Nebraska AD Troy Dannen ramping up NIL efforts because 'it's all about winning'

Matt Rhule did not want to call out anyone by name. But the Nebraska football coach has seen a notable uptick in the Huskers’ NIL collective since new athletic director Troy Dannen has taken over.

The former Tulane and Washington athletic director joined the Huskers this past spring. Since then, he’s evaluated the state of the program and where Nebraska’s NIL operation stands. Former Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts was previously hesitant to go all-in on the primary NIL collective, 1890 Nebraska.

“Since Troy’s been here, he’s been insightful in creating new ways and unifying the collective,” Rhule told On3. “The progress we’ve made in a short amount of time is excellent.”

Troy Dannen revamps Nebraska’s NIL infrastructure

Earlier this month, in part to Dannen’s work, the collective was renamed from the 1890 Initiative to 1890 Nebraska and given full backing by the athletic department.

Included in the partnership, donations made to 1890 will be eligible for Huskers Athletic Fund priority points and can be included in calculating Huskers Athletic Fund membership levels. Contributions are also tax deductible eligible when directed to the 1890 Foundation and priority points are declined.

All donations are allocated to athletes. Boosters can also direct dollars to a specific Nebraska athletic program. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed Legislature Bill 1393 into law in June, allowing the Huskers to take steps to create one of the most aggressive collectives in the nation now.

“Whether you like it or not, the era of compensating the athletes directly, in this way through NIL, is here,” Dannen told On3. “If you want to thrive, if you want to win, and let’s not kid ourselves, it’s all about winning. What do you need to do to win? You have to invest in NIL. You have to invest in the partnerships, you have to commit to it.

“Not being involved and not partnering ties one of your coach’s hands behind his back. My job is to give every coach everything they need to have success, and this is an important part of it.”

1890 Nebraska gives fans needed assurance

Nebraska’s decision to put its power behind 1890 Nebraska is the latest chapter in the evolution of NIL in Lincoln. Athlete Branding & Marketing rolled out the collective N100 in April 2022, announcing it had secured gross payments of more than $850,000 to more than 90 student-athletes across five sports. Run by former Husker football chief of staff Gerrod Lambrecht, ABM was folded into The 1890 Initiative in October 2022.  

Run by former Husker receiver Matt Davison, 1890 has public support from Nebraska businessmen Tom Peed and Shawn Peed. Whenever industry sources talk about the NIL landscape in the Big Ten, Nebraska is one of the first collectives brought up. Dannen told On3 that 1890 Nebraska is a separate entity with for-profit and non-profit options for donors.

Offering priority points gives donors the confidence that Nebraska is invested in NIL.

“Our fans needed the assurance that this was positive for the University of Nebraska,” Dannen said. “The feedback I’ve gotten since the announcement a couple of weeks ago was that if we’re giving priority points, if that partnership is that tight, if it’s that important, then that’s something we need to be a part of.”

Outspending top NIL collectives takes smart allocation

Nebraska does not have just one major donor funding its collective. Dannen admitted he was surprised by the NIL support for the Huskers. The last time the program won a bowl game was in 2015. And the last double-digit win season was in 2012.

“I think the breadth of the NIL support maybe surprised me,” he said. “There are a lot of places that have NIL support from a handful of people who are very wealthy and put a lot of dollars in. There’s the Ole Miss model that’s got the massive breadth, and we’re certainly not there. We’re not reliant on one or two, which gives you comfort. It’s healthy that there’s broad support for it, and getting broader by the day.

“At the same time, Nebraska hasn’t been to a bowl game in a while. Hasn’t had that competitive success in a while. Much like any investment, people make those investments wanting to see a return. And for most people, a return is wins on the scoreboard.”

Nebraska isn’t alone as one of the top collectives in the Big Ten. Ohio State spent roughly $20 million on its 2024 roster, headlined by a slew of transfer portal pickups. Oregon is backed by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who runs the Ducks NIL collective. Players openly refer to Knight as “Uncle Phil.”

Dannen said he’s not spending much time thinking about who has the biggest budget. He’s confident that spending smart dollars will make a difference.

“There’s always somebody with a bigger budget,” the Nebraska athletic director said. “There’s always somebody that pays their coach more. There’s always somebody that’s going to pay their athletes more, professionally, college sports, in every place. It’s how you pay it, it’s how you allocate it. It’s are you getting the bang for the buck? Are you not wasting money on those investments? I think that defines it.”