to come from somewhere -- we are likely to see a decrease in sponsorship money flowing to programs. Less funds for non-revenue sports, higher tickets prices, more kids jumping pro and earlier... all coming. 

If I was a corporate sponsor I'd try to get a business relationship going early with athletes before they are represented, to lock in favorable terms (to me) when and if they become college or NFL stars. We may start to see "speculative sponsorships" with kids being offered licensing deals to their likeness for peanuts right when they leave high school. Many of these kids' families could really use $5k ASAP. What if Nike offers a 5-star recruit from abject poverty a $20k lifetime exclusive license to their likeness? Then he becomes an NFL star -- will Nike let him out of the contract? Going to be just another form of exploitation. As always, the big money will find a way to benefit.

We needed a new system, not disputing that. The future earnings loans were really predatory. At UNC, all the top ballers had Escalades (it was the late-90s). People joked they were gifts from boosters. Nope. They got the money from 20% annual interest future earnings loans. Not saying every college athlete should drive around in a $50,000 car, but there is no reason for an athlete who helps make millions for his school not to have the pocket money to take his girlfriend out for a steak dinner. I'd prefer to see a reasonable stipend -- I dunno $1,000 a month or whatever no questions asked -- go to every athlete paid from program sponsorship dollars rather than just a select few of the most visible players in the most visible sports getting individual deals.

NCAA could even set up a stipend fund that a corporate sponsor must pay a percentage of any college athletic sponsorship deal into a central fund. That way even kids playing in low-profile programs get this stipend.

I read a few articles about this a few days ago. Maybe someone can post a link that can better explain it than me but in a nutshell, I believe the NCAA will allow student athletes to hire agents that will be limited to to being able to help with endorsement contracts and marketing. They will not be allowed to be in contact with pro teams and etc. I do think some of these kids being young and inexperienced will inevitably fall into some bad deals and we could see lawsuits pop up here and there but in theory, most of these kids should at least have the option to deal with the right people to make sure they don't get stuck in bad deals. 

[Embrace the Suck]

2 hours ago, Gramsci said:

Wow, the glorious STEM! That must have really shown those sociologists!

The next time the power goes out the sociologists can sit around in the dark talking about why the lights went out or who might actually fix the problem. Or they can discuss what's going on in their artist friend's head who just painted a light switch on the wall. Or maybe they can just hang out with all the other people who are at the mercy of the STEM people who actually make the modern world go round.