Other than boosters going Wild West on five-star recruits, a lot of you don’t seem to grasp the concept that college athletes’ NIL rights actually have value, especially in this age of monetizing social media presence.
Here’s data prepared for The Athletic ($$) that estimates what the top ten college athletes could have earned in 2019, based on Instagram followers:
Three of those names won’t be playing in the NFL or NBA any time soon.
And that’s just social media earnings. There’s more out there for these kids, even if you leave boosters gone wild out of the mix. If any of this helps a college athlete decide to stay in school another year, why should we object?
Get The Picture 
Crazy to me how little I know about college hoops these days. I used to love it. Now I don’t know any of those basketball player names outside of Zion.
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Well, Erica is monetizing more than her athletic talents! (Allegedly)
West Virginia Gymnast Erica Fontaine Allegedly Creates An Adult Site For Extra Money During Quarantine
https://www.totalprosports.com/2020/05/06/west-virginia-gymnast-erica-fontaine-allegedly-creates-an-adult-site-for-extra-money-during-quarantine-pic/
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I’m sure the NCAA won’t mind, as long as there are no references to her status as a student-athlete.
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They should be poor it makes for better sports movies!
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LOL!
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Jeremy Bloom and the former kicker from UCF nod in agreement
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Where does Hot Rod rank? Top 50?
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I wondered about Hot Rod. I think he would have been near the top based on popularity.
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I’d also be curious to know the earning potential of the “average” non-athlete college student on social media. That’s another reason that this NIL issue needs to be addressed. While there are certainly benefits to being a student-athlete, they’re also being denied opportunities that non-athlete students have..
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Well – Jake Fromm has 442K followers on Instagram. Hot Rod has 94.7K.
If the equation is $compensation = # of followers x $x then it equals about $0.76 per follower so Hot Rod would have about $70K? That’s not bad.
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I’ve thought about this a bit for a kid like Trenton Thompson. I’ve heard he went pro for his family because they were in a rough spot. If he could’ve earned $50-75k his senior year, maybe he could’ve stayed, improved, and got drafted. While taking care of his family.
I’m of a mixed opinion when it comes to all of this; but I could see where it could keep some athletes from having to make a very difficult choice.
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I ran across this piece yesterday and hafta admit, it’s an eye-opener.
Never realized the value to an individual of having a large social-media following, and can’t understand the huge numbers of people who follow athletes on Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok (don’t really even know what that is!). But, why deny these individuals who are creative and well-known enough to capture this many Sheeples? I’m actually OK with this type of income, altho I still worry about the undue influence of the mega-boosters.
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Study, practice, or spend time on social media to make some cash? Tough choices for an adult, much less kids. Comment is not to insist we deprive SA’s from earning money, but pointing out how naive it will be to think there won’t be problems that coaches and ADs aren’t ready to solve either.
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Excuse me while I log in to Instagram for, uhhhhh, research. Yeah, that’s it.
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Eh, pretty disappointed.
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I”m sure they’d be devastated to learn of this breaking news.
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What would that number for Zion be if he played at Spartanburg Community College?
What percentage of that 3.9 million is because of the name on the jersey?
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Gosh, maybe he needs to send Duke royalties off his current endorsement contracts.
The school probably needs the cash since it lost money on him in the year he played for it.
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Right, all those empty seats and declining booster donations. I’m sure Duke one took it on the chin while Zion was there. Ouch.
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I’d like to some measure of the decline in interest since Zion left Duke.
Can Duke sell tickets to Cameron Indoor without him?
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there is somewhat of a symbiotic relationship between the school and the players in terms of driving fan interest. But that ultimately, because of the relatively short time anyone player is at a school is short, it is the institutions long term investment in success that is the main driver of the money in college sports.
If you can name an athlete that has put his school “on the map” as it were and turned a money loser into a money maker, please name him.
In short, had Herschel gone to Clemson, how much smaller would Sanford Stadium be, if any?
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You are correct.
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If you’re right, Derek, then there’s nothing to worry about here, because the market won’t pay any players, since they have zero value outside of the institution they suit up for.
On the other hand, if you’re right, it’s kind of strange that ZW signed endorsement deals the second he left school for bigger amounts than anyone else who played at Duke with him. I mean, Duke sells tickets to Cameron without him, something, something…
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The market won’t reach but a few.
But the sort of guys that turned the Big 8 into a cesspool will reach all.
Btw: I think Zion was smart to pick Duke instead of Spartanburg Community College. That call made him a shit ton of cash that he doesn’t have to share with Tommy Amaker or Coach K or Christian Laettner or Bobby Hurley.
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If that’s so, why do you care so much?
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Dude.
If it was ONLY the market I wouldn’t.
What will reach these kids is cash. Not market based cash.
But “Go to the school I have season tickets to cash.”
I’ve made this distinction clearly and consistently.
I have no problem with Nike approaching Gurley’s agent and striking a deal. Nike has shareholders. They will make a market call.
I do have a problem with Bear’s Bammer Car Wash and Detail paying a 5 star’s momma a 50k a year salary to sit at home and whisper “roll tide” in her son’s ear until he signs in the line which is dotted.
You’re not acknowledging this distinction because of a lack of intellect. You won’t acknowledge it because of a stubborn refusal to consider the obvious pitfalls of your proposal.
Just say: “i don’t care if money is funneled through businesses to buy football players while they pretend its all legit” and stop telling us that the transaction I described is either unlikely, avoidable or representative of market economics.
There is only one word that adequately fits the scenario described:
Cheating.
Any effort to legitimize it will be regretted.
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Accept muh hypothetical as the only possible reality! That’s what I’m not acknowledging.
How ’bout we wait until we see what finally takes shape before commencing with the wrist slitting? If you’re right, then they can ban the shit out of booster deals and put things right back under the table where they are now. But to act like this should preclude college athletes, including those in non-revenue sports, from monetizing their NIL, is weak, weak sauce.
I just don’t see this in the same apocalyptic terms you do. Sorry.
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Write the rules where you can have one without the other and I’ll sign up. I just don’t see how you can have the NIL agreements we all (most?) know should be acceptable and bar the ones we all (not Auburn) know should be barred.
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You act like momma getting a job at a Bama booster’s isn’t already happening. Payment is in the shadows now, why do want to keep it there?
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I wonder if there’s a way they could just incorporate something like a restaurant’s tip out policy? Like the player keeps 50% and 50% goes to a pool and every unpaid member of the team, from the student social media director and the student trainers all get an equal share? Who would oppose this and why?
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Maybe we should do that with everyone in the American economy. Who would oppose this and why?
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My tax burden is about 50%, so I believe we are already doing it. At least us hard working, productive Americans are.
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Between state, local (mostly in the form of property) federal, user, licensing and sales taxes, it is over 50% for sure.
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Beat me to it, Ghurka
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I’m going hiking in Zion NP this summer (if it opens). Is this Williamson fellow an avid hiker also? I’d like to ask him about his favorite trails.
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Senator, with your mega social media presence thanks to GTP, have your Instagram earnings topped those of Zion? Don’t you feel it’s only right to share them with your loyal followers.
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I discounted everybody’s subscription fee. 😉
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I’ll book mark this so when Yella Wood and his cronies payoff a 5star we want with a ridiculous endorsement package we can revisit it. It’s foolish to think that the Auburn’s and Ole Miss’s of the world aren’t going to exploit this rule change.
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Wait… you mean Auburn and Ole Miss would now — only now! — be able to buy recruits? You hate to see it.
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Nothing personal but if you don’t think Yella Wood and his cronies are already making contributions you are naive.
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That was directed at Rocketman.
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I’m sure Jimmy and his buddies have all sorts of backhanded, unethical ways of persuading recruits to go to the Ugliest Village on the Plains. Most people thought bury their head in the sand and don’t acknowledge it’s happening (kinda like running into a Baptist at the liquor store) once it’s out in the open and they are blatantly buying recruits the poop is going to hit the fan.
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Well gosh, let me pay my mortgage with Instagram followers.
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I think you misread the table, Hog. The 3.9 million is cold, hard cash that comes from monetizing the Instagram followers. I don’t understand it either. My kids have shown some of these no talent morons on YouTube who make millions acting like fucking idiots. Some little kid makes big bucks playin with toys. It’s why some of these fools hang off cliffs taking a selfie. Anything to get more followers. My dad always told me I was a fucking idiot, I guess I was just born too soon.
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the athletics fundraisers are not happy about this. If the local Chevy dealer gives Jake Fromm $ to pitch Silverados, that’s $ not spent on “access” to the team and Magill Society perks. Why join a club when you can just pay to bring a kid to your place of business.
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Now, we’re getting there.
Although it appears the fundraisers don’t appreciate Derek’s First Law of Collegiate Value.
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