How NIL played role in Michael Eley’s decision to stay at Siena

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year Michael Eley has signed a NIL agreement with Siena-focused collective Saints March On, which appears to have kept him out of the transfer portal.

Saints March On Founder Frank Ambrose announced the NIL deal through the collective’s social media handle on Wednesday. The partnership appears to be one of the driving forces in helping Eley stick around after a stellar freshman season that saw him average 9.4 points and 2.9 rebounds during the 2022-2023 season. Eley also topped double-figures in five of the Saints’ final eight games, including 23 points against Mount St. Mary’s.

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— saintsmarchon1 (@saintsmarchon1) April 12, 2023

Two of Siena’s better young players – sophomores Javian McCollum and Jared Billups – recently announced they were entering the portal, so keeping Eley on board was critical.

“It was a good discussion with him, and I think everything that we worked through is going to be a real benefit for him,” Ambrose told Mark Singelais of the Times Union.

“We’re excited because this is a guy who demonstrated as a Rookie of the Year a tremendous amount of potential. Given the challenges that the portal’s faced, it’s great to have a positive to give the fans there and the alumni. Mostly, we’re happy for him. He’s a terrific kid. We’re looking forward to working with him.”

What type of NIL deal does a mid-major player get?

The terms of the NIL deal were not made available. However, Ambrose said his own research determined the average NIL deal for a mid-major player was worth $5,000 to $8,000 per year.

“He’s a scorer,” Siena coach Carmen Maciariello said about Eley. “You’ve got to be able to score the ball, especially in the MAAC. It’s a guard’s league. But he’s able to get his shot off pretty effortlessly. Tremendous athlete gives us another guy that can get to the offensive boards.”

Ambrose also told the Times Union he believes McCollum –a third-team All-MAAC player who averaged 15.9 points – could command a NIL deal worth $65,000 by entering the portal.

This is not the first NIL deal that Michael Eley has agreed to.

He recently promoted a new partnership with the Albany FireWolves Lacrosse Club. The FireWolves are a professional box lacrosse team based in Albany, and Siena is a 10-minute drive from MVP Arena where the franchise plays.