Miami’s new football complex to include ‘NIL suite’

When the NCAA clarified its interim policy in October, it opened the door for schools and athletic department officials to further embrace the impact NIL will have on their programs. And schools across the country have quickly scrambled to create unique ways to showcase NIL opportunities student-athletes could have at their schools.

What started out as slides in PowerPoint presentations talking about potential earnings have quickly morphed into brick and mortar displays. And the Miami Hurricane football program is the latest to say they’re going all-in to highlight NIL.

Last week, Miami announced plans to build a new football operations center – the on-campus “forever” home for the Hurricanes. On the seventh floor will be a 7,500-square-foot rooftop terrace space that will feature a “Name, Image & Likeness suite” to help with personal branding services. The floor also includes a digital media lab, a golf simulation area and a multi-purpose gymnasium.

Nonetheless, the inclusion of a NIL suite certainly turns heads. That’s especially true since football coaches know we live in a world where NIL deals are impactful on the recruiting process and also with roster maintenance.

“Competing in the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics requires creative thinking and bold investments,” Miami Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said last week. “In order to continue to be successful, you have to make that investment. I guarantee the perspective student-athletes are still here. They still want to perform for the University of Miami. We just have to make sure we give them a great reason to do that.

“We have wonderful coaches and a great university academically. Let’s not fall short in that one area of making sure they know that they can grow to their highest potential at the University of Miami.”

New NIL focus will help Miami

NIL experts agree Miami’s push to have a part of its football facility entirely focused on NIL could help the Hurricanes entice recruits. It could also be key in retaining future players already on the roster because experts say it shows how committed they are to NIL opportunities.

“I believe Miami’s NIL suite is a perfect example of what the market is missing a bit,” said Christopher Aumueller, founder and CEO of the athlete storytelling and branding company FanWord. “We focus so heavily on what’s often the last step in the NIL process – deal facilitation. It’s a very important one. But simply adding athletes to a marketplace, for example, doesn’t always move the needle.

“It’s like we skip a step. To truly help athletes make the most of their NIL opportunities, we have to invest in optimizing their brand. So, I love Miami’s approach with the NIL suite.”

Additionally, Mit Winter, a sports attorney and NIL expert at Kennyhertz Perry LLC, points out that the NCAA’s latest NIL guidance prohibits access to equipment/services for NIL activities unless it’s available to the general student body.

Michael Ehrlich, the head of Athlete Engagement for MarketPryce, loves the idea of Miami’s new “NIL suite.” He is hopeful, though, that it’s going to help all of the Hurricane student-athletes, not just football players.

“What high-tech training facilities and athlete lounges were to recruiting pitches in years past, schools are now looking to differentiate themselves by offering unique NIL opportunities and services to prospective signees,” Ehrlich told On3. “Any time a university invests in NIL resources, whether digital or brick and mortar, it’s a great thing for the student-athlete.

“However, what I hope to see more of is schools investing in all sports and all athletes – not just the top programs – to truly impact those who need it most.”

More programs working on displaying NIL opportunities

While it’ll be one of the first to have an entire part of the football facility focused on NIL, Miami isn’t the only program to have it front and center for all to see.

For example, inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have plaques on the wall that display the average NIL compensation for their student-athletes compared to others in the country and in the Big Ten. The display also includes companies their players have done deals with and another that lists the dollar figure of top deals, including one for $1.13 million.

A Big 12 recruiting coordinator said these types of displays are becoming more and more common across the country. But he did complement Miami for dedicating a part of its new facility entirely to a NIL suite.

“I’m just a little bit little jealous,” the coordinator said. “Athletic departments have limited resources and space is often precious within football facilities. So, having a dedicated space just shows you how important NIL has become in everything we do, especially recruiting. I bet we all have these types of rooms here in the next few years, and if you don’t, you’re going to get left behind.”

NIL ‘a factor’ in Miami’s top-5 2023 recruiting class

Miami has the No. 4 ranked football recruiting class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. On National Signing Day, the Hurricanes inked a class that features On3 Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola and a crop that’s made up of 62% of blue-chip prospects.

Multiple sources have also indicated that NIL opportunities are also weighing heavily on the mind of Cormani McClain, the Five-Star Plus+ and top-ranked cornerback. McClain has been committed to Miami for months. But he’s set to make a final decision next week.

The Hurricanes were one of the big storylines in December, and coach Mario Cristobal said NIL was certainly a factor in his first full signing class.

“Obviously NIL is a factor now, especially at places where NIL is really a thing and where the NIL programs are significantly better than at other places,” Cristobal told CBS Sports’ Josh Pate. “That’s part of the things, but it’s not the entire picture. All in all, the rules are changing all the time. Every single year. Our job is to adapt. Play by the rules and just continue to find ways to maximize your ability to develop, recruit, coach, and all that good stuff to make sure that your program is constantly taking steps towards its goals.”