As college athletics enters the revenue sharing era, some schools are testing athletes and agents with contracts that include eye-catching conditions. Last week, CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer reported that Florida State is making noise in college football circles for including unusual clauses in its contracts with athletes.

“One clause, which CBS Sports has seen a copy of, allows the team to extend a player at the end of their contract unilaterally without having to negotiate with the player,” Hummer wrote. “Another section on team rules — common in most NIL or rev share deals — includes a maximum $2,500 fine on the first offense if a player loses team equipment such as a pair of cleats. The max fine for using a controlled substance for the first time is $1,000.

“There’s another clause about things that would constitute a breach of contract. Among them is ‘illness or injury which is serious enough to affect the value of rights granted to the school.’ The way it’s written allows Florida State to renegotiate or even cancel a player’s contract at its discretion after any sort of injury — among other potential liquidated damages provisions included as part of the contract — including those that happen on the football field.”

Florida State is including these clauses to protect itself from any unforeseen threats in the revenue sharing era. After all, plenty of loopholes and unexpected issues related to NIL emerged during the past few years.

Alas, some people believe that Florida State’s attempt to get ahead of any future issues might hurt the program’s chances to land highly-touted prospects. On a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast, former NFL running back Mark Ingram questioned Florida State’s reported contracts.

“Players aren’t going to go there,” Ingram said. “For one, this contract gives Florida State way too much control over your future and your money. It exposes you to risk, injury, discipline, loss of leverage, all that. So if you’re a top player and you got Florida State on your visit, and they give you this, I’m sure there’s another university that’s going to give you better conditions and treat you like a partner and not an asset.

“If it’s me, I’m asking, ‘I need some time. Give me a copy of that. I need to review this.’ Then, when I see what’s actually happening in this contract, I’m coming back with some more player-friendly clauses in the deal… If you’re not willing to negotiate, institute the player-friendly clauses that I’m requesting, then I’m probably gonna leave and go to another school.”

After posting a 2-10 record last season, Florida State can’t afford any more setbacks. The Seminoles will kick off their 2025 campaign with a showdown against Alabama at 3:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30.

In the new era of college football, there are numerous sponsorships that go hand in hand with the game now. There are stadium names, NIL deals, and even coach-branded beverages. So, we decided to ask ChatGPT for its expertise in coming up with several completely fictional, and totally unserious, corporate sponsors for the South Carolina Gamecocks, for fun. And let’s be clear, these are fake and meant purely for laughs, straight from the AI’s brain, not a Gamecock marketing plan. No actual businesses were harmed in the making of this list.

So, let’s have some fun! Here we go!

1. LaNorris Sellers Real Estate
“He doesn’t just own the pocket — he owns Columbia.”

2. Cocky’s Chicken Emporium
“We don’t eat our mascot… we honor him, deliciously.”

3. Nyck Harbor Freight Tools
“Speed, strength, and savings — all under one roof.”

4. Shane Beamer’s Family BBQ Sauce
“Guaranteed to stick longer than a Georgia corner.”

5. SECured Lock Services
“We don’t just play defense. We are defense.”

6. Beamer Ball Batteries
“Powering fourth downs and fake punts since 2021.”

7. Columbia Traffic Solutions™
“We still can’t fix Bluff Road, but we believe in miracles.”

8. Dabo’s Denial Hotline
“Call now. The first excuse is free.”

9. Sandstorm Energy Drink
“Warning: May cause spontaneous towel-waving.”

10. Dabo’s Denial Hotline
“Call now. The first excuse is free.”

If we have learned anything from the NIL era of college football, branding knows no bounds. But until we see “Williams-Brice Stadium presented by Bojangles’ BoBerry Biscuits,” let’s just enjoy the chaos.

WATERVILLE, Maine (WABI) – Name, image and likeness have been in the headlines in recent years allowing college and high school to be paid. Some have used it as a platform for their passions.

“If you are passionate about something like curing cancer and you want to let people know and you want the world to know, we can go out and tell that story,” answered Founder and C.E.O. of Pliable Marketing Greg Glynn.

Pliable is an N.I.L. company allowing college and high school athletes from the around the country to brand themselves and tell their story.

Two of Greg’s athletes, Hannah Dukeman and Emma Eubank, softball players out of Indiana wanted to use N.I.L. for something else other than money.

“They had told me they wanted to cure childhood cancer,” recalled Greg. “They had raised over four thousand and five hundred dollars because they had created cleats that we put together that said #CureCancer.”

That’s where ‘The Magic Cleats’ came along. A children’s book Greg, along with his daughter Kelsey wrote about the story.

But also in the pages you can find spotlights on other female athletes branding themselves through N.I.L.

“I love seeing all the girls like Maddie Niles, Emma Eubank and Logan Hale and I love seeing them being able to help their communities too and what their passionate about,” said Kelsey.

Greg says it can be a book to inspire younger girls to see firsthand what’s possible. But don’t let the pictures fool you, it’s not just for kids.

“I think parents as well, I know the target audience is children but it’s a reminder to parents that enable your kids to do what they want to do,” commented Greg.

It’s stars like Mia Hamm from back in the day and now Caitlin Clark that have helped prop up the respect, coverage and recognition of women athletes and while Greg says the growth has been impressive, there’s still plenty of room to grow.

“We’re trying to go out there and help women realize that they can do amazing things,” said Greg. “This is not just about making all kinds of money, this is about building your brand and making sure that you are doing the things that you’re passionate about for you and what you want to do in your career and that’s going to lead to your success long-term. I know what’s coming for women’s sports and I know the passion that these women have. They are the underdog story and this story is far from over.”

If you want to check out the book for yourself, head on down to Oliver & Friends Bookshop in Waterville, through a quick Amazon search or head to the Pliable Marketing website here.

There will also be a book signing on August 2nd at Oliver & Friends.

Copyright 2025 WABI. All rights reserved.

Southern Methodist University is tapping into the widening nexus between sports and business, partnering with a financial tech company to offer money management options for student athletes.

SMU Athletics and financial tech company Scout will offer in-app finance management and investment assistance, Scout announced in a release. Name, image, likeness (NIL) deals have become increasingly commonplace, creating newfound wealth for student athletes fortunate enough to win large contracts.

“We ask our players to think long-term: to grow, to evolve, to prepare,” Head Football Coach Rhett Lashlee said in a statement. “This partnership is a perfect example of that mindset.”

Contract deals vary widely based on the athlete. But in some cases, big-name athletes are reaping deals of six ― and sometimes seven ― figures, as NIL agreements shake up college sports, minting riches for a new generation of players.

In an acknowledgment of how even professional athletes need wealth preservation skills, RISE Family Office hosted its annual symposium in Frisco last week, which is designed to give money tips to current and former players.

In partnership with Scout, SMU is signaling their long-term commitment to helping athletes and administrators navigate the business of sports – now and in the future.

Scout CEO Michael Haddix Jr., a former Division I basketball athlete and Columbia-educated investment banker, founded Scout with the mission of “helping today’s college athletes take control of the present and plan for a secure future.”

“We look at NIL differently at Scout – for us, it means Name, Image…Lifetime,” Haddix said.

Scout helps users navigate the fast-changing NIL landscape, offering in-app tools for revenue-share distribution, cap management, and personalized financial literacy training. SMU athletes will have access to a secure player wallet app for savings, tax withholding, and investment planning.

Team administrators benefit, too. Scout’s administrative portal allows SMU coaches to securely distribute athlete payments, model salary caps for teams, ensure compliance, and generate reports.

“This partnership with Scout puts the infrastructure in place to support our student-athletes in a dynamic, fast-changing NIL environment, not just for now, but for years to come,” Damon Evans, SMU’s Director of Athletics said.

Since its founding in 2014, Scout has partnered with the University of Tennessee, Iowa, Mississippi State, and Auburn University, among others.

And SMU is joining the fleet, ushering in a new era of student-athlete support as NIL continues to transform college athletics.

“At SMU, we’re not building for the moment – we’re building for the future,” Evans said.