Name, image and likeness: an athlete’s ability to make money off their brand. How does it affect USC student-athletes?
You know the saying, “money makes the world go round?” It applies to the college football landscape now more than ever. Ever since the introduction of NIL into college sports, more and more athletes have been using it to finally legally make money from their athletic involvement. However, recruiting and the newly popular transfer portal have unearthed an even greater market for players to earn profits and also prompted a new type of NIL.
NIL deals from boosters are heavily talked about, as they are very controversial. An NIL deal from a booster is pretty close to paying players to play for their team. One of the biggest NIL booster deals to date is the case of Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava is a five-star quarterback in the high school class of 2023. When he committed to Tennessee back in April, it was reported shortly after that Iamaleava had a $8 million NIL deal with the school. Eight million dollars for a guy who still has yet to set foot on a college campus? Seems pretty ridiculous to me.
When deciding where to play, part of what factors in is how much money can be made from NIL deals at each school. Iamaleava is from Downey, California, but if he is promised $8 million to play for an SEC team, you bet he’s going to head south to Knoxville.
In a joint message to UCLA fans and students, Chancellor Gene Block and athletic director Martin Jarmond said it best, “Big Ten membership offers Bruins exciting new competitive opportunities and a broader national media platform for our student-athletes to compete and showcase their talents. Specifically, this move will enhance Name, Image and Likeness opportunities through greater exposure for our student-athletes and offer new partnerships with entities across the country.”
That message, just intended for UCLA, is even more applicable to USC as one can argue USC has a larger fanbase with more dedicated boosters. By moving to the Big Ten, programs such as USC and UCLA will be able to attract better high school and transfer recruits within a bigger market. With the Los Angeles market and a larger, more passionate audience in the Midwest, the sky’s the limit when it comes to future NIL deals for players. Already, the new-look Trojans have begun taking advantage of NIL and reapings its benefits.
On August 31, Fletcher Jones Motorcars from Newport Beach signed a deal with USC junior wide receiver Jordan Addison and junior defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu. This landed both players brand new Mercedes vehicles. And of course, Addison has a deal with United Airlines, promoting United’s attempt to connect Pac-12 fans to more East Coast teams.
To me, moving to the Big Ten will go down in history as the best move of all time for the USC football program. From a player’s standpoint of wanting to maximize NIL deals, there are almost no downsides. In the underrepresented Pac-12, players do not get the exposure they would with other conferences. Sports such as volleyball, which are crammed onto the Pac-12 Network, would be broadcasted to larger national networks, thus boosting exposure.
There are no negatives in my eyes. The only shady thing about NIL is when it comes to boosters who incentivize players to come play for their school, but the NCAA is working on preventing that the best they can by prohibiting boosters from being involved in recruiting.
With the combination of being in Los Angeles and now in the Big Ten, gone are the days of USC losing athletes from its own backyard to the Tennessees or the Alabamas of college football.
In the new world of NIL, players are demanding more and more from their schools, wanting the opportunity to make money from the sport they love at a non-professional level. USC thus far has been great at helping athletes get their name out there and moving to the Big Ten can only help.
As someone who was a fan of NIL from the beginning, I’m excited to watch how USC’s move to the Big Ten will help athletes evolve their own brands.
“The Big Ten Breakdown” runs every other Tuesday