NIL is Shaping Up to Be a Hungry Marketplace: The Week After

Here we are, the week after opening weekend of the college football season, and just within a matter of days there are massive deals popping up all over the place with both individual athletes and teams as a whole. Just today, we saw NIL deals take place in a variety of ways that included podcasts, social media stipends, apparel, and the first ever alcoholic beverage deal.

This past Saturday, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron made headlines when he shouted at a UCLA fan to come over in their “sissy blue shirt”. With UCLA pulling out a victory that same night, that phrase is now on a t-shirt and being sold on sissyblue.com. All proceeds of that shirt will be distributed between UCLA student-athletes that post a picture of the shirt on their social media.

One of the most well known sports talk hosts in the country signed a top quarterback to a podcast agreement today. Colin Cowherd, host of The Herd on Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports 1, signed Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to a deal that makes him the host of The Bryce Young Podcast through iHeartRadio’s The Volume. This is yet another addition to Young’s growing list of massive NIL deals he has accumulated.

Thanks to United Wholesale Mortgage and CEO Mat Ishbia, who is a former Michigan State basketball player, every men’s basketball and football player on the Michigan State roster will receive a stipend this season. In exchange, every student-athlete who decides to participate will post promotional content for UHM on their social media and will receive $500 per month for the year. Not a bad gig for these athletes!

In maybe the most unique and interesting deal of the day, FAU quarterback N’Kosi Perry signed the first alcohol related partnership today with Islamorada Beer, a Florida based brewery. With most states banning student-athletes from working with companies that involve alcohol, gambling, and adult entertainment, the state of Florida’s legislation is much more relaxed. FAU’s internal policy states that alcohol deals must only meet the requirement of the student-athlete being 21 years of age. I would not be surprised to see these type of deals snowball in states that allow them.

Here in the coming weeks, the deals will only continue to populate. They will continue to be more widespread and more unique as this journey continues. Success on the field will only add fuel to the fire within the NIL landscape for both individuals and teams alike.