Cameron Brink’s rookie contract with the Los Angeles Sparks is just one part of her growing financial portfolio. In addition to her salary, Brink has signed several notable endorsement deals with brands like New Balance and SKIMS, helping to increase her wealth. Exploring Cameron Brink’s LA Sparks Salary Brink, the number two overall pick of […]
Cameron Brink’s rookie contract with the Los Angeles Sparks is just one part of her growing financial portfolio.
In addition to her salary, Brink has signed several notable endorsement deals with brands like New Balance and SKIMS, helping to increase her wealth.
Exploring Cameron Brink’s LA Sparks Salary
Brink, the number two overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, signed a four-year rookie contract with the Sparks worth $338,056.
Her annual salaries under this contract tally up to $76,535 in 2024, $78,066 in 2025, $85,873 in 2026, and $97,582 in 2027.
Per Ryan Stano of SI , Sparks was more than comfortable with how her salary has been structured with the Sparks. She said, “That is good money. That is a salary that we work very hard for.”
Nicolas Vega of CNBC also mentioned that she saves most of her earnings to ensure a better lifestyle in the future. She saved 90% of her rookie earnings.
Brink said in the interview: “I would love to spend more, but I definitely know the importance of saving and putting away that nest egg for me later in life. You only play basketball for so long. I’m definitely trying to capitalize on the money I’m making now.”
Inside Brink’s Brand Endorsement Deals & Net Worth
Brink’s earnings are not entirely dependent on the WNBA. She has inked several brand deals to supplement her primary source of income.
Brink’s net worth is estimated to be around $2 million in 2025 per SI , reflecting her multifaceted career both on and off the basketball court.
In August 2023, she became the first-ever female basketball player to sign with New Balance. As part of that partnership, Brink has featured in several high-profile campaigns.
Her most notable campaign was for the NB Academy Collection, which includes the Hesi Low v2 sneakers . She also launched the Fresh Foam BB v3 basketball shoes during the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco.
She also collaborated with Urban Outfitters in September 2022 through an NIL partnership facilitated by the sports marketing NIL agency Postgame. The collaboration was part of their “Make Your Mark” back-to-school campaign, which had 29 NCAA Division I athletes from various sports and institutions, including Brink from Stanford Women’s Basketball.
During this campaign, she made a TikTok video with the caption “UO haul/ GRWM! Obsessed with these pieces and can’t wait to rock them this fall.”
She also partnered with SKIMS in 2024 as part of a multi-year collaboration between the brand and the WNBA.
Per On3’s Pete Nakos, she also inked an NIL deal with RITZ Crackers. She was among 16 elite college basketball players — eight men and eight women — selected to promote RITZ’s new Toasted Chips flavors: Sweet Habanero and Honey BBQ.
Late last year, she made an endorsement deal with Urban Decay and became their brand ambassador. She usually promotes their top-of-the-line products like the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and All Nighter Setting Spray.
Penn State's Jim Nachtman on College Athletics Video Staffs Finding Success in the Age of NIL
Last week, a federal ruling was settled which will allow athletic departments to pay student-athletes beginning July 1 Story Highlights The business of college athletics is changing, especially in light of the recent approval of a federal judge to allow (not require) schools to directly pay their athletes for the use of their name, image […]
Last week, a federal ruling was settled which will allow athletic departments to pay student-athletes beginning July 1
Story Highlights
The business of college athletics is changing, especially in light of the recent approval of a federal judge to allow (not require) schools to directly pay their athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). That means schools could be writing checks to student-athletes as soon as July 1.
What does that mean for those that produce video – both live and postproduction – within athletic departments? At the 2025 SVG College Summit, we spoke with Jim Nachtman Assistant Athletics Director – Live Video Productions, Broadcasting, & Sport Administrator at Penn State University, to learn how the Nittany Lions are approaching NIL and finding ways to generate opportunities for student-athletes and revenue for the athletic department.
NOTE: This interview was recorded on May 28, prior to the announcement of the House settlement.
ESPN predicts SEC order of finish for 2025 college football season
The 2025 college football season is only a few months away now. With that, ESPN has predicted the order of finish across the SEC. ESPN’s FPI metric, which is used to measure team strength and is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance throughout the season, was what ESPN leaned on for […]
The 2025 college football season is only a few months away now. With that, ESPN has predicted the order of finish across the SEC.
ESPN’s FPI metric, which is used to measure team strength and is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance throughout the season, was what ESPN leaned on for these predictions. It assigned each SEC team a percent chance to win the conference and then ranked them based on that.
The SEC is a conference that expects to get multiple teams to the College Football Playoff. So, being at the top of the conference and competitive is an indicator that teams could be national championship contenders. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at ESPN’s order of finish prediction for the SEC.
The Texas Longhorns made a statement in their first season in the SEC, going to the SEC Championship and their second straight College Football Playoff. There, they’d fall short and lose the SEC Championship to Georgia before getting knocked out of the CFP by Ohio State. Still, expectations are clearly high for the Longhorns going into the 2025 season.
Much of those expectations come from new starting quarterback Arch Manning. After two seasons of primarily being the backup to Quinn Ewers, the former five-star recruit and top-rated prospect is going to get his chance to run the offense. Along with an incredibly talented team around him, it’s not a surprise expectations are high in Austin.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate with the trophy after defeating the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Georgia Bulldogs return as the defending SEC Champions from last season. It was their third conference title since head coach Kirby Smart took over and their fourth straight appearance in the SEC Championship Game. From there, they earned a bye to the College Football Playoff before getting bumped out in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame.
Next season, expectations are high once again for Georgia. The roster is still incredibly talented from top to bottom, but particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The only major question for Smart and the Bulldogs has become the quarterback position. There, it’s an open battle for the starting job to replace Carson Beck, who transferred out of the school.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are heading into their second season under head coach Kalen DeBoer. He’d go 9-4 in his first season there with some massive highs, like beating eventual SEC Champion Georgia, and some lows, like tough losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma on the road. Those losses were enough to keep the Crimson Tide on the outside looking in at the CFP.
Now, two years removed from the Nick Saban era, the Crimson Tide are going to continue to take on Kalen DeBoer’s image. A major part of that is, again, the change in quarterback. Jalen Milroe is on to the NFL, opening up a quarterback competition that appears to be led by Ty Simpson. Making the right choice there is going to go a massive way in figuring out the 2025 season.
In 2024, the Texas A&M Aggies exceeded most expectations. It was the first season for head coach Mike Elko in College Station. Under him, the Aggies would go 8-5 but were competitive for the SEC late in the season. However, only winning one out of their five final games ended up costing the Aggies.
The goal in year two for Elko is to avoid a similar late season collapse. Solidifying the quarterback position, which Marcel Reed is expected to lead, is going to be key. He’s hoping to break out after a solid 2024 campaign. That, along with a defense ready to take a step forward, should help get Texas A&M back to the top of the conference standings.
The Tennessee Volunteers have found consistent success under head coach Josh Heupel that the program had gone a long time without. That saw the Volunteers go to the CFP in 2024, after winning double-digit games for the second time in three seasons. Now, the next goal has to be winning the SEC for the first time since 1998.
Of course, perhaps no SEC team had as dramatic an offseason as Tennessee. Last season’s starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, and the school had a standoff over NIL that ended with his transfer to UCLA. That, ironically, led to Tennessee bringing in former UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar. It’s a difficult spot to be in, especially with plenty of other roster turnover, but the Volunteers still have good odds to win the conference from ESPN.
When the LSU Tigers hired Brian Kelly, it was to win SEC Championships and go to the College Football Playoff. That hasn’t happened yet in three previous seasons with the program. 2024 saw the Tigers end up going 9-4, the worst season they’ve had by record since Kelly got to Baton Rouge. Still, there is hope that LSU can compete again in 2025.
One of the biggest strengths for LSU in 2025 is that, among the teams toward the top of ESPN’s predicted order of finish, they’re returning a veteran quarterback. Garrett Nussmeier threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. If he can clean up the 12 interceptions, he’s expected to be a Heisman contender and potentially a top draft pick. With talent all over the roster, the Tigers will go however far he takes them.
Since getting to Oxford, head coach Lane Kiffin has had Ole Miss consistently competitive. That’s included double-digit win seasons in three of the last four years. Still, they haven’t yet played for the SEC Championship under Kiffin. Ole Miss, as a program, hasn’t even won the conference since 1963. So, it’s been a long time coming to try and win the next one.
Quarterback isn’t often a concern under Kiffin given his offensive pedigree. At the same time, it’s a question for Ole Miss again in 2025 with Jaxson Dart moving on to the NFL. Austin Simmons is going to be the presumed starter next season, and if he takes over in stride, there’s enough talent around him to be competitive. Growing pains, however, could lead to issues in the incredibly talented SEC.
The Auburn Tigers have been an interesting team since the end of the Gus Malzahn era. First, the program turned to Bryan Harsin, but after a disastrous and brief tenure, they turned the reigns over to Hugh Freeze for a rebuild. Through two seasons, it’s been a slow rebuild, going 11-14 and having trouble getting the offense going.
Recruiting has been good under Freeze, both in the portal and high school ranks. So, going into year three, there is an expectation that the Tigers are able to take another step forward. A major part of that is going to, of course, fall on the shoulders of quarterback Jackson Arnold. Once a highly-touted recruit, he transferred from Oklahoma following a difficult season in 2024, looking to rejuvenate his career.
The South Carolina Gamecocks found themselves on the edge of the College Football Playoff last season. That was on the back of an excellent defensive line and a breakout season for quarterback LaNorris Sellers. With that, expectations are high from fans to be competitive in the SEC next season and maybe even make it to their first Playoff.
Expectations are high now, though, and they won’t be catching anyone by surprise. So, the Gamecocks not only need to live up to those, they’re going to need to do it while getting everyone’s best shot. Much of that is going to come down to if the incoming transfers complement the roster well enough to meet those expectations.
It was a difficult first season in the SEC for Oklahoma. Despite some positives, particularly late in the season, it was a frustrating year. The offense, in particular, struggled, benching Jackson Arnold and trying to go a new direction on that side of the ball. Things never fully clicked, though, and a program that expects to be Playoff caliber will be looking for better in 2025.
Head coach Brent Venables completely redid the offensive side of the ball. New offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is bringing his own quarterback, John Mateer. How those two handle the transition will be massive. It’s also important that, as head coach Brent Venables goes back to calling plays defensively, they’re able to balance that focus throughout games.
Photo by Doug Engle / USA TODAY Sports
Going into the 2024 season, Florida head coach Billy Napier was firmly on the hot seat. Then, throughout the season, the Gators showed plenty of improvement, especially when quarterback DJ Lagway took over. Things still weren’t perfect by any means, but it was enough to get another season.
There aren’t real expectations for the Gators to compete for an SEC Championship in 2025. There are, however, expectations they take another step forward with DJ Lagway at quarterback for the Gators. Around him, there’s plenty of question marks. Florida is a young team, after all. Still, they’ve recruited well and have plenty of raw talent.
The Missouri Tigers have often caught teams by surprise in recent seasons. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has now won double-digit games two seasons in a row. That’s made them competitive in the SEC, though it’s obvious that ESPN is predicting them to take a bit of a step back in 2025.
The Tigers are going to be leaning on some transfers next season. At quarterback, Beau Pribula comes in from Penn State. Then, running back Ahmad Hardy is coming over from ULM. Both seem to fit the system well but come with question marks. Answer those, and Missouri could be competitive again.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming off a 7-6 season. The challenge is that the Razorbacks can’t afford to take a step back from that mark in the SEC, which has depth that is incredibly difficult to compete against week in and week out. Otherwise, head coach Sam Pittman could be looking at a potential spot on the hot seat.
The major concern for Arkansas is the offensive line. That unit hasn’t given the solid skill players time or the ability to properly run the offense. Without fixing that, it’s going to be a long and difficult season. However, if they do fix that, then the Razorbacks have the ability to surprise some folks.
Mark Stoops – Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops is now the longest-tenured coach in the SEC. That comes as he failed to lead the Wildcats to a bowl game in 2024 for the first time since 2015. That came amid some offensive issues that they’ll need to address to bounce back in 2025.
Kentucky once again hit the portal for its next quarterback, bringing in Zach Calzada. He has experience and SEC experience but wasn’t great in his time at this level. The Wildcats will need him to be a success, but they’ll also need help in several other key spots. Part of that is getting more physical. Otherwise, it seems like a tough spot to be in.
Vanderbilt is very rarely predicted to win the SEC. Still, coming off a 7-6 season and their first bowl game since 2018, the vibes are good in Nashville. That was a magical season at times under quarterback Diego Pavia, particularly in their upset over Alabama.
Pavia has received a waiver to return in 2025 and hopes to continue some of that magic next year. He’s a special player to rally around, but will definitely need some help. In particular, some help along the line of scrimmage would go a long way to getting the Commodores back to a bowl game.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs round out ESPN’s predictions for the SEC, coming in at 16th. That came after they went 2-10 in their first season under head coach Jeff Lebby. It’s a complete rebuild in Starkville, and clearly, ESPN thinks it’s going to take a little while to get more competitive. Still, last place is a difficult place to land.
The hope is Blake Shapen can be healthy and help lead the offense, which he flashed the ability to do in 2024 before his injury. Still, they got hit hard by the portal this offseason, and are thin at wide receiver and across the defense. It’s going to be hard to make up for all that they’re missing along the roster in the conference they play in.
Cal Poly Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman announces retirement
After 14 years serving as Director of Athletics at Cal Poly, Don Oberhelman announced his retirement on Monday, according to a university-wide email. He will stay on as Director of Athletics until the end of summer or when a new hire is made. In his time, Oberhelman saw success in student-athlete graduation rate as well […]
After 14 years serving as Director of Athletics at Cal Poly, Don Oberhelman announced his retirement on Monday, according to a university-wide email.
He will stay on as Director of Athletics until the end of summer or when a new hire is made.
In his time, Oberhelman saw success in student-athlete graduation rate as well as on the playing field. Last year, the athletic department saw a 93% graduation rate, over a 20% improvement from 2011.
“We will certainly miss Don, but please join me in thanking Don for his years of outstanding service and in wishing him and his wife, D.D., a long, well-earned, and enjoyable retirement,” said President Jeffrey Armstrong in the email.
Oberhelman departs Cal Poly and college athletics during a time of dramatic overhaul in the NCAA, with players allowed to make money off their name, image, and likeness, as well as enjoy freedom of movement through the transfer portal, which enables them to move between institutions.
The athletic department will also face fiscal challenges, including the House v. NCAA settlement, which was approved on Friday, as well as Cal State University budget cuts. The financial hardships led the university to cut the swim and dive team at the end of the 2024-2025 season.
The team needs to reach $15 million by June 15 in order to be reinstated.
Oberhelman was named Cal Poly’s Director of Athletics on March 17, 2011, after arriving from San Diego State, where he served as Senior Associate Athletic Director.
In his early years at Cal Poly, men’s and women’s basketball made their first NCAA Tournament appearances, baseball earned a No. 1 national ranking and football won a Big Sky Conference Championship.
Mustang News speaking with Oberhelman at Baggett Stadium in early 2025. Mark Robinson / Mustang News
In recent seasons, Cal Poly has achieved success across its 20 sports programs. Beach Volleyball reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament two consecutive years. Cross country and track and field secured multiple Big West Championships in the fall and spring. Men’s soccer won the Big West regular season title in 2024. Men’s and women’s basketball have seen a resurgence after new coaching hires. Baseball won the Big West Championship and won two games in the NCAA Tournament this past spring.
Cal Poly earned its first Big West Commissioner’s Cup in 2024. The cup recognizes the program with the highest degree of success in all men’s and women’s sports during the academic year. The Mustangs set a record for most points in the race with 149.4.
Overall, Cal Poly has won 54 conference championships, including 51 in Cal Poly’s 16 Big West-sponsored sports — the most out of all Big West universities in that span.
During Oberhelman’s tenure, the athletic department completed numerous facility upgrades, including the Baggett Stadium clubhouse, Doerr Family Field, Comerford Pavilion and Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. The John Madden Football Center is currently under construction but will be finished within the next year.
“Don has embraced the Cal Poly hallmark of continued improvement and leaves our Athletics program significantly enhanced from the day he arrived,” said Armstrong in the email.
Cal Poly also renovated eight locker rooms, Mott Athletic Center’s Hall of Fame, two weight rooms and the Miller-Capriotti Track Complex. Oberhelman also focused on improving Cal Poly’s production, with a state-of-the-art ESPN+ studio, an improved Hoffman Press Box and seven video boards.
Challenges in the NCAA
However, one challenge Oberhelman and the athletic department have dealt with is the numerous changes in college athletics and the NCAA. Oberhelman himself has been critical of the current state.
“I’m disappointed with where we are,” he told Mustang News in an interview during winter. “I’m disappointed in my colleagues. I’m disappointed in our leadership. We used to think about Division I as a collective product, like we’re all in this together. We make rules together. We know we need people to compete against. Somewhere along the way, we stop thinking about ourselves as a collective product and more as an individual product.”
Since the pandemic, the NCAA altered its rules and practices around the transfer portal, players earning money off their name, image and likeness and governance structure.
More change is on the way. On Friday, the long-awaited House v. NCAA settlement was approved by Judge Claudia Wilkins in Northern California.
The groundbreaking settlement will allow universities to directly pay student-athletes the revenue that they generate. It also removed scholarship limits on sports and instead set roster limits for every sport.
Cal Poly recently established its Players Trust, which will capitalize on the freedom universities now have to increase the number of scholarships and offer supplemental scholarship opportunities.
“It’s actually an opportunity for us to maybe even get better,” said Oberhelman in a recent interview with Mustang News. “It’s not just about keeping up, because I think that’s the way a lot of schools are looking at it. I think for us, it’s an opportunity to improve our standing because we do have those people in our community who want to see us get better.”
Cal Poly Athletics has seen recent success in the new era of college athletics, winning multiple Big West titles in the 2024-25 season. Mark Robinson / Mustang News
One point of contention in the settlement between the attorneys and the judge was the introduction of roster limits instead of scholarship limits. Previously, teams could carry as many student-athletes they desired, but had a limited amount of scholarships to distribute.
Wilkins threatened to shut down the settlement unless both sides addressed her concerns. In the end, Wilkins agreed to the “phase-in” of roster limits. Student-athletes who had their position cut due to the settlement will be eligible for reinstatement based on their schools’ discretion. It also allows athletes who leave their school to transfer and keep their phase-in status at a different institution.
However, there are major financial ramifications to the settlement. The class action lawsuit will pay $2.8 billion to student-athletes from 2016-2021 who were prevented from making money off their name, image and likeness due to NCAA rules.
Cal Poly estimates they will lose approximately $550,000 per year for the next 12 years in revenue from the NCAA.
The House settlement, along with budget cuts in the CSU system and the large number of athletic programs, led to Oberhelman’s decision to cut the Swim and Dive team.
“It’s painful,” said Oberhelman in a video on the Cal Poly Athletics YouTube discussing the winter sports season. “It causes anger and a lot of misdirected rage and things like that. It’s an awful situation to go through, but we didn’t go into it lightly.”
A national search will begin immediately to find Oberhelman’s replacement.
Brown, Milam drive in 4 runs each, LSU beats West Virginia 12-5 to clinch 20th CWS berth
Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jake Brown hit a home run and had four RBIs, Steven Milam had two doubles and also drove in four runs and LSU beat West Virginia 12-5 on Sunday night to sweep the best-of-three Baton Rouge Super Regional. No. 6 seed LSU (48-15) clinched the program’s 20th berth […]
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jake Brown hit a home run and had four RBIs, Steven Milam had two doubles and also drove in four runs and LSU beat West Virginia 12-5 on Sunday night to sweep the best-of-three Baton Rouge Super Regional.
No. 6 seed LSU (48-15) clinched the program’s 20th berth in the College World Series, where the Tigers will try to win their eighth national championship — all since 1991, the most recent in 2023.
Derek Curiel led off the game with a double and scored to make it 1-0 when Brown reached on a fielder’s choice in the first inning and the Tigers led the rest of the way.
Anthony Eyanson (11-2) gave up four runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.
Chris Stanfield, Curiel and Ethan Frey each drew a two-out walk to load the bases before Milam cleared the bases with a double off starter Jack Kartsonas (6-4) to spark a five-run second that made it 6-0.
After Jace Rinehart hit a two-out solo shot and pinch-hitter Chase Swain drew a walk, Chase Shores came on a struck out Brodie Kresser swinging to end the eighth and the pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Sam White hit a leadoff homer and Ben Lumsden added a two-run shot in the fourth before White added an RBI single in the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-4.
Stanfield hit a two-RBI single to spark a six-run seventh, capped when Brown’s two-run home run gave LSU an eight-run lead.
Milam and Josh Pearson each hit a grand slam as LSU beat the Mountaineers 16-9 in Game 1 on Saturday.
West Virginia (44-16) set the program’s single-season record for wins under first-year coach Steve Sabins. The Mountains advanced to their first-ever super regional last season.
The game had originally been scheduled for 5:06 p.m. local time but was delayed approximately three hours due to inclement weather in the area.
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
Ohio State launches new group to support NIL opportunities
The university’s Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have formed the Buckeye Sports Group. COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University announced it’s launching a new strategic group that’s designed to support, streamline and enhance Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for student-athletes. The university’s Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports […]
The university’s Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have formed the Buckeye Sports Group.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University announced it’s launching a new strategic group that’s designed to support, streamline and enhance Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for student-athletes.
The university’s Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have formed the Buckeye Sports Group, according to a release.
“By creating a dedicated team of NIL leaders, this strategic partnership will empower Buckeye student-athletes to maximize their brand value while competing at the highest level,” the university says.
The announcement comes after a federal judge approved the terms of a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement last week, which will allow schools to directly pay players through licensing deals.
Ohio State says a key part of the settlement is the implementation of a Fair Mark Evaluation process and a “range of compensation” designed to establish standardized benchmarks for NIL deals across sports and institutions. The Buckeye Sports Group intends to serve as a centralized hub for NIL brand deal facilitation, corporate partnerships, student-athlete storytelling and NIL support.
The Buckeye Sports Group will have access to Learfield’s Compass NIL technology to facilitate deal transactions and gain insights into student-athlete interests.
The group will support Ohio State student-athletes with a focus on three areas: deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling and support services.
“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Ohio State’s Deputy Director of Athletics Carey Hoyt. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”
In a move to streamline and optimize NIL operations, the group will work to consolidate existing NIL collectives under a single marketing team. The founding members of THE Foundation and The 1870 Society, two existing NIL collectives, will remain engaged and serve in an advisory capacity to the new group.
“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork said. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”
This story was updated with new information. Ohio State has announced the formation of a new in-house entity to handle the bulk of name, image and likeness opportunities for its athletes. Buckeye Sports Group will become the primary NIL group serving Ohio State athletes. It will be run jointly by the school’s athletic department and […]
Ohio State has announced the formation of a new in-house entity to handle the bulk of name, image and likeness opportunities for its athletes.
Buckeye Sports Group will become the primary NIL group serving Ohio State athletes. It will be run jointly by the school’s athletic department and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties and help to facilitate endorsement deals on behalf of athletes.
Buckeye Sports Group will replace THE Foundation and The 1870 Society collectives as Ohio State’s major fundraising entity for NIL. According to an OSU press release, founding members of those donor-funded collectives will serve in an advisory capacity to Buckeye Sports Group. OSU said that recurring donations and subscriptions made to The Foundation will continue in a fundraising role to support OSU athletics.
More: Ohio State football lands commitment from Delaware Hayes running back Favour Akih
“What we want from folks who have been involved in our collectives is their support and connections in the business community,” athletic director Ross Bjork told The Dispatch. “Even though the mechanism of a collective will not exist, the relationships will, and the people who have been involved in those will connect us with businesses, either directly or indirectly, through introductions.
“We’ll have an advisory board of people who have been involved in the past, and we’ll tap into their resources and relationships to make sure that we stay at the forefront of all of this.”
“We’re still going to be involved, and donations to us will still help the new group,” a board member from THE Foundation told The Dispatch.
A representative with The 1870 Society could not be immediately reached for comment.
The formation of Buckeye Sports Group comes three days after a federal judge approved a settlement of three federal antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA. Member schools will be allowed to distribute $20.5 million to their athletes in the upcoming academic year.
More: Former NFL, Ohio State DE Jim Marshall ran wrong way, lived right way − full of gusto
Bjork said the Buckeyes will reserve $18 million for direct payment to players for the use of their NIL. The remainder will be used to fund 91 new scholarships across OSU’s 36 varsity sports.
Buy Ohio State posters, books, gear from CFP title win
In a statement announcing the new entity, Bjork said Ohio State was “incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes.”
The collectives have been a critical part of the school’s NIL infrastructure in previous years, contributing funds for athletes. During the 2023-24 academic year, football players earned around $20 million in NIL deals, which included arrangements with the collectives, according to Bjork.
But it’s expected that collectives across the landscape will see greater scrutiny in the aftermath of the settlement as third-party deals exceeding $600 are subject to approval through a clearinghouse established by an enforcement arm known as the College Sports Commission.
“The collective model of just paying an athlete, because they have a contract without any quid-pro quo, without any obligations, that model cannot go forward because you have to have a valid business purpose,” Bjork said. “It has to meet a range of compensation through the system, and based on current analysis, current collective deals don’t have a valid business purpose, and they may not meet a range of compensation. That’s why the system is being built.”
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts.
‘Up to the WOLVES TO CAPITALIZE off Steph Curry’s injury ‘ – McNutt | Get Up
