Michigan MPower, collectives 'moving in a positive direction'

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has vowed to make U-M’s NIL program “transformational, not transactional,” and he’s doing everything he can to make it so. He’s been out front for U-M’s MPower initiative, a program designed to help football players build their brands and take advantage of their name, image, and likeness, even traveling the country to help raise money.

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The promise of MPower and the plan has helped get the 2024 recruiting class off to a great start. As of July 21, the Wolverines had the fifth-ranked class nationally with 26 pledges, including 12 On3.com four-star prospects. While there’s still work to do, the collectives have been picking up steam, and especially the Champions Circle. 

“Things have really been moving in a very positive direction, especially over the last three or four months,” Valiant’s Jared Wangler said. “There’s been more interest from donors, from corporate partners … and obviously, it’s bleeding over into recruiting, which is awesome. I feel like the coaches are on really good footing now with NIL, knowing how and what to communicate to these kids. It feels like the pitch is landing more so than it was around this time last year, when we really weren’t sure what to say when asked about it.”

The players have been extremely receptive, he added, and “great to work with.” There’s a lot of positive momentum stemming from it — recruits talk, of course — and the official launch of the Champions Circle website has made it easier for more donors to get involved. 

Now, Wangler said, it’s about getting the word out on what the collective has been doing for the last year and a half and how people can get involved. 

For the coaches, it’s twofold. Harbaugh has led the charge in trying to line up donors, but he also has to convince recruits MPower will work for them. Part of that is showing how current players are benefiting. 

“The pitch and communication is about what’s taking place for the current roster — what kind of opportunities players have at any position, what sort of deals are taking place,” Wangler said. “And the earning targets for those guys is comparable to what you’re seeing around the country, which is awesome. 

“If you share info about where your starting quarterback, running back, right tackle is … that sells. Not only that, you’re actually able to show them tangibly how it’s done versus around the country, where you’re seeing at other schools their pitch to start was just telling them a number. The kids have no idea where the number comes from or how it’s even NIL.”

What they’re most proud of, he added, is that the marketing deals the Michigan players are getting, whether through traditional brand partnerships or through the Champions Circle subletting an NIL partnership, are legitimate. NIL was meant to reward kids with opportunities, not just hand out money, and the Michigan collectives are doing it right. 

Hail, Stadium and Main, and the others continue to work for the student-athletes, which is how it’s supposed to be. That’s how it will remain, Wangler said.

“That part of it has been really encouraging, and it’s beneficial for the student-athletes,” he said. “Especially now with the transfer portal — you initially saw a lot of young coaches and staffs just throwing money and numbers to the kids without any idea if they were actually going to be able to fulfill it.”

That results in broken promises and a lot of transfers, Wangler noted, and it’s been prevalent around the country. It hasn’t at Michigan, a landing spot the last few years for many elite transfers. Kids talk, Harbaugh noted, and word is out that culture and strategy certainly can pay off. 

Again — they still need more booster support. But it’s still in its early stages and trending in a positive direction. The hope is that soon they’ll be the standard and blueprint for NIL done right, and they appear to be off to a good start.

CHAMPIONS CIRCLE COLLECTIVE