NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER I’M GUY RAWLINGS TONIGHT. THE CONVERSATION AROUND NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS CONTINUES AS COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY STRUGGLE TO RETAIN STUDENT ATHLETES. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA RE-EMPHASIZING THEIR YEE ALABAMA PROGRAM, WHERE FANS CAN MAKE A ONE TIME CONTRIBUTION OR SEND IN MONEY ONCE A MONTH TO GET EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE AND ACCESS TO EVENTS. ALL THE MONEY WOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL’S NIL FUND. THE UNIVERSITY HOPES TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO JOIN THE PROGRAM. OUR WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR SPOKE TO FANS TODAY WHO SUPPORT YEE ALABAMA, BUT STILL HAVE SOME FRUSTRATIONS. NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS. NIL HAS CHANGED THE WORLD OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS. I THINK IT’S GREAT FOR THE STUDENT ATHLETE. I THINK IT’S GREAT FOR THE UNIVERSITY. LONGTIME ALABAMA FAN TODD LOGAN SUPPORTS THE NEW SYSTEM FOR THE MOST PART. TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S MORE RESTRICTIONS IN THE NFL THAN THERE IS IN COLLEGE, AND THAT’S WHAT’S A JOKE TO ME. HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSFER PORTAL. LOGAN SAYS IF ATHLETES ARE GOING TO GET PAID, THEN THERE SHOULD BE STRICTER RULES. I DON’T KNOW A TON ABOUT IT, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT’S THE ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE CONTROLLED. WHETHER IT’S A LIMIT ON HOW MANY TRANSFERS YOU CAN DO OR, YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO SAY A SALARY CAP, BUT IT’S JUST A LOT, A LOT INVOLVED TO TO MAKE IT ALL WORK. RIGHT. BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD. HE SAYS HE’S A FAN OF THE SYSTEM THE CRIMSON TIDE HAS IN PLACE. I THINK ALABAMA HAS A GREAT NIL PROGRAM WITH YEE, ALABAMA. IT’S VERY WELL RUN. THE UNIVERSITY IS HOPING MORE PEOPLE JOIN THAT PROGRAM. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR GREG BYRNE PUT THIS STATEMENT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON WEDNESDAY, EXPLAINING WHY THEY NEED FAN SUPPORT TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVE ACROSS THE BOARD. BYRNE SAYS IN PART, A SUBSCRIPTION TO YEE ALABAMA ISN’T ABOUT THE NAIL, IT’S ABOUT THE FUTURE. IT’S ABOUT ROSTER RETENTION FOR FUTURE SEASONS. LOGAN AGREES, SAYING IT’S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN EVERY SPORT, NOT JUST FOOTBALL. WE’RE SEASON TICKET HOLDERS FOR BASKETBALL AND I THINK THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT. ALSO, EVERYBODY THINKS ABOUT FOOTBALL, BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR BASKETBALL, YOUR BASEBALL, EVERYTHING ELSE GYMNASTICS. I MEAN IT’S ALL AFFECTED. IT’S NOT JUST YOUR FOOTBALL PLAYERS. LOGAN ISN’T THE ONLY ONE VOICING CONCERNS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, FORMER CRIMSON TIDE HEAD COACH NICK SABAN SPOKE TO LAWMAKERS ABOUT HIS CONCERNS WI Advertisement Alabama fans talk NIL, transfer portal frustrations amid University's push for support Updated: 7:33 PM CST Dec 20, 2024 Multimedia Journalist University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne posted a statement Wednesday urging fans to join Yea Alabama, the school's name, image and likeness program. Now, fans are sharing their support and frustrations with the current system.Byrne's statement read in part, "Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama." He went on to say, "A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson."For some fans, that message worked. According to Byrne, nearly 800 new members had joined the collective by Friday morning, just two days after the statement.Todd Logan is a longtime Alabama fan and a member of Yea Alabama. He's a fan of NIL but believes it could use some work."It's a cloudy subject for sure," Logan said. "I think it's great for the student-athletes; I think it's great for university, but there are pros and cons to both."His main concern isn't with paying players; it's with the transfer portal."The portal, to me, is the main issue," Logan said. "I don't know a ton about it, but I do think that that's the one that needs to be controlled, whether it's a limit on how many transfers you can do or, you know, I don't want to say a salary cap, but it's just a lot involved to make it all work right."It's not all bad, though; Logan believes NIL forces athletes to compete at a higher level."You've got a lot of kids, especially at Alabama, that want to come to Alabama and want to stay at Alabama, but they also have to fill out and see their worth these days. I don't blame them," he said.While some people have taken to social media to blast Byrne for asking people to support the NIL fund, Logan said he understands why it's happening."Anytime you're asking for money, it's tough, but it's something that it's just the way it is right now," he said. "It's not an Alabama problem; it's an NCAA problem."He also wants people to know they're supporting more than just football."We're season ticket holders for basketball, and I think that's very important," Logan said. "Everybody thinks about football, but your basketball, your baseball, everything else, gymnastics, it's all affected. It's not just your football players."A Yea Alabama membership can cost anywhere from $18 to $250 per month, depending on which tier you choose. Different memberships come with different perks, like exclusive merchandise and special events.Byrne's full statement reads:Alabama fans, Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics. We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama. But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.Under the new model of college athletics, which is the result of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, a university can succeed if their fans purchase authentic NIL from student-athletes. The good news is when Yea Alabama was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. Yea Alabama delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow Yea Alabama’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025.So, please click the link to subscribe to Yea Alabama!A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson. It’s about attracting and developing the best recruits in the country to represent the script A. You being a part of the team has never been more important.At Alabama, we’ve not measured ourselves against our competition. We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics. Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne posted a statement Wednesday urging fans to join Yea Alabama, the school's name, image and likeness program. Now, fans are sharing their support and frustrations with the current system.Byrne's statement read in part, "Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama." He went on to say, "A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson." Advertisement For some fans, that message worked. According to Byrne, nearly 800 new members had joined the collective by Friday morning, just two days after the statement.Todd Logan is a longtime Alabama fan and a member of Yea Alabama. He's a fan of NIL but believes it could use some work."It's a cloudy subject for sure," Logan said. "I think it's great for the student-athletes; I think it's great for university, but there are pros and cons to both."His main concern isn't with paying players; it's with the transfer portal. "The portal, to me, is the main issue," Logan said. "I don't know a ton about it, but I do think that that's the one that needs to be controlled, whether it's a limit on how many transfers you can do or, you know, I don't want to say a salary cap, but it's just a lot involved to make it all work right." It's not all bad, though; Logan believes NIL forces athletes to compete at a higher level."You've got a lot of kids, especially at Alabama, that want to come to Alabama and want to stay at Alabama, but they also have to fill out and see their worth these days. I don't blame them," he said.While some people have taken to social media to blast Byrne for asking people to support the NIL fund, Logan said he understands why it's happening."Anytime you're asking for money, it's tough, but it's something that it's just the way it is right now," he said. "It's not an Alabama problem; it's an NCAA problem."He also wants people to know they're supporting more than just football."We're season ticket holders for basketball, and I think that's very important," Logan said. "Everybody thinks about football, but your basketball, your baseball, everything else, gymnastics, it's all affected. It's not just your football players."A Yea Alabama membership can cost anywhere from $18 to $250 per month, depending on which tier you choose. Different memberships come with different perks, like exclusive merchandise and special events.Byrne's full statement reads:Alabama fans, Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics. We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama. But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.Under the new model of college athletics, which is the result of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, a university can succeed if their fans purchase authentic NIL from student-athletes. The good news is when Yea Alabama was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. Yea Alabama delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow Yea Alabama’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025.So, please click the link to subscribe to Yea Alabama!A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson. It’s about attracting and developing the best recruits in the country to represent the script A. You being a part of the team has never been more important.At Alabama, we’ve not measured ourselves against our competition. We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics. Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama.

Alabama fans talk NIL, transfer portal frustrations amid University's push for support

NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER I’M GUY RAWLINGS TONIGHT. THE CONVERSATION AROUND NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS CONTINUES AS COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY STRUGGLE TO RETAIN STUDENT ATHLETES. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA RE-EMPHASIZING THEIR YEE ALABAMA PROGRAM, WHERE FANS CAN MAKE A ONE […]

NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER I’M GUY RAWLINGS TONIGHT. THE CONVERSATION AROUND NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS CONTINUES AS COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY STRUGGLE TO RETAIN STUDENT ATHLETES. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA RE-EMPHASIZING THEIR YEE ALABAMA PROGRAM, WHERE FANS CAN MAKE A ONE TIME CONTRIBUTION OR SEND IN MONEY ONCE A MONTH TO GET EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE AND ACCESS TO EVENTS. ALL THE MONEY WOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL’S NIL FUND. THE UNIVERSITY HOPES TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO JOIN THE PROGRAM. OUR WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR SPOKE TO FANS TODAY WHO SUPPORT YEE ALABAMA, BUT STILL HAVE SOME FRUSTRATIONS. NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS. NIL HAS CHANGED THE WORLD OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS. I THINK IT’S GREAT FOR THE STUDENT ATHLETE. I THINK IT’S GREAT FOR THE UNIVERSITY. LONGTIME ALABAMA FAN TODD LOGAN SUPPORTS THE NEW SYSTEM FOR THE MOST PART. TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S MORE RESTRICTIONS IN THE NFL THAN THERE IS IN COLLEGE, AND THAT’S WHAT’S A JOKE TO ME. HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSFER PORTAL. LOGAN SAYS IF ATHLETES ARE GOING TO GET PAID, THEN THERE SHOULD BE STRICTER RULES. I DON’T KNOW A TON ABOUT IT, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT’S THE ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE CONTROLLED. WHETHER IT’S A LIMIT ON HOW MANY TRANSFERS YOU CAN DO OR, YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO SAY A SALARY CAP, BUT IT’S JUST A LOT, A LOT INVOLVED TO TO MAKE IT ALL WORK. RIGHT. BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD. HE SAYS HE’S A FAN OF THE SYSTEM THE CRIMSON TIDE HAS IN PLACE. I THINK ALABAMA HAS A GREAT NIL PROGRAM WITH YEE, ALABAMA. IT’S VERY WELL RUN. THE UNIVERSITY IS HOPING MORE PEOPLE JOIN THAT PROGRAM. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR GREG BYRNE PUT THIS STATEMENT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON WEDNESDAY, EXPLAINING WHY THEY NEED FAN SUPPORT TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVE ACROSS THE BOARD. BYRNE SAYS IN PART, A SUBSCRIPTION TO YEE ALABAMA ISN’T ABOUT THE NAIL, IT’S ABOUT THE FUTURE. IT’S ABOUT ROSTER RETENTION FOR FUTURE SEASONS. LOGAN AGREES, SAYING IT’S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN EVERY SPORT, NOT JUST FOOTBALL. WE’RE SEASON TICKET HOLDERS FOR BASKETBALL AND I THINK THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT. ALSO, EVERYBODY THINKS ABOUT FOOTBALL, BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR BASKETBALL, YOUR BASEBALL, EVERYTHING ELSE GYMNASTICS. I MEAN IT’S ALL AFFECTED. IT’S NOT JUST YOUR FOOTBALL PLAYERS. LOGAN ISN’T THE ONLY ONE VOICING CONCERNS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, FORMER CRIMSON TIDE HEAD COACH NICK SABAN SPOKE TO LAWMAKERS ABOUT HIS CONCERNS WI

Alabama fans talk NIL, transfer portal frustrations amid University’s push for support

University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne posted a statement Wednesday urging fans to join Yea Alabama, the school’s name, image and likeness program. Now, fans are sharing their support and frustrations with the current system.Byrne’s statement read in part, “Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama.” He went on to say, “A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson.”For some fans, that message worked. According to Byrne, nearly 800 new members had joined the collective by Friday morning, just two days after the statement.Todd Logan is a longtime Alabama fan and a member of Yea Alabama. He’s a fan of NIL but believes it could use some work.”It’s a cloudy subject for sure,” Logan said. “I think it’s great for the student-athletes; I think it’s great for university, but there are pros and cons to both.”His main concern isn’t with paying players; it’s with the transfer portal.”The portal, to me, is the main issue,” Logan said. “I don’t know a ton about it, but I do think that that’s the one that needs to be controlled, whether it’s a limit on how many transfers you can do or, you know, I don’t want to say a salary cap, but it’s just a lot involved to make it all work right.”It’s not all bad, though; Logan believes NIL forces athletes to compete at a higher level.”You’ve got a lot of kids, especially at Alabama, that want to come to Alabama and want to stay at Alabama, but they also have to fill out and see their worth these days. I don’t blame them,” he said.While some people have taken to social media to blast Byrne for asking people to support the NIL fund, Logan said he understands why it’s happening.”Anytime you’re asking for money, it’s tough, but it’s something that it’s just the way it is right now,” he said. “It’s not an Alabama problem; it’s an NCAA problem.”He also wants people to know they’re supporting more than just football.”We’re season ticket holders for basketball, and I think that’s very important,” Logan said. “Everybody thinks about football, but your basketball, your baseball, everything else, gymnastics, it’s all affected. It’s not just your football players.”A Yea Alabama membership can cost anywhere from $18 to $250 per month, depending on which tier you choose. Different memberships come with different perks, like exclusive merchandise and special events.Byrne’s full statement reads:Alabama fans, Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics. We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama. But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.Under the new model of college athletics, which is the result of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, a university can succeed if their fans purchase authentic NIL from student-athletes. The good news is when Yea Alabama was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. Yea Alabama delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow Yea Alabama’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025.So, please click the link to subscribe to Yea Alabama!A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson. It’s about attracting and developing the best recruits in the country to represent the script A. You being a part of the team has never been more important.At Alabama, we’ve not measured ourselves against our competition. We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics. Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. —

Byrne’s statement read in part, “Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama.” He went on to say, “A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson.”

For some fans, that message worked. According to Byrne, nearly 800 new members had joined the collective by Friday morning, just two days after the statement.

Todd Logan is a longtime Alabama fan and a member of Yea Alabama. He’s a fan of NIL but believes it could use some work.

“It’s a cloudy subject for sure,” Logan said. “I think it’s great for the student-athletes; I think it’s great for university, but there are pros and cons to both.”

His main concern isn’t with paying players; it’s with the transfer portal.

“The portal, to me, is the main issue,” Logan said. “I don’t know a ton about it, but I do think that that’s the one that needs to be controlled, whether it’s a limit on how many transfers you can do or, you know, I don’t want to say a salary cap, but it’s just a lot involved to make it all work right.”

It’s not all bad, though; Logan believes NIL forces athletes to compete at a higher level.

“You’ve got a lot of kids, especially at Alabama, that want to come to Alabama and want to stay at Alabama, but they also have to fill out and see their worth these days. I don’t blame them,” he said.

While some people have taken to social media to blast Byrne for asking people to support the NIL fund, Logan said he understands why it’s happening.

“Anytime you’re asking for money, it’s tough, but it’s something that it’s just the way it is right now,” he said. “It’s not an Alabama problem; it’s an NCAA problem.”

He also wants people to know they’re supporting more than just football.

“We’re season ticket holders for basketball, and I think that’s very important,” Logan said. “Everybody thinks about football, but your basketball, your baseball, everything else, gymnastics, it’s all affected. It’s not just your football players.”

A Yea Alabama membership can cost anywhere from $18 to $250 per month, depending on which tier you choose. Different memberships come with different perks, like exclusive merchandise and special events.

Byrne’s full statement reads:

Alabama fans,
Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics. We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama. But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.

Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.

Under the new model of college athletics, which is the result of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, a university can succeed if their fans purchase authentic NIL from student-athletes. The good news is when Yea Alabama was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. Yea Alabama delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow Yea Alabama’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025.
So, please click the link to subscribe to Yea Alabama!

A subscription to Yea Alabama isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson. It’s about attracting and developing the best recruits in the country to represent the script A. You being a part of the team has never been more important.

At Alabama, we’ve not measured ourselves against our competition. We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics. Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama.