Utah's Crimson Collective unveils 'landmark' multiteam NIL deal for women's sports
Two months after announcing one of the most lucrative team deals of the NIL Era, the Utah-focused Crimson Collective is once again making history – this time with one of the largest multiteam deals for women’s sports.
All eligible athletes – including walk-ons – on the women’s and men’s basketball and women’s gymnastics teams will have the option to receive leases for one of two vehicles: a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Edition or a 2024 Ram 1500 Big Horn truck, complete with the Night Edition package. Leases and insurance will be paid for by Crimson Collective donors. The total value of the multi-team deal is believed to approach $2 million.
The retail price for a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Edition starts at $52,000. A 2024 Ram 1500 Big Horn truck retails at $61,000.
At a time when collectives nationwide are attracting intensifying scrutiny because the overwhelming majority of their dollars land in the pockets of male athletes – the issue was referenced in the recent class-action Title IX lawsuit against Oregon – this marks a significant, if not watershed moment in the 30-month-old NIL space.
Those involved with the announcement call the NIL deal “landmark” and “game-changing.”
“We have always envisioned an equitable platform,” Krista Parry, a member of the Crimson Collective Steering Committee, told On3. “When we started putting these plans in place last spring with the launch of the Crimson Collective, it was always: How can we give back to all sports? All genders? That is really our mission.”
October NIL deal raised Title IX concerns
Wednesday’s surprise unveiling – which was made at the Huntsman Center, where the basketball and gymnastics teams compete – comes two months after the Crimson Collective garnered attention-grabbing headlines for giving 85 scholarship football players 2024 Ram 1500 Big Horn trucks.
That October announcement also attracted the attention of Title IX lawyers, who raised concerns over alleged sex discrimination and the extent of the relationship between the collective and the university. Parry said they are two entirely separate entities.
At the time of the football truck announcement, Parry said, plans were already well underway – and had been since the spring – for the collective to offer vehicle leases for women athletes as well. But she said they kept those plans under wraps to maintain the surprise element for the athletes.
‘Game-changing’ NIL deal for women’s sports
Much like with the football team truck deal, donors will pay for leases and insurance costs for the basketball players and gymnasts. Athletes will need to pay taxes on the lease. Approximately 35 eligible athletes are being offered leases. International athletes are not eligible because of their student visa status.
Nicole Mouskondis, co-CEO of Nicholas and Co. and a Crimson Collective board member, said in a statement: “When we began with the Crimson Collective, we envisioned an equitable platform that supports and connects all student-athletes, and particularly our women’s teams. This initiative is not just about providing transportation; it’s about showing all our student-athletes that their achievements and contributions to the community are equally celebrated, on and off the field.”
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To keep the surprise, athletes on the women’s and men’s basketball and women’s gymnastics teams were merely told to attend a meeting at the arena midday Wednesday. In addition to Mouskondis, athletic director Mark Harlan, coaches, collective board members and fans were expected to be there to unveil the trucks and share the news with the athletes. The plan was for the athletes to then be brought onto the basketball court, where two of the vehicles were positioned.
Derek Mattsson, CEO of For The Win 360° – which powers the Utah 360° app, the Crimson Collective’s free streaming app – called the NIL multi-team deal “game-changing” for women’s college sports.
“Historically with most collectives, just a very small portion of the teams benefit and most of the time it has been male athletes,” Mattsson told On3. “And so we were excited about the football deal because it’s the first time anyone has done something for an entire team. That was a big first step. I think this one’s bigger because, obviously, we’re going to benefit all the women’s players and the entire gymnastics team. We’re speculating, but it’s probably the biggest deal to date that has been done on behalf of women athletes.”
Utah boasts strong women’s programs
The deal is an opportunity to support the standout Utah women’s basketball and gymnastics programs.
Utah’s gymnastics program is dubbed the Red Rocks by fans, and they enter the 2024 season as the nation’s fourth-ranked team. It’s the seventh straight time Utah begins the season ranked in the top five nationally. The Red Rocks are coming off their third consecutive third-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships, fourth consecutive Pac-12 regular season championship and third-straight Pac-12 championship.
Utah returns the nation’s reigning all-around and beam national champion in Maile O’Keefe, who is returning for a fifth year with fellow seniors Jaedyn Rucker and Abby Paulson. The trio of fifth-year athletes have combined for 22 All-America awards during their careers.
The Utah women’s basketball team is off to an 8-2 start with its only losses coming against national powers South Carolina and Baylor. The Utes were 27-5 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion LSU.
This season’s squad boasts one of the top scorers in the country – Alissa Pili. She averages 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and has 13 blocks and 12 steals this season. Pili made national headlines when she scored 37 points against South Carolina on Sunday.