Mark Kingston: NIL 'here to stay'
Programs looking to have a shot to win in the hyper-competitive SEC have long been in an arms race of different categories. Education, facilities, fan support, development, and other factors all weigh into the recruiting process. Gamecock baseball head coach Mark Kingston believes that name, image, and likeness opportunities is one that is now a critical factor, too.
“NIL’s just now the latest,” said Kingston said on the Garnet Trust Hour on 107.5 The Game on Tuesday. “If you want to be among the best, that’s what the best are doing. They’re heavily investing in the NIL for their baseball players.”
One common refrain among opponents of NIL is that student-athletes who receive NIL compensation are already paid through scholarships and other stipends.
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There’s an important distinction to be made when it comes to baseball, as teams are limited to just 11.7 total scholarships to split among a 35-man roster.
“Most of the teams across the country have no full scholarship baseball players. A 50 percent scholarship in baseball is considered a very strong offer,” Kingston explained.
That can leave some hefty bills for players who do not have time to find employment as student-athletes and families that may not have the means to easily foot the costs.
Said Kingston. “NIL in our sport has been very effective in helping fill some of those gapsWe all know college and tuition has gone up very much over the years. There are some schools that cost $80,000 to go to, so you offer a kid 50 percent scholarship, he still has to pay $40,000 to play on that baseball team.”
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The Gamecock baseball program will have multiple players returning that were MLB Draft selections last year in James Hicks, Braylen Wimmer, and Noah Hall.
“In our case, NIL has helped us in terms of the finances to where it makes it more realistic for guys to stay in college for another year as opposed to just saying, I’ve got to go pro even though I don’t want to or I’m not ready, because that’s where the money is,” said Kingston.
“I know there are some schools providing some pretty substantial NIL figures for baseball players around the country as well.
Gamecock baseball is situated in the country’s premier conference for college baseball with its membership in the SEC.
Kingston, who said during Tuesday’s radio appearance, declined to get into specifics as to some of the dollar figures he has heard in the college baseball ecosystem. He did note, however, that USC’s conference affiliation means it is going up against some teams that are well-situated when it comes to NIL.
“I think the great majority of NIL in baseball has been in the SEC. You hear about the different schools around the SEC that are very big into the NIL for baseball, and I don’t think you’re seeing that in the Big Ten or maybe the ACC or the Pac 12,” said Kingston.
While Kingston thinks NIL is “very fair” for college players to capitalize upon, he does hope that the NCAA will eventually alter its scholarship limits for the sport.
“Our television ratings are very good, our crowd support is very good. Most of the schools, especially in the SEC, turn a profit,” he said. “The fact that we only have 11.7 scholarships for 35 players, it’s just ridiculous. We’ve been arguing to try to get more for a long, long time.”
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The college baseball recruiting process is unique in that you are offering and taking commitments much earlier and also fighting the pro ranks straight out of high school. NIL now weighs into the equation.
“it’s a factor, there’s no question. That’s why it’s important that if you want to stay competitive nationally that you have to be in a good place there,” Kingston said. “There are substantial investments being made in a lot of college baseball programs across the country, especially in our league. It’s here to stay. If you’re going to remain among the elite, that’s just what you have to do”
