Michigan A.D. Warde Manuel asks donors to support collectives. What it means ...

Michigan took another step toward fortifying its Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program when athletic director Warde Manuel asked for support to the collectives in an e-mail to donors and ticket holders. Though not a major announcement, it is a step in the right direction.

President Santa Ono and Manuel were to meet yesterday, so the timing makes sense. There’s still plenty to accomplish, however, to get Michigan where it needs to be to aid in getting athletes their due — and much needed support for coaches on the recruiting trail.

RELATED: Jim Harbaugh dishes on several ’23 signees— ‘It’s a great recruiting class’

RELATED: NIL at Michigan

From Manuel’s e-mail:

With Michigan athletic teams representing this world-class institution at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics, consistently adding to and expanding school records in competition and graduation rates, I can state unequivocally that it is Great to Be a Michigan Wolverine!

Intercollegiate athletics continues to see rapid change at all levels – from rules interpretations and eligibility to strengthening the student-athlete experience and the rights of our young people. Among the many changes, the adoption and rapid evolution of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules dominate headlines and discussions with those who care deeply about our teams.

Since July 2021, student-athletes have been able to earn compensation for the use of their NIL in the context of promotional activities and endorsements, appearances, camps and lessons, autographed materials, NFTs and other digital collectibles, trading cards, and other licensed items, such as the many options available through The M Den, our official merchandise retailer.

As the first NCAA school to provide a uniform jersey licensing program for its student-athletes, the University of Michigan has leveraged numerous business relationships into innovative partnerships and educational opportunities since NIL went into effect. Michigan’s public-facing NIL business platform, the VICTORS Exchange, is the nation’s largest local exchange platform of any INFLCR partner school and achieved that standing just two days following its launch in 2021.

Updated guidance from the NCAA national office has expanded the scope of NIL offerings to entities known as collectives, which are third-party groups external to Michigan Athletics but who combine resources and expertise to provide NIL opportunities to our students. At this time, Michigan Athletics enjoys the support of four collectives, each notable in their own ways, that are actively working to provide our student-athletes with NIL opportunities. They are: 

• Champions Circle
• MGoDAO
• Ann Arbor NIL Club
• Stadium & Main

In keeping with our values and full support of a positive student-athlete experience here at Michigan, we welcome your support of these four organizations and the continued financial support of our partners, fans and supporters in ensuring that Michigan student-athletes continue to be the Leaders and Best!

Michigan donors have options

Concern among some, per sources, has been how NIL will affect development and donations in other forms — that essentially donors would have to make choices.

We’ll touch on this more tomorrow in an article for our subscribers, but that won’t necessarily be the case. And no, it won’t be a slush fund for recruits — nor does head coach Jim Harbaugh or anyone else want it to be. He said long ago Michigan would be “transformational, not transactional” on the recruiting trail, and that’s how he’s operated.

Michigan finished with the No. 20 class in the early signing period, much lower than it should be for a team coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles. The Wolverines made up some ground in the transfer portal, but it’s clear there’s still a sweet spot they need to reach.

This is just a small step toward finding it. Some would argue this should have happened long ago (and they’d be right), but this is a sign that folks who need to be on the same page … well, are getting there, at least.

Watch for more in tomorrow’s ITF on the next step, and what we expect Michigan NIL to be in a few years.