Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

NIL

NBA team the Atlanta Hawks bet on creators to boost advertiser appeal

Published

on

NBA team the Atlanta Hawks bet on creators to boost advertiser appeal

Professional basketball team the Atlanta Hawks have launched the NBA’s first formalized creator collective.

The Atlanta Hawks Creator Collective is a group of 25 content creators that the NBA team has granted special access to home games and events such as training facility tours. The team soft-launched the program last year, with Atlanta-based creators including Dayna Bolden and Roxanne Kaiser attending — and posting about — Hawks events throughout the 2024-2025 basketball season.

The collective spans across both platforms and genres, and includes non-sports creators such as Kaiser and Julio Angel Muñoz. Members of the collective are paid a fee to create content about the games they attend, in addition to a mixture of other paid and unpaid opportunities. The past year represented a beta test of sorts for the program. Pleased with its performance, Hawks executives plan to officially announce the collective tomorrow, at Atlanta’s State of Creators of Color summit.

“In some cases, they do get an honorarium or a fee to do certain things, and in other cases they do it because we’re a team,” said Hawks vp of entertainment industry relations Levetta Futrell. “For example, when they came to [dinner event] Taste of the Hawks, there was no money exchange; they came as guests and as part of the quote-unquote ‘team.’ They captured content and they posted on their own.”

The Atlanta Hawks intend for the Creator Collective to eventually act as a source of sponsorship inventory for the team, although it has not yet signed any specific partnerships tied to the collective. However, Hawks executives said they are pleased with the results of the initiative so far, which is why the team is leaning into the collective with this week’s official announcement.

The combined reach of the Atlanta Hawks Creator Collective is 14.9 million followers, according to Hawks svp of marketing Narcis Alikhani, who did not break the number down between specific platforms. Over the past season, members of the collective published 68 videos about their experiences at Hawks games, generating 1.7 million impressions and $113,000 in earned media value, per Alikhani, who cited numbers from Sprout Social. At the moment, the Hawks team does not share a cut of sponsorship revenue with collective members, but Alikhani said the team was “open to exploring” a revenue share structure as the program grows.

“That is the plan, essentially — to create a platform for sponsors to be able to be involved,” Alikhani said.

With advertisers wary of a coming recession, ad spend is projected to slow down across the board in 2025. Although the Atlanta Hawks boast millions of followers across the team’s social accounts and include brands such as Kia and Coca-Cola among its sponsors, launching a creator collective creates more opportunities for the team to glean an even greater share of brands’ media budgets, in addition to their sponsorship spend.

“Sponsorship spend has slower deal cycles; it takes brands a lot longer to make decisions, and their partnerships are longer-lasting,” said Malph Minns, managing director of sports marketing agency Strive Sponsorship. “Media deals are more buying eyeballs — their spend is more frequent and faster, but the tenure of those agreements is often shorter, because they’re essentially buying exposure. What creators offer you is potentially an opportunity to go to media agencies and media buyers and start to sell to them, where, previously, you hadn’t had anything to sell to them.”

Creator benefits

Participating creators view the Hawks Creator Collective as both an opportunity to make some extra cash and a chance to create videos that resonate with their fans. The 25 members of the Creator Collective are all mid-sized creators, with followings that range between the thousands and the hundreds of thousands. No individual member has more than a million followers.

The first class of the Creator Collective was recruited directly by Hawks manager of entertainment industry relations Chris Thorkilsen, but creators interested in participating next season can apply through an official NBA web page that opened last week. Brands are a key part of the value proposition for creators, with the page listing “brand partnership opportunities” among the benefits for interested creators.

Thus far, however, the opportunities for brands to actually engage with individual collective members are relatively limited. Aside from attending “suite nights” with executives from sponsors such as BMW — an opportunity offered to both Creator Collective members and other influencers — members of the collective said that it has not yet helped them gain new brand partnership opportunities.

Bringing in more brands and advertisers is a clear goal of the collective, but for now, that part of the program appears to still be a work in progress.

“I’m not going to lie, this is the first time I’ve heard the details of that. I think it is just so new that they haven’t been saying much about it,” Kaiser, the Creator Collective member, said regarding the brand partnership opportunity. “I’ve heard little rumblings about what they’re trying to make it into — which is awesome, because it’s an incentive for us.”

A formalized approach

Media buyers and agency executives are excited by the prospect of an official creator collective backed by an NBA team, although some pointed out that the Hawks Creator Collective is simply a more official version of the collaborations that have taken place between NBA teams and prominent influencers for years. The NBA itself also launched an expanded creator program in late 2024, but that program is framed as a set of resources for creators, rather than a piece of sponsorship inventory in its own right.

What makes the Atlanta Hawks Creator Collective unique is its formalized nature. Rather than recruiting creators to attend one-off suite nights or create content for specific campaigns or activations, the Hawks are raising the profile of a discrete group of creators — and tying those creators directly to the team’s brand, with the explicit goal of generating brand sponsorship opportunities.

“I do think what they’re trying to do with actually monetizing it with their sponsorships is innovative, and I have not seen that done before in the sports space,” said Gabe Gordon, CEO of influencer marketing company Reach Agency.

As the Atlanta Hawks recruits more creators to the collective, the team’s ability to successfully sell advertisers on the media opportunity could determine whether more sports teams dip their toes into the creator space in a more formalized way.

“I can almost guarantee that a lot of other teams, not just in basketball, but across leagues, are going to keep their eye on that to see if it is an actual, sellable piece of inventory,” said Ryan Dow, a vp at sports marketing agency Sportfive.

NIL

Predicting the College Football Playoff after Texas Tech beats BYU for the Big 12 title

Published

on


Defense wins championships, they say. That was true of Texas Tech, whose dominant unit overwhelmed BYU behind two key takeaways to win the Big 12 Championship Game and book the Red Raiders a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Ben Roberts intercepted Bear Bachmeier twice, and the Texas Tech offense turned both into points to finally pull away from BYU and win its first-ever conference championship.

With the win, they’ll present a decisive case to the selection committee to stay within the top-four, especially given one of either No. 1 Ohio State or No. 2 Indiana will have to lose the Big Ten championship later today.

Where do things stand in the latest bracket projection? Let’s project what 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff, as of Texas Tech’s big win on Saturday.

Predicting the College Football Playoff bracket

Predicting the College Football Playoff bracket after Texas Tech wins Big 12 championship

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Subject to change pending other Championship Week results

1. Ohio State. We project the Buckeyes will stay perfect by narrowly defeating Indiana to win the Big Ten championship and secure the top overall seed in the playoff.

2. Georgia. Our current expectation is that the Bulldogs will avenge their regular season loss to Alabama and win their second-straight SEC championship.

3. Texas Tech. One of college football’s best defenses left no doubt as to its reputation after swarming BYU to win the Big 12 championship, securing a first-round bye.

4. Indiana. Although we think the Hoosiers will lose the Big Ten title game, it won’t be by much, and they have the overall resume to stay within the top four.

5. Oregon. The one-loss Ducks will stay in the top-five, parked behind the Indiana squad that gave them that defeat earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss. The committee signaled that Lane Kiffin’s exit hasn’t affected the Rebels so far, so it’s likely they’ll stay at 6 when the final bracket is unveiled.

7. Texas A&M. That loss to Texas in the finale deprived the Aggies of a shot at the SEC championship, but the rest of their combined achievements should ensure they won’t have fallen far enough to not host a game in the first round.

8. Oklahoma. One of the nation’s toughest defenses put the Sooners back in playoff contention with a late-season push, but we’ll see how well John Mateer and this offense is able to navigate once the postseason starts.

9. Notre Dame. We expect Alabama loses the SEC championship, allowing the Irish room to move up by one spot.

10. Alabama. Here is where we could see some controversy. There’s a chance the committee keeps the Tide in the bracket if they lose close against Georgia, especially after the selectors jumped Bama over the Irish in the last poll, signaling real confidence in them, win or lose.

But watch for Miami, which will move up in the rankings after BYU’s loss, and there’s a very good case that the Hurricanes deserve it more. Miami would have one fewer loss than Alabama, and that head-to-head win over Notre Dame, too. What do we think? If Georgia beats Alabama, Miami deserves it. The committee may think otherwise, using whatever argument they pick that day.

11. Virginia. James Madison fans are rooting against the Hoos in the ACC championship, because if Virginia loses to Duke, that could pave the way for the selectors to add a second Group of Five team, with JMU ready to take advantage. We still think Virginia beats Duke, though.

12. Tulane. A dominant defensive performance allowed the Green Wave to take out North Texas and win the American championship, and likely entrench their position as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

What the College Football Playoff bracket would look like

12 Tulane at 5 Oregon
Winner plays 4 Indiana

11 Virginia at 6 Ole Miss
Winner plays 3 Texas Tech

10 Alabama at 7 Texas A&M
Winner plays 2 Georgia

9 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma
Winner plays 1 Ohio State

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Nick Saban Calls for the Establishment of a College Football Commissioner

Published

on


Nick Saban might no longer be the coach of the most dominant program in college football, but his presence still looms large on the sport as a whole. In his new role with ESPN’s College GameDay over the past two years, Saban has branded himself as a voice of reason of sorts in the Wild West era of NIL, the playoffs, and this year, a wild coaching carousel.

On conference championship Saturday, Saban once again pitched that the sport needs some established leadership in a more formal role: a commissioner.

“I think that we need to have a commissioner who’s kind of over all the conferences, as well as a competition committee who sort of defines the rules of how we’re going to play the game. Because that’s what we don’t have right now,” Saban said.

“We used to have contracts, for coaches and for players, that defined what’s your academic responsibilities, when can you transfer, what’s your obligation to the school. We don’t have that now. And if you really don’t support that, you’re kind of supporting a little bit of anarchy, which we have right now. So I think having a commissioner, national commissioner, having a governing body, certainly would enhance [the game]. Because I do think that the College Football Playoff has kind of camouflaged some of these issues, because there’s so much interest in college football because of the playoff.”

The pitch for a college football commissioner is not exactly a new one, but the value of such a central figure for the sport has been highlighted by an overactive coaching carousel and an extremely tight race for the College Football Playoff.

FREE. SI College Football Newsletter. Get SI’s College Football Newsletter. dark

The college football schedule has come under scrutiny with multiple coaches set to take their team to the playoff but jump ship to a new team next year. Some of those coaches are getting the chance to coach out their run with their current schools, but Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss for LSU, is not.

A commissioner, along with in Saban’s pitch a central governing body, could establish a schedule that prevents schools from poaching coaches until the end of the current season. They could also potentially provide more direct guidance to schools as the NIL era continues to take shape before our eyes.

Somewhat ironically, Saban has been floated by many as the perfect man to take on the role of commissioner. Saban doesn’t seem interested, or at least isn’t currently advocating for the gig, but would be a pretty easy choice for any newly established central hub of leadership in the sport.

That said, one of the reasons a “commissioner” keeps getting floated as a potential solution to the current problems in college football is that the role is undefined enough to sound like it could make a difference.

While it’s easier to think that the issues of the calendar and the coaching carousel and NIL just came up out of the blue and their negative impacts on the sport are the result of a lack of a controlling body, they are actually the result of decisions, made by people who currently have power over said decisions, largely driven by dollars. Unless the hypothetical commissioner was given an inordinate amount of power, those problems won’t just disappear overnight.

That said, some might think that an inordinate amount of power in the hands of one benevolent figure who loves the sport may be preferable to that power being spread across varied hands with even more varied interests. For now, the idea of a commissioner of college football remains an interesting thought experiment, but if Saban wants to start campaigning for the gig, he’d certainly have a strong base of support.

More College Football from Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.





Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Georgia takes Missouri DE Damon Wilson to court for $390,000 in damages after transfer

Published

on


Georgia‘s athletic department is headed to court in a potentially precedent-setting legal effort to recoup approximately $390,000 in damages from former Bulldogs defensive end Damon Wilson, according to ESPN’s Dan Murphy. Wilson is Missouri‘s top pass rusher this season after transferring in from Georgia this past January.

Georgia filed a civil suit Nov. 19 requesting an Athens-Clarke County judge to compel Wilson into arbitration to settle a clause in an agreement he had with the Bulldogs’ team collective that effectively served as a buyout fee for exiting his NIL deal early when he transferred to Mizzou following the conclusion of last season. A copy of the lawsuit was obtained by On3‘s UGASports.com.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

Wilson played for the Bulldogs in 2023 and 2024, and signed a new NIL agreement with Georgia’s Classic City Collective two weeks prior to entering the NCAA Transfer Portal this past January. Through its collective, Georgia initially paid Wilson a total of $30,000 before his transfer, and now claims Wilson still owes the school a lump sum of $390,000 that was due within 30 days of his decision to leave the team, per ESPN.

The particular clause cited in Wilson’s deal with the Classic City Collective is for “liquidated damages” that many schools and collectives have inserted into their NIL agreements to both protect their investment in players and deter transfers, per ESPN. Georgia is believed to be among the first college athletic departments to publicly try to enforce the “liquidated damages” clause by filing suit against the player.

“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” Georgia athletics spokesman Steven Drummond told ESPN in a statement Friday afternoon.

Wilson signed a term sheet with the Classic City Collective in early December 2024, shortly before the Bulldogs’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame. Wilson’s 14-month contract with the collective was worth $500,000 to be distributed in monthly payments of $30,000 with two additional $40,000 bonus payments to be paid out in February and June 2025 once this past year’s transfer portal windows closed for remaining committed to Georgia, according to legal documents obtained by On3.

Wilson’s contract with Georgia’s collective reportedly dictated that should Wilson either withdraw from the team or enter the transfer portal during the term of the deal, he’d owe Classic City Collective a lump sum equal to the remaining money he would’ve received had he stayed with the Bulldogs through the length of the term sheet. The collective’s damages calculation does not include the two bonus payments that weren’t ultimately paid out. The Classic City Collective ultimately signed over the rights to those damages to Georgia’s athletic department on July 1 after most schools took over player payments following the June passing of the House Settlement.

Wilson leads Missouri with nine sacks this year and ranks third on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and 20 total tackles in his first season in Columbia. Wilson had 3.5 total sacks in two seasons at Georgia.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Predicting the College Football Playoff after Tulane wins the American title

Published

on


All that Tulane had to do was take down North Texas to win the American Conference championship, and it was all but assured a place in the College Football Playoff picture.

That they did, coming off a strong defensive performance to all but clinch what should be the highest position among Group of Five teams in the forthcoming CFP rankings as Selection Day draws near.

Coming into Championship Week, there was some newfound confusion around the final two seeds in the latest playoff bracket, with the committee leaving them blank as they await developments in the Group of Five and the ACC Championship Game.

With still plenty of football yet to be played this weekend, here is our latest projection for what the playoff field will look like after Tulane won the American title.

Predicting the College Football Playoff field after Tulane’s win

Predicting the College Football Playoff after Tulane wins American

Let’s take a shot at predicting the new College Football Playoff bracket after Tulane won the American. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

1. Ohio State. Our current projection is that the Buckeyes are able to stay undefeated and pass the test against perfect Indiana to win the Big Ten championship on the back of the top-ranked defense in college football and secure the No. 1 seed.

2. Georgia. Kirby Smart may be 1-7 against Alabama, but his defense could have a decisive advantage against a Crimson Tide offense that doesn’t look like its dominant self to win the SEC championship for a second-straight season.

3. Texas Tech. Arguably college football’s best defense, and inarguably the best in school history, should still have an edge against a BYU team it beat by 22 points a couple weeks ago, this time to win the Big 12 championship.

4. Indiana. The projected loss we foresee against the Buckeyes should be very close, within the narrow point spread, enough to stay tucked inside the top four for a team that has looked unstoppable and leads the nation in scoring margin this season.

5. Oregon. The one-loss Ducks should stay in the top-five, but behind the Indiana team that gave them that loss, by 10 points at Eugene earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU didn’t hurt the Rebels’ position in the rankings, and they should stay in the picture to host a first-round game.

7. Texas A&M. No shot at the SEC championship after that loss against rival Texas, but the Aggies have done enough to warrant hosting a first-round game.

8. Oklahoma. The Sooners, especially their smothering defense, made a statement in the latter half of the season to move into the right side of the playoff bracket.

9. Notre Dame. A loss by Alabama should enable the Irish to move up one spot, even if arguments still persist, and credibly so, that Miami might deserve it more given its head to head win over the Golden Domers and their comparable resumes.

10. Alabama. Despite there being other teams on the bubble that could have an argument — namely BYU, Miami, Texas, and Vanderbilt — the selectors will prefer the loser of the SEC Championship Game over them, provided it’s close to make that decision easier.

11. Virginia. James Madison fans are cheering for Duke to beat Virginia for the ACC championship, but that’s not a result we expect, allowing the Cavaliers to sneak in at the bottom of the field. If Duke does it, Tulane moves to 11 and James Madison to 12.

12. Tulane. An inspired defense and some help from a hapless North Texas offense allowed the Green Wave to win the American Conference championship to secure the highest position in the rankings by any Group of Five team.

What the College Football Playoff bracket could look like

Predicting the College Football Playoff after Tulane wins AAC title

A look at the latest College Football Playoff bracket prediction. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

First Round Games

12 Tulane at 5 Oregon
Winner plays 4 Indiana

11 Virginia at 6 Ole Miss
Winner plays 3 Texas Tech

10 Alabama at 7 Texas A&M
Winner plays 2 Georgia

9 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma
Winner plays 1 Ohio State

Read more from College Football HQ



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Ty Simpson vs Gunner Stockton: Stats, NIL, Head-to-Head Comparison Ahead of 2025 SEC Championship

Published

on


The 2025 SEC Championship will feature a showdown between two elite quarterbacks: Alabama Crimson Tide’s Ty Simpson vs Georgia Bulldogs’ Alabama Crimson Tide. Both have led their respective programs to this stage with elite play on the field, as evidenced by offensive numbers topping the SEC charts.

Let’s compare them on several fronts before the highly anticipated SEC showdown:

PFSN College Football Playoff Predictor
Dive into Try out PFSN’s FREE college football playoff predictor, where you can simulate every 2025-26 NFL season game and see who wins the National Championship!

Ty Simpson vs Gunner Stockton: Stats

Both quarterbacks have one thing in common. They both had to patiently wait for their time before getting the opportunity to lead the team right from the start of the season. Simpson used to back up Jalen Milroe, while Gunner Stockton had to play behind Carson Beck.

Player Passing Yards Passing TDs INTs Completion % (2025) QBR (2025)
Ty Simpson 3,056 25 4 65.8% (256-389) 79.5
Gunner Stockton 2,535 20 5 70.2% (231-329) 86.0

 

In terms of rushing, Simpson has rushed for 126 yards on 75 carries, including two touchdowns. On the other hand, Stockton seems a better rusher, as he has rushed for 403 yards on 103 carries, including eight touchdowns.

Ty Simpson vs Gunner Stockton: Head-to-Head Comparison

There is only one match where both quarterbacks dueled it out. It happened in the 2025 regular season, in which Simpson’s Alabama defeated Stockton’s Georgia 24-21. In that game, Stockton completed 13 of 20 passes for one touchdown. He also rushed for 22 yards on five carries. On the other hand, Simpson completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 12 yards on four carries, including one score.

Ty Simpson vs Gunner Stockton: NIL deals

Alabama’s Ty Simpson recently signed a high-profile NIL deal with Gatorade for 2025. He already has a diverse NIL portfolio, including deals with Hugo Boss, EA Sports, Raising Cane’s, Hollister, Panini and Topps. He is represented by “QB Reps.” According to On3, his NIL valuation is around $948,000.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton has signed NIL deals with CAVA, HEYDUDE footwear, Athens Area Humane Society, Associated Credit Union (ACU), and The Dairy Alliance (part of their “Milk’s Got Game” campaign). According to On3, his NIL valuation is around $524,000.

Read More News:

Fans Push Nick Saban As ‘Man for the Job’ As Ex Alabama HC Makes Bold CFB Commissioner Proposal

Netflix’s ‘Any Given Saturday’ Reveals Brian Kelly’s Behind-the-Scenes Pitch to Keep Garrett Nussmeier at LSU

$1.1M NIL-Valued Star Claps Back at HC Brian Kelly’s “Death Valley Jr.” Jab Ahead of Clemson vs LSU College Football Showdown

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college footballmen’s college basketballwomen’s college basketball, and college baseball!

 



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Champion of Westwood Again Supporting UCLA Football NIL Efforts

Published

on


UPDATE ON THE MATCHING CAMPAIGN (DETAILS BELOW): As of 10:02 a.m., total giving is at $38,755 from a total of 78 individuals, for an average of $496. 38% of the way to $100k by the press conference on Tuesday!

Champion of Westwood, a third-party media and branding agency run by Ken Graiwer that has helped UCLA baseball, softball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball (through subsidiary Men of Westwood), and more field competitive teams, is announcing today that it’s back in the UCLA football business.

“It’s an exciting time for UCLA football,” Graiwer told Bruin Report Online. “We are thrilled to once again partner with UCLA football student-athletes to find lucrative opportunities to use their name, image, and likeness, and help ensure that UCLA football can remain competitive in the world of collegiate roster building.”

Bruins for Life, which had been supporting UCLA’s NIL efforts in football, is transitioning to a third-party alumni group and mentorship program.

This announcement comes as UCLA ushers in a new era, with James Madison head coach Bob Chesney taking over as the UCLA head football coach. Attacking the Transfer Portal which opens in January will be one of Chesney’s first priorities, and to do so effectively, the program and its partners will need to have the funds to do so.

To jumpstart the Chesney era and UCLA’s NIL efforts, Champion of Westwood and BRO have partnered on a giving campaign, with a generous donor agreeing to match payments from BRO subscribers up to $200,000 — and there’s more. If BRO subscribers give at least $100,000 by the press conference introducing Chesney on Tuesday, December 9, the donor will match up to another $50,000. So, BRO subscribers have the opportunity to help contribute *half a million dollars* to UCLA’s NIL efforts in football.

As a further enticement, the first four people who give gifts of $25,000 or more will earn an exclusive opportunity for an all-expenses paid trip on a private jet with notable UCLA football alumni to an away game this coming season. The only condition is that the $25,000 must be given in full — it cannot be split up over a payment plan.

To give to Champion of Westwood, please use the form or link below.

If the form above does not work on your device, go here: Give to Football NIL Efforts



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending