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Post by bulkey on Jun 30, 2021 17:07:04 GMT -5
The NCAA's board of directors decided Wednesday to officially suspend the organization's rules prohibiting athletes from selling the rights to their names, images and likenesses. The new rules represent a major shift in the association's definition of amateurism -- a shift that NCAA leaders previously believed was antithetical to the nature of college sports.
The new rules will allow athletes to profit by monetizing social media accounts, signing autographs, teaching camps or lessons, starting their own businesses, and participating in advertising campaigns, among many other potential ventures. Athletes will be allowed to sign with agents or other representatives to help them acquire endorsement deals.Some opportunities will be restricted, but the types of restrictions will vary based on state laws and policies created by individual schools. For example, some but not all state laws prohibit athletes from endorsing alcohol, tobacco or gambling products. Some but not all laws prohibit athletes from using their school's logos or other copyright material in endorsements.www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31737039/ncaa-clears-student-athletes-pursue-name-image-likeness-dealsThis is far more extensive that the more circumscribed "NIL." And it may be more equitable, in that less well-known athletes can get hired by sports camps, etc. They may not make Paige-like income, but they will be able to leverage their athletic training.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 30, 2021 20:22:55 GMT -5
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Post by bulkey on Jul 1, 2021 6:50:36 GMT -5
As of right now, there’s one student athlete that has the potential to outearn them all; UConn’s Paige Bueckers.
Huskies fans are already familiar with what Bueckers brings on the court — the Minnesota native averaged over 20 points per game and claimed National Player of the Year honors as a freshman last season — but the brand she’s built off the court is arguably more impressive. Between Instagram (829,000 followers), Twitter (51,100), and Tik Tok (334,900), Bueckers boasts over 1.2 million followers and is already a national household name.
To put it in perspective, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and UConn’s own James Bouknight — three projected lottery picks in the upcoming NBA draft — have less than 400,000 followers on Instagram combined.
In Connecticut, Bueckers will likely be bombarded by big local companies with deep pockets looking for her to promote their cars, restaurants, or products. That makes sense, of course — she’s the most popular player on the most popular team in the state. And while there’s certainly plenty of money to be made for Bueckers just within the Connecticut state lines, she already has a strong national following.
Before the NCAA Tournament started in March, Front Office Sports estimated that Bueckers could earn nearly $400,000 from her Instagram alone, and now Bueckers has amassed another 100,000 followers in that span. Andy Wittry, who writes the college athletics newsletter Out of Bounds on Substack, used a formula created by a consulting firm and got a higher estimate of $548,000.
Bueckers' massive Instagram following alone will be a major target for brands, but combined with her Twitter following, the rise of Tik Tok, and the global appeal of basketball, her NIL value is higher than just about any other athlete in college. Wittry even suggested it’s not out of the question that Bueckers could pull in earnings eclipsing the low seven-figure mark in 2021 alone.
Bueckers and her family are aware of the magnitude of this NIL decision and what it means for both her on and off-court career. Her mother Amy Fuller spoke about Bueckers’ unique position as one of the faces of college athletics and professional path that offers significantly less money than the NBA or NFL.
“Especially if she’s making money, I could see it being very, very hard for her to walk away that fifth year, knowing she could stay,” Fuller said to Wittry in an April edition of Out of Bounds. “It’s her last chance. She’s still making money, you can earn more degrees. I mean, you can’t go wrong with getting as much of an education – while it’s being paid for – as you can. I’d love to see her get three master’s [degrees] if she could. Because at some point, basketball’s going to end. At some point. For everybody. And so, I really think this would help a lot of those athletes stay and she’s included.”
When you combine Bueckers’ earning potential beginning today as a UConn athlete to what the WNBA offers, it’s easy to see where Fuller is coming from. Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, made just over $69,000 in her first season with the New York Liberty. Top players in the league — think Diana Taurasi or Elena Delle Donne — are able to earn over $500,000 under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.
While that’s good money, and much more than the WNBA players made in prior years due to a historic collective bargaining agreement last year, it’s not out of the question to think that Bueckers could eclipse Ionescu’s rookie salary by the time her sophomore season tips off in October, maybe even sooner.
It’s much too early to tell how NIL laws will affect the decisions of elite WNBA prospects and fringe NBA/NFL prospects in the future, it certainly makes the decision to go pro a little more difficult. Why move on to the next level faster when there’s decent money to be made in college?
With UConn’s policy beginning July 12, Bueckers will have to wait a little less than two weeks before any potential deals become official and the cash starts flowing in. But given her immense following on social media and passion for UConn women’s hoops throughout the state, she’ll be in a good position to earn her true value in an open marketplace.
uconnwbbweekly@substack.com
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Post by UConnChapette on Jul 1, 2021 8:35:38 GMT -5
I can see a scenario where a player over-commits to endorsements, which takes time away from the classroom and the court, and adds to an already challenging schedule. I'm okay with them earning money from NIL, as long as it doesn't take time away from their education and athletic pursuits.
What about UConn's team policy prohibiting social media posting during the season? How will that fit in?
It is going to be quite interesting to see how this plays out.
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Post by grrrrr on Jul 1, 2021 12:04:41 GMT -5
Paige's Mom has a great point. Would you leave a program you love and loves you back to turn pro and make LESS money? Maybe in a place you don't want to play in?
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Post by swash on Jul 1, 2021 13:11:41 GMT -5
Paige's Mom has a great point. Would you leave a program you love and loves you back to turn pro and make LESS money? Maybe in a place you don't want to play in? to be fair, the 100k from the W would be incremental ... she doesn't lose NIL rights in the pros. |
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Post by bulkey on Jul 1, 2021 14:27:47 GMT -5
The problem with thinking that Paige will stay on at UConn is that we assume she'll be content playing against competition that she so clearly is already superior to. Every great achiever is driven to test their talents against the very best. Even Geno will encourage her to go.
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Post by semper on Jul 1, 2021 15:14:25 GMT -5
How did she happen?
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