Lincoln Riley on House of Victory and the State of NIL at USC

Quarterback Caleb Williams and a number of USC football and basketball players have done well for themselves when it comes to generating revenue via name, image and likeness. But the launch of NIL collectives sin the USC space has been slow and more than a little messy.

BLVD launched and then stalled before folding, thanks in large part to an NCAA ruling regarding that type of structure. Student Body Right intended to launch but was hit with immediate resistance from the school.

Recently several groups have gotten going or at least announced their intentions to get going. The TOMMY Group features former wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and a number of USC donors. House of Victory announced its formal launch this past Friday and features key players from BLVD. And Victory Formation is gearing up to be a player in that NIL space as well.

While there still might be some confusion on the part of the typical USC booster, head coach Lincoln Riley said Thursday that he likes the direction things are going. He added that the mutliple groups are the way to go right now when trying to tackle such a big area.

“You’ve got collectives that I think essentially are going to end up attacking different areas or different sets of opportunities,” Riley said. “LA is so big, so vast. The people, the opportunities, you’ve got the whole corporate side of it. There’s so much that, could it ever be under one umbrella? Maybe, but that may be down the line. There’s a lot to it right now.”

Riley said he believes the collectives forming now will be able to tap into different types of donors, different areas from a corporate standpoint or even different parts of Los Angeles.

“Everybody wants the same thing, at the end of the day,” Riley said, echoing the collectives’ thoughts that they aren’t looking to compete against each other. “There’s several that are doing a really nice job and I think are very positive.”

House of Victory

The House of Victory non-profit collective launched late last week and is off to a fast start. The group has announced women’s soccer player Simone Jackson and football player Justin Dedich as its first two signed USC student-athletes.

Riley said it’s been “impressive,” what House of Victory has done in a short amount of time. That group made a splash during the spring game. Its ability to post advertising in the Coliseum and running a video announcement on the scoreboard was significant. Through a deal with Playfly sports, House of Victory is able to use USC trademarks and branding in its material. That includes cardinal and gold, the interlocking SC and photos of student-athletes in jerseys. Riley said a few things make that group special.

“Obviously kind of being under a lot of people that, USC is very important to them, people that will forever be linked to USC,” Riley said. “Kind of bringing it under that umbrella and kind of into that family I think was a very key part.”

Riley pointed to the fact that it’s running as a non-profit is a difference in that group. He said the Playfly deal is significant as well.

“You felt the presence in the stadium the other day where they can do that and they can use the marks and they can really be kind of tied in — in some ways — with the university is I think a very positive thing,” Riley said

Riley’s Message to Fans and Donors

Rather than trying to focus attention to one collective, Riley said the multiple organizations provide “something for everybody” when it comes to providing funds for USC student-athletes.

“Anybody that wants to be involved with NIL at USC in any way, there’s one for you,” Riley said.

He also applauded the university for bringing in an NIL coordinator, former USC student-athlete Lyndsey Lopes

“It is such an important position and it’s good for our athletes to have that resource,” Riley said. “It’s good for our supporters from any area that you could imagine, to have somebody that they can directly communicate with.

“I think for the USC people, there’s somewhere to get involved,” Riley said. “And I promise you, there’s one of them that’s going to fit you really well and accomplish what you want to accomplish. It’s good to be in that place, for sure.”