If, 20 years ago, or 10, we would be where we find ourselves today with NIL, I would not have believed you. I don't know where this leads, but that genie ain't going back in the bottle. Agreed giving the athletes a piece of the pie is the right thing to do and long overdue.
Great piece. The business of sports is always fascinating to me. Glad college kids are finally able to get paid for their talents/name. Can kids trademark their name before college to ensure any more revenue for themselves?
Fascinating numbers and back info. I suppose if the companies are making a boat load on these products the athletes that wear it all themselves and the schools should reap some of the benefits. But, hearing the numbers just has my head spinning…I guess I’m too old to accept what the sports I have loved for so long, have come to. I’m still in that utopia “for the love of the game”. Thanks agin for an interesting article,
'Back then' it was athletes who were told they should play 'for the love of the game' but the companies could make billions off of their efforts without compensating them for it. If everyone was doing it 'for the love of the game' there would have been no TV or radio to watch the games on, no shoe contracts for coaches, and no advertisements or sponsorship deals for the schools. Everyone was being paid, except the players. 'For the love of the game' is wonderful, but it really was only that way, for the athletes. The numbers are still amazing though. agree with you on that without a doubt.
Where does all that sports apparel money come from? Nike was among the 83 brands found by Australian Strategic Policy Institute researchers to be using slave labor in China. 1) "Your favorite Nikes might be made from forced labor," Xu and Leibold, Washington Post, 3-17-20. 2) "Enes Kanter Calls Out Nike," Ben Pickman, SI, 10-26-21. 3) "The China Challenge: The Stain of Forced Labor at Nike Stores," Amelia Pang, Discourse Magazine, 1-5-22. (An offending manufacturer in this case retracted its identification of Adidas as a client: "15 Popular Brands That Still Use Sweatshops," The Sustainable Living Guide, 3-14-22.)
I run an agency. We're not going after the high end athletes. We have other ideas. Things I've seen work in Boulder and Norman in other areas outside of athletics. This will all be very interesting. And, interesting to see how universities' revenue from Nike dips because...why not pay the athlete directly? The NCAA just needed to offer a stipend and this would've been mitigated for years. But..greed. And instead, old people who didn't pay attention to what was coming, or have any foresight, opened a door they didn't even see past. Good for the athletes though. Also, gee, less of a reason to go to the G-League is there? Especially if your games are actually shown on TV and you're getting paid about the same, or more as a student athlete by Adidas or Nike? Maybe not.
If, 20 years ago, or 10, we would be where we find ourselves today with NIL, I would not have believed you. I don't know where this leads, but that genie ain't going back in the bottle. Agreed giving the athletes a piece of the pie is the right thing to do and long overdue.
Wondering what happens to the have nots… major college athletics won’t look the same in a decade.
Great piece. The business of sports is always fascinating to me. Glad college kids are finally able to get paid for their talents/name. Can kids trademark their name before college to ensure any more revenue for themselves?
Fascinating numbers and back info. I suppose if the companies are making a boat load on these products the athletes that wear it all themselves and the schools should reap some of the benefits. But, hearing the numbers just has my head spinning…I guess I’m too old to accept what the sports I have loved for so long, have come to. I’m still in that utopia “for the love of the game”. Thanks agin for an interesting article,
'Back then' it was athletes who were told they should play 'for the love of the game' but the companies could make billions off of their efforts without compensating them for it. If everyone was doing it 'for the love of the game' there would have been no TV or radio to watch the games on, no shoe contracts for coaches, and no advertisements or sponsorship deals for the schools. Everyone was being paid, except the players. 'For the love of the game' is wonderful, but it really was only that way, for the athletes. The numbers are still amazing though. agree with you on that without a doubt.
The Air Jordan’s would look better in Orange!
Where does all that sports apparel money come from? Nike was among the 83 brands found by Australian Strategic Policy Institute researchers to be using slave labor in China. 1) "Your favorite Nikes might be made from forced labor," Xu and Leibold, Washington Post, 3-17-20. 2) "Enes Kanter Calls Out Nike," Ben Pickman, SI, 10-26-21. 3) "The China Challenge: The Stain of Forced Labor at Nike Stores," Amelia Pang, Discourse Magazine, 1-5-22. (An offending manufacturer in this case retracted its identification of Adidas as a client: "15 Popular Brands That Still Use Sweatshops," The Sustainable Living Guide, 3-14-22.)
Thanks for this piece! Glad to finally know some numbers on KT’s deal. Good on Adidas for initiating. The more money to college athletes, the better!
Wondering how NIL will foster relationships with agencies as well.
I run an agency. We're not going after the high end athletes. We have other ideas. Things I've seen work in Boulder and Norman in other areas outside of athletics. This will all be very interesting. And, interesting to see how universities' revenue from Nike dips because...why not pay the athlete directly? The NCAA just needed to offer a stipend and this would've been mitigated for years. But..greed. And instead, old people who didn't pay attention to what was coming, or have any foresight, opened a door they didn't even see past. Good for the athletes though. Also, gee, less of a reason to go to the G-League is there? Especially if your games are actually shown on TV and you're getting paid about the same, or more as a student athlete by Adidas or Nike? Maybe not.