NIL

As Deloitte's 'NIL Go' Draws Heat, Other Athletic Work Stays Low

Published

7 months ago

June 1, 2025

As Deloitte's 'NIL Go' Draws Heat, Other Athletic Work Stays Low

Last September, Deloitte and the University of Kansas announced a “first-of-its-kind” partnership between the consulting giant and a college athletic department.

The $200,000 deal was unveiled by KU months before Deloitte was publicly identified as the firm tasked with administering a digital clearinghouse for college athlete NIL deals, as stipulated in the pending House v. NCAA settlement.

Notably, the concept of such a clearinghouse was broached in a Wall Street Journal sponsored column in Jan. 2021—seven months before the NCAA ever adopted its interim NIL policy. The article, authored by three Deloitte principals and titled “Colleges Brace for New Student-Athlete Sponsor Rules,” envisioned “a clearinghouse for NIL payments with a means for estimating fair market value of NIL opportunities.” That vision is now close to becoming reality, with Deloitte set to play a central role in administering the athlete deal information center known as “NIL Go.”

With the settlement process having hit headwinds in its final stages, Deloitte’s prospective engagement in the NIL system is facing heightened scrutiny amid newly surfaced details.

At the same time, Deloitte’s other athletic department work has made little noise in the nine months since the KU partnership was announced.

For years, Deloitte has maintained an extensive presence in both the athletics and higher education sectors. However, the prospect of one arm of the firm specifically advising athletic departments on NIL issues while another plays a role in evaluating or adjudicating athlete NIL deals at those same schools raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

“Deloitte maintains a robust governance process and thoroughly vets all projects across a number of dimensions including potential conflicts,” a company spokesperson told Sportico in a statement. “Regarding this project, the new entity that will be stood up by the defendant conferences’ settlement implementation committee (pending the final approval for the settlement) will be responsible for the enforcement of its terms, including all decision-making pertaining to third-party NIL deals.”

An official with one of the defendant conferences told Sportico that there will be “bright lines” separating the firm’s consulting work from its clearinghouse duties—boundaries that will be clearly defined in Deloitte’s contract with the new enforcement entity, College Sports Commission LLC.

“There is a general expectation and verbal understanding that is the way this is going to get papered up and locked in,” said the conference official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity since the settlement has not been finalized.

Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the House plaintiffs, expressed confidence in the oversight mechanisms that will be in place.

“Deloitte must abide by the settlement terms, and all of its decisions will be subject to review through the neutral arbitration system—with respect to individual athletes—and by the court if it acts in a way contrary to the settlement agreement,” Berman said in a written statement. “We will monitor as class counsel.”

According to a person familiar with the situation, Deloitte’s “NIL Go” team includes several key figures: Tim Juravich, leader of the firm’s design-led products and engineering practice; Peter Woelflein, a senior manager with expertise in valuation services; Nicholas Eyer, a senior strategy manager in Deloitte’s sports and entertainment practice; Nick Fries, lead product manager at Deloitte Digital; and Kat Harwood, a leader in the firm’s sports industry practice. Overseeing Deloitte’s broader sports industry work is Pete Giorgio, who co-authored a 2021 Wall Street Journal sponsored column.

Deloitte’s advisory services for athletic departments are led by Caitlin Field Jacklin, who, according to her LinkedIn profile, was named the U.S. College Athletics Leader in Feb. 2024. While Jacklin’s résumé does not indicate prior direct experience in college athletics, she has a background in higher education consulting. She is joined by Sam Renault, a former NFL agent and former director of sports law and business at Arizona State University’s law school.

Based on their LinkedIn profiles, several others on the team bring firsthand experience as former college athletes: former LSU swimmers Angele Cherbonnier and Summer Spradly; Gib Versfeld, who played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins; Tyler Rudy, a former Georgetown and MLS soccer player; and Max Winters, who played baseball at William & Mary.

While Deloitte’s “NIL Go” and college sports consulting practices appear to each operate with distinct personnel, there has already been some overlap. For example, Harwood contributed to an eight-page white paper Deloitte published in January titled The New Era of College Athletics. Another contributor to that report was former University of Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, who retired in 2023. Reached by text, Barta said he was “thrilled to have been asked to assist Deloitte with its college sports practice,” but declined to elaborate on the nature or extent of his involvement.

To be sure, athletic department advisory services amount to a microdroplet in the revenue bucket of Deloitte, a global firm with $67.2 billion in annual revenue. And, so far, there’s been little indication that athletic departments are flocking to engage the firm’s services, even if it’s just to get in good with “NIL Go.”

“I look at it as an asset even though the two [services] are completely separate,” Collin Sexton, KU’s deputy athletic director and chief strategy officer, said in a telephone interview. “From a brand association (perspective) … what would preclude someone from wanting to be associated with Deloitte? To me it is only a potential benefit to have an expert in the commercial NIL space.”

Sexton said Kansas primarily was interested in seeking help in terms of House revenue-sharing, and wanted expertise outside the traditional rolodex of athletic department consultants.

“We figured we needed to take a deep dive into our business setup as a whole to see how we were set to take on a new $20 million line item every year,” said Sexton, referring to the maximum amount of combined revenue schools can share with athletes next year under the terms of the settlement.

Aside from Kansas, only one other university, Alabama A&M, has publicly announced retaining Deloitte for athletics-related work. In March, the SWAC school signed a $50,000 contract for two months of consulting that included hosting an “in-person strategy session” with AAMU staff to address “fundraising, NIL strategy, community engagement and competitive excellence.”

According to a statement of work obtained by Sportico, the project was led by ShaVonne Cammack, a Deloitte manager and Alabama A&M alumna who served as the university’s 2023 Founder’s Day speaker.

That same month, public records show East Carolina University entered an 18-month, $50,450 contract with Deloitte for consulting services related to its athletic department. The project, overseen by Renault, also included involvement from Game Plan founder and CEO Vin McCaffrey, a Deloitte consultant. In its request-for-proposal submission, Deloitte indicated its focus would be on financial modeling related to athlete compensation and sport-specific budget planning.

While the partnership was not formally announced by either ECU or Deloitte, Pirates athletic director Jon Gilbert told the university’s athletics and advancement committee in February that Deloitte was helping to develop a House-compliant revenue-sharing model for the school. An ECU athletics spokesperson declined to comment.

In September, Texas A&M paid Deloitte $99,000 for what appears to be, at least in part, athletic consulting work. A purchase order posted online shows the school retaining Jacklin, a Texas A&M graduate, alongside six other Deloitte employees, including Kat Ladd, McCaffrey, Rudy, and Maya Bordas—a former collegiate gymnast at Cal.

A Texas A&M spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Deloitte effectively signaled its entry into the intercollegiate athletics space last July by co-sponsoring the annual convention of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. A NACDA official confirmed that Deloitte will return as a sponsor for this year’s upcoming convention in Orlando.

“College sports is really, really unique … and incredibly complex,” Jacklin said in a sit-down interview with D1.ticker and Athletic DirectorU last summer. “What we do at Deloitte is bring together the depth and breadth of all the services that we offer all our clients across all industries—retail, banking, hospitality, travel.”

Jacklin added, “I really see our superpower being connecting all the dots across our specialties and disciplines.”

(Jacklin did not respond to repeated interview requests for this story.)

Around the same time, Jacklin moderated a one-hour webinar titled “The Current State of College Athletics,” featuring Washington AD Pat Chun and Baylor president Linda Livingstone, who also serves as chair of the NCAA Board of Governors. While both of their institutions have existing relationships with Deloitte, neither has contracted the firm for athletic department consulting work to date.

Deloitte’s entry into college sports consulting follows the move by Chicago-based Huron Consulting Group, a higher education and healthcare advisory firm which launched its collegiate athletics practice in 2023. Huron assembled a high-profile advisory team that included former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg, former Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour and longtime Duke AD Kevin White.

Sexton said Kansas had considered partnering with Huron before ultimately selecting Deloitte.

According to a person familiar with Deloitte’s collegiate sports strategy, the firm’s expanding presence in the space appears to be driven less by short-term revenue and more by long-term talent development, expanding upon initiatives like its “Student-Athlete Leadership Experience”—partially funded by the Deloitte Foundation—that offers career development opportunities for college athletes.

For now, Deloitte’s initial consulting work with athletic departments doesn’t appear to be aimed at securing immediate repeat business.

“We loved working with them,” said Sexton. “But the goal wasn’t to bring them back—hopefully, that won’t be necessary.”

NIL

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian rips NCAA’s player agent rules

Published

32 minutes ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian still has one more game to play in his 2025 season, but like every other program in the country, he has to recruit for 2026 and beyond at the same time.

That process has obviously changed now across all college athletics after the introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, which has turned recruiting into a financial game.

But one of the many holes in the system, at least in the eyes of Sarkisian, is the lack of regulation surrounding the agents these athletes hire to negotiate those NIL deals before heading off to school.

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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns holds Horns Up as he walks into the stadium before the SEC football game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 28, 2025, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire)

Before the Longhorns take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Sarkisian discussed that aspect of recruitment, suggesting some of the agents are not even qualified to be negotiating deals that could be millions.

“Which agent are you dealing with? There’s some agents who are rational and then there’s some where it’s their first time ever being an agent,” Sarkisian told reporters, per OnTexasFootball. “I don’t even know if they’re licensed to be agents, and all of a sudden, they get to be agents because we have no certification process in college football, where the NFL you have to be certified. In college football, it might be their college roommate their freshman year who’s their agent right now.”

Sarkisian was asked about what Texas is looking to do this offseason to replace some key players, including running back Quintrevion Wisner, who entered the transfer portal. Wisner made the announcement of the move this past Friday, joining CJ Baxter and Rickey Stewart Jr. as Texas running back transfers.

While Sarkisian explained how the team needs other be strategic, identifying what they need versus what they want, as well as looking at the “luxuries” they have on the roster, he also made sure to mention the high school recruiting class for 2026 that needs to be looked at.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns speaks during SEC Football Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Either way, Texas continues to peruse the transfer portal, and Sarkisian knows he’s going to have to continue having phone conversations with “agents” moving forward.

“Again, I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sarkisian said after reflecting on how financials have come into play when it comes to building a college roster. “We’ve just got to tighten it up. Hopefully, we can get there sooner rather than later, because again, I’m probably going to be on the phone with an agent today who’s going to throw a number at me that I’m going to be like, ‘Good luck, I hope you get it. If you don’t, call us back. But I can’t do that number.’”

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns on the field prior to a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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Unlike other lower-level programs, the University of Texas has some tremendous NIL funds to work with. In fact, the highest-paid NIL athlete in college football is their quarterback, Arch Manning, who will remain with the squad heading into 2026. He’s hoping to finish strong in his first bowl game start on New Year’s Eve.

Texas led the way with a massive NIL budget for the 2025 season, ranking higher than any team in college football at $22.2 million, according to 247 Sports.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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No. 1 college football team linked to underrated prospect in transfer portal

Published

1 hour ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Colorado finished a disappointing 2025 campaign after the program’s 2024 surge, falling to 3–9 (1–8 Big 12) one year after a 9–4 season and No. 23 final AP ranking under third-year head coach Deion Sanders.

Adding insult to injury, the Buffaloes are now set to lose numerous players, with 24 players expected to enter the transfer portal when the window opens on Friday.

The most surprising name on the list, however, is true freshman cornerback Noah King, who entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

King was a four-star prospect from Hamilton, Ohio, with 247Sports ranking him as the No. 26 cornerback in the 2025 class.

He arrived at Colorado in April 2025 after a brief enrollment at Kansas State, transferring just months after signing with the Wildcats on December 4, 2024.

Prior to his commitment to Kansas State, King held more than a dozen Power Four offers, including Kentucky, Nebraska, West Virginia, Marshall, and Oregon State.

With King set to test the market, multiple outlets have mentioned Indiana as a program monitoring his situation or viewed as a logical fit.

Indiana Hoosiers football team. — The Hoosiers celebrate after the Indiana versus Wiscsonsin football game at Memorial Stadium. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head coach Curt Cignetti has rapidly transformed Indiana since his hire on November 30, 2023.

In 2024, he engineered one of the program’s quickest turnarounds, delivering a then-program-record 11-win season, Indiana’s first College Football Playoff berth, and national coach-of-the-year recognition.

Building on that momentum, the Hoosiers completed an undefeated 13–0 regular season in 2025, captured the Big Ten title, and entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed — a rise fueled by targeted transfer additions, improved recruiting, and a physical, high-tempo identity Cignetti installed.

One of those transfer additions was Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Under Cignetti and Mendoza, Indiana now has a legitimate chance to compete for a national title, with a CFP quarterfinal matchup set for Thursday against No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl (4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN).

If the Hoosiers advance, they would face the winner of the No. 4 Texas Tech–No. 5 Oregon matchup in the CFP semifinals, with a potential national championship game on January 19 looming.

As an Ohio native, Bloomington represents a logical fit for King due to the Midwest pull, and after redshirting his first year at Colorado, he would have a clearer path to playing time.

Indiana’s recent success, defensive back development, and growing NFL attention make it an attractive landing spot for a young, highly recruited cornerback seeking to develop and compete for championships.

NIL

Ted Cruz warns of ‘utter tragedy’ if Congress fails to act on college football

Published

2 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Senator Ted Cruz is taking a break from the usual political discourse to sound the alarm on college football.

On Tuesday, he quote-tweeted a college football account, highlighting the massive roster challenges Iowa State is facing. According to the post, the team has only 17 players remaining for next season with just one returning starter after a coaching change.

“An absolute crisis. Congress NEEDS to act,” Cruz wrote on X/Twitter. “For months, I’ve been working night (and) day to try to bring Republicans and Democrats together to save college sports. If we fail to do so, it will be an utter tragedy. And it’s happening right before our eyes.”

Iowa State is trying to steady itself after Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in school history, left for Penn State. This has set off a chain reaction that has unraveled the roster.

Campbell’s departure has resulted in at least 36 players leaving, according to College Sports Network, including quarterback Rocco Becht and leading tackler Marcus Neal. The losses have left Iowa State focused less on postseason ambitions and more on simply staying afloat.

Now the job of rebuilding falls to Jimmy Rogers, hired away from Washington State on Dec. 5. Rogers is in the process of re-recruiting players and assembling a new staff.

Iowa State’s situation is becoming more common in today’s college football. The rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and constant coaching changes have made the sport unstable, with rosters changing almost overnight.

NIL refers to the ability of college athletes to earn money from endorsements, sponsorships, appearances, and other commercial uses of their personal brand.

Adopted nationwide in 2021, NIL allows athletes to profit without being paid directly by their schools for performance. While supporters see it as a long-overdue correction to amateurism, critics argue it has created an uneven, lightly regulated marketplace that has upended recruiting and competitive balance in college sports.

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College football transfer portal: Texas’ Steve Sarkisian calls out irrational agents

Published

3 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Constructing a college football roster is wildly different now than it was even three years ago, as the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing completely reshaped the way coaches and programs must operate.

There are plenty of teams that use the ability to (legally) pay players and the portal to their advantage, but the newness of everything related paying players and the lack of regulations in college football, due to the ever-weakening NCAA, created a number of challenges.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian detailed one major problem he hopes to see addressed after a reporter asked about how he approaches building through the portal. Texas doesn’t have much issue with investment or resources, but Sarkisian explained that the lack of a certification process for agents can lead to some absurd situations.

“I think it’s all so strategic, right? It’s one about need. It’s two about money and the cost and where’s the market and which agent you’re dealing with,” Sarkisian said. “There are some agents that are rational, and there are some agents that this is the first time ever being an agent — I don’t know if they are even licensed to be agents, but all of a sudden they get to be agents because we have no certification process in college football. In the NFL, you have to be certified. In college football, it may be their college roommate their freshman year who’s their agent right now, and this guy is throwing numbers at you and it’s like, we can’t even deal with this. Like, you just move on. It’s unfortunate. And we’ll get there in college football, but right now it’s a tough situation.”

Coaches complaining about NIL and the portal often amount to sour grapes, but Sarkisian’s point about the challenge of dealing with agents which have no previous experience or understanding of the market is a legitimate one.

That said, you have to wonder if this is fresh in Sarkisian’s mind due to any of Texas’ opt-outs, as they have 13 players who announced intentions to enter the transfer portal and won’t play in the Citrus Bowl. Among them are the Longhorns top three running backs, headlined by Tre Wisner, and their second-leading receiver, DeAndre Moore Jr.

Eventually one would think some governing body will emerge that can provide some form of regulations on that sort of thing and require certification to help everyone out — as players would be better served being represented by more professional agents. However, it’s not clear when that will happen as the fear of anti-trust litigation led the NCAA to await congressional action, which has yet to materialize in any meaningful way.

In the meantime, coaches and GMs will have to deal with the occasional green agent who asks the world, which even a program with seemingly endless resources like Texas has to laugh off.

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$1.4 million QB strongly linked to Big Ten program after decision to enter transfer portal

Published

4 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The college football transfer portal window opens soon with a flurry of high-profile movement expected across the country.

One of the most significant announcements comes from a veteran quarterback, with a reported $1.4 million valuation by On3, who declared his intention to seek a new home for his final senior campaign. This signal-caller brings a wealth of experience and production to the open market as teams look to solidify their rosters for 2026.

This prospect stands out as the most experienced returning starter in the Power 4 conferences with 39 career starts under his belt. He has accumulated 26 victories over the last three years and boasts 83 total touchdowns during his collegiate career. His decision to move on follows a challenging 2025 season where he battled through a partially torn labrum and an AC sprain while leading his team.

Speculation immediately centers on a reunion with his former head coach who recently departed for a prominent job in the Big Ten Conference. The two share a close relationship that could facilitate a quick transition to the new program in State College.

Analysts believe this connection makes the Nittany Lions a logical landing spot for the seasoned passer as he explores his options in a lucrative marketplace.

Quarterback Rocco Becht leaves Iowa State Cyclones to pursue new opportunities

Rocco Becht officially announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 20 through a social media post. The Iowa State Cyclones standout thanked the fanbase and the program before stating his desire to find a new destination for his final year of eligibility. Becht leaves Ames as one of the most productive players in school history and as the coach who guided the team to its first 11-win season in 2024.

His entry into the portal comes shortly after Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Campbell and Becht developed a strong bond during their time together in the Big 12 Conference.

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) finished his 2025 campaign with 2,584 yards and 24 total touchdowns. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Reports from ESPN’s Max Olson suggest Becht is a strong candidate to follow Campbell to Pennsylvania. However, the redshirt junior is expected to consider offers from other schools before finalizing his decision.

The market for experienced quarterbacks has grown expensive with top passers commanding deals in the $3 million to $4 million range. Becht offers a proven track record despite a statistically down year in 2025 caused by multiple injuries. He underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder recently to address a labrum issue that plagued him throughout the fall.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback threw for 2,584 yards and 24 touchdowns this past season while managing the physical setbacks. He ends his time at Iowa State with 9,274 passing yards and 64 passing touchdowns.

The NCAA transfer portal window will open for all players on Jan. 2.

Major college football program ‘targeting’ $2.4 million QB in transfer portal

Published

5 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Friday for all college football players seeking new programs to play for in 2026. The portal will stay open for the following two weeks.

Among the vast number of players who have entered the transfer portal, quarterbacks have received the most attention in recent weeks. No less than seven Power Four starters from the 2025 season are on the move, and there are a number of starters from the Group of Five ranks looking to move into the Power Four.

One Power Four starter on the move is Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his third school.

While Sorsby is an attractive starter candidate from the transfer portal, one of the strongest contenders lies within the Big 12.

The Athletic recently unveiled projections for each quarterback’s potential destination out of the transfer portal. One of the projections listed Sorsby transferring to Texas Tech in the 2026 offseason.

The Red Raiders are some of the most aggressive NIL spenders in college football, but they have seldom used the portal for a quarterback. Tyler Shough is the only quarterback Texas Tech has started from the portal under Joey McGuire, and he transferred to Louisville after suffering an injury and losing the job to Behren Morton.

Sorsby began his college football career at Indiana under Tom Allen in 2022. He redshirted that season, finishing 3-of-6 passing for eight yards and an interception in a blowout loss to Penn State.

The Hoosiers featured Sorsby in 10 games during the 2023 season. He passed for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Allen was fired by Indiana that offseason, so Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati.

Brendan Sorsby evades a tackle in Indiana's 2023 football game against Michigan State. — Indiana’s Brendan Sorsby (15) runs during the first half of the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Scott Satterfield immediately named Sorsby as the Bearcats’ starter in 2024. He compiled 2,813 pass yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 447 rush yards and nine rush touchdowns. Cincinnati finished the year 5-7, losing each of its last five games.

Sorsby accumulated 2,800 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and nine interceptions to go along with 580 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The 36 total touchdowns are the most in Cincinnati program history.

Since the portal opens on Jan. 2, Sorsby will not play in Cincinnati’s bowl game. The Bearcats (7-5, 5-4) will face Navy (10-2, 7-1) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN).