Dan Radakovich opens up about the need for outside infrastructure in NIL space

Miami has been at the forefront of the NIL conversation across college athletics, making athletic director Dan Radakovich one of the leading figures in the ever-changing landscape. During the Hurricanes’ Orange and White spring game Friday night, he spoke about the need for outside infrastructure in the NIL space.

Miami’s NIL support is well-documented. With three NIL Collectives — Bring Back the U, Canes Connection and Canes Society — and the backing of mega-booster John Ruiz, the Hurricanes have plenty of resources to succeed in the NIL landscape.

Radakovich told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that type of infrastructure is important to long-term success, comparing it to a new building. Fundraising for a building culminates in the new structure, but NIL is an annual endeavor.

“No question,” Radakovich said when asked if it’s important to have outside NIL infrastructure. “And I think understanding how you go about gathering those resources, how you disperse those resources, all those things coming together, having a great infrastructure to be able to have that happen because it needs to continue. It’s not just a one-year thing.

“It’s not like raising money for a building. You raise money for a building, you get it done and you move on. This is something that you have to do year after year because your student athletes change. We’re excited about that opportunity here, as well.”

A closer look at NIL’s impact on Miami

Multiple Miami athletes have benefitted from NIL across multiple sports. Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo is coaching a 7-on-7 football team that’s now sponsored by Ruiz’s company, LifeWallet, On3’s Pete Nakos reported. Members of the Miami men’s basketball team such as Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack have also lined up deals with LifeWallet.

Men’s sports at Miami aren’t the only ones succeeding in the NIL space. Women’s basketball players Hanna and Haley Cavinder have made names for themselves both on the court and on social media as two of the highest-profile athletes in college sports.

However, this week, the twins announced their plans to forego their extra year of eligibility and step away from college basketball to pursue new business endeavors.

Haley has an On3 NIL Valuation of $930K and Hanna isn’t far behind at $930K — putting them at Nos. 26 and 28, respectively, in the On3 NIL 100. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.