NIL

‘Paying for a Mismatch’: Analyst Breaks Down USC’s $10M Tight End Deal

USC’s latest recruiting coup has sent shockwaves through college football: the Trojans landed five-star tight end Mark Bowman, reportedly set to earn up to $10 million in NIL deals. The staggering figure, more commonly reserved for quarterbacks, has ignited debate—but analysts say USC is investing in more than just a position. They’re paying for a […]

Published

1 week ago

June 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

USC’s latest recruiting coup has sent shockwaves through college football: the Trojans landed five-star tight end Mark Bowman, reportedly set to earn up to $10 million in NIL deals.

The staggering figure, more commonly reserved for quarterbacks, has ignited debate—but analysts say USC is investing in more than just a position. They’re paying for a game-changing mismatch.

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Why USC Paid $10 Million For A Tight End

When news broke that Bowman, the nation’s top tight end, would be earning between $8 million and $10 million in NIL deals at USC, the reaction was swift and polarized. Critics questioned the wisdom—and fairness—of such an outlay for a non-quarterback, while rival fanbases accused USC of buying its way to the top.

Yet, as analyst J.D. PicKell explained, the investment is about much more than Bowman’s position.

“USC is not paying for a tight end,” PicKell said. “USC is paying for a mismatch in their game plan every single weekend… You’re not thinking about how much you’re paying Mark Bowman when he’s catching a game-winning touchdown against Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship… The mismatch part of it is awesome. That’s what you’re actually paying for.”

Bowman’s rare blend of size, speed, and versatility makes him a nightmare for defenses, precisely the kind of weapon head coach Lincoln Riley has built his offenses around. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 225 pounds, Bowman moves like a receiver but blocks like a lineman, drawing comparisons to NFL-bound stars. In his last season at Mater Dei, he hauled in 32 passes for 435 yards and eight touchdowns, proving his ability to impact both the passing and running game.

USC’s approach is as much about strategy as it is about spectacle. Riley’s offense thrives on creating mismatches, and Bowman’s skill set fits perfectly into a system designed to exploit defensive weaknesses with tempo, motion, and creative personnel packages.

The Trojans aren’t just buying a player—they’re securing a tactical advantage that could define the next era of USC football.

Beyond the Numbers: The New NIL Reality

The Bowman signing emphasizes a massive change in college football recruiting. Even among signings sparked by NIL, financial packages are becoming a central part of the pitch for elite talent.

Though the $10 million number is eye-popping, it’s also emblematic of the market’s new realities. Top programs use their resources and location — USC’s campus in Los Angeles is a big part of the pull — to sell athletes on exposure and the earning potential few schools can offer.

But money wasn’t the only factor in Bowman’s decision. USC’s proximity to his Southern California home, the prestige of playing for a historic program, and the chance to be a focal point in Riley’s high-powered offense weighed heavily. Other bluebloods like Georgia and Texas were in the mix with competitive offers, but USC’s holistic pitch proved decisive on and off the field.

But they have not been without controversy. Others fear that NIL-created recruiting disparities will widen the haves-and-have-nots gap, ruin team chemistry, and chip away at the establishment amateur ethos of sports at the college level.

KEEP READING: ‘It’s a Blessing to Carry That Legacy’: 5-Star Ohio State Commit Chris Henry Jr. Reflects on His Father’s Impact

But as PicKell and others say, this is just the new normal: programs must be aggressive and clever to get the sorts of difference-makers that can change the game.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!

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French league President accuses the NCAA of ‘looting’ talent with massive NIL deals

NIL deals are running rampant in the world of college sports. As it turns out, the interest is expanding overseas as universities target international players to come to their schools and play for their respective teams. Duke’s Dame Sarr and North Carolina’s Luka Bogavac are a couple of notable international players who are heading to […]

Published

7 minutes ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NIL deals are running rampant in the world of college sports.

As it turns out, the interest is expanding overseas as universities target international players to come to their schools and play for their respective teams.

Duke’s Dame Sarr and North Carolina’s Luka Bogavac are a couple of notable international players who are heading to the mainland to play at some of the top programs in college basketball.

As a result, Philippe Ausseur, the President of France’s National Basketball League, is not happy with universities making a run at international stars, per French reporter Yann Ohnana.

“Given the number of players approached, about fifteen of whom have signed up, we can call it looting. The colleges are casting their net wide, even in Pro B, and are dispossessing us of a certain number of our key players without us being able to react,” Ausseur said.

He also mentioned that the league has been aware of this trend, but the biggest shock was the massive amount in the reported deals.

“What took us by surprise were the amounts. We were expecting big contracts worth $350,000, but it’s $2 million…We were expecting half a dozen players to be approached, but it’s more than triple that…We’ve heard of agents trying to get clubs to sign certificates to demonstrate that their players are still amateurs. The situation remains unclear,” Ausseur said.

Ilias Kamardine is one French hoops star who decided to go and play for Ole Miss despite being a star in France.

With NIL expanding every year, it will become more and more difficult for other leagues to keep their players, especially with the cash flow they can receive and the exposure of playing at the college level.

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Steelers NFL draft prospect LaNorris Sellers passes up huge NIL deal

The top priority of the Pittsburgh Steelers scouting staff this college football season is to sort out what is already shaping up to be an elite quarterback class for the 2026 NFL draft. Thanks to the ridiculous nature of NIL money, the NFL now has another aspect of players to track and that’s their loyalty […]

Published

32 minutes ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

One of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft is LaNorris Sellers out of South Carolina. News came out about Sellers this week and thanks to some intervention by his dad, Sellers chose to pass up $8 million over two years in NIL money to stay. According to Sellers’ dad, there were multiple schools bidding for his services, but he showed maturity and loyalty by staying, which is a huge green flag for an NFL team.

From a football standpoint, Sellers is poised for a huge breakout season. His athleticism and mobility are already off the charts and as the season progressed, we saw his pocket presence and processing speed improve drastically down the stretch. Sellers and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik are my top two options for the Steelers and this move by Sellers just helps his case.

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James Franklin reveals potential change in who will run college football

As college athletics adjusts to the new status quo in the aftermath of the House Settlement, Penn State head coach James Franklin believes there is a new “entity” that will run college football. The Nittany Lions are coming off a record-breaking season under Franklin, who is entering his 12th season at the helm. Penn State […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As college athletics adjusts to the new status quo in the aftermath of the House Settlement, Penn State head coach James Franklin believes there is a new “entity” that will run college football.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a record-breaking season under Franklin, who is entering his 12th season at the helm.

Penn State had never won as many as 13 games in a single-season, something that was accomplished in 2024, along with the school’s first College Football Playoff appearance.

Competitiveness within the NIL space has been a key part in Penn State’s rise to national contention.

Behind Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan, the Nittany Lions are projected to spend $13.7 million in NIL funds to field its roster in 2025, the third-most in the conference and 11th nationally, per NCAA estimates.

The House Settlement brings a new process to NIL workings beginning July 1, as the new revenue sharing model will allow participating schools to allocate up to $20.5 million to athletes this year.

Additionally, the College Sports Commission’s NIL Go clearinghouse – ran by Deloitte – will be responsible for processing all NIL deals worth over $600.

Franklin believes that the new entity will extend to more than the NIL space and ultimately run college football.

“The way I kind of understand it is this is revenue sharing rules and NIL rules kind of are all under this umbrella,” Franklin said Wednesday on “The Triple Option.” “But I would also say that I really think it’s pretty much going to be everything. I think football is going to be run by this entity. I don’t want to use the term that we’re breaking away. But I think football is going to be run by this entity.”

“I think at the end of the day, everything is going to fall under this umbrella,” Franklin continued. “Because the reality is, right now, it’s going to be the Big Ten commissioner, the SEC commissioner, and this entity. People are going to get upset when I say that, but they’re going to be the ones running it and, obviously, other commissioners from other conferences are going to have a voice as well.”

Only time will tell if the new NIL parameters will be effective as planned. There are potential hurdles, such as state laws – like a bill recently introduced in Michigan – being passed to limit the commission’s authority.

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NIL and direct pay

The world of college sports is undergoing the biggest transformation in decades. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have opened the door for student-athletes to earn money through personal branding. Now, with the House v. NCAA settlement approved in June 2025, schools themselves will soon be allowed to directly pay athletes, with up to $20.5 […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The world of college sports is undergoing the biggest transformation in decades. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have opened the door for student-athletes to earn money through personal branding. Now, with the House v. NCAA settlement approved in June 2025, schools themselves will soon be allowed to directly pay athletes, with up to $20.5 million per school available each year. This means NIL is just one part of a broader, regulated compensation landscape.

Whether you are just starting your collegiate journey or already building your brand, here are six essential tips to help you navigate today’s NIL landscape and prepare for what comes next.

1. Understand what NIL is — and what it isn’t

NIL deals allow athletes to earn compensation through third-party activities such as endorsements, social media promotions, and public appearances. However, NIL is not the same as being paid to play. Athletes cannot receive compensation from a school based on athletic performance or for choosing a specific program. Instead, NIL deals must reflect fair market value for services tied to an athlete’s name, image, or likeness.

Beginning in July 2025, a new revenue stream will become available — direct payments from your school under the House settlement. These payments are separate from NIL and will be regulated under a different framework.

Tips:

New athletes: Focus on building your personal brand and understanding the value of your name, image, and likeness.
Seasoned athletes: Reevaluate your deals to ensure they are still aligned with your current market value.
Everyone: Understand that NIL and school-based pay are different, and each is governed by specific rules and oversight.

2. Be aware of endorsement restrictions

Not all NIL deals are permitted. State laws, NCAA rules, and school policies limit the industries athletes can partner with. Common restrictions prohibit NIL partnerships involving:

Alcohol, tobacco, or adult entertainment
Casinos, gambling, and sports betting
Controlled substances and firearms

Your school may also limit NIL deals that conflict with its existing partnerships, such as exclusive apparel providers.

Tips:

New athletes: Learn the rules that apply at your school and in your state before pursuing NIL opportunities.
Seasoned athletes: Stay up to date with any new regulations or restrictions, especially as oversight transitions to the new College Sports Commission.
Everyone: Always disclose NIL deals to your school and confirm compliance before signing.

3. Look beyond big sports for opportunities

Football and men’s basketball may dominate NIL headlines, but opportunities exist in every collegiate sport. Gymnastics, volleyball, swimming, and other sports have produced high-earning athletes, often due to their social media presence and consistent branding.

Tip:

Focus on building your presence and engaging with your audience. NIL rewards athletes who are authentic, creative, and consistent across platforms, regardless of their sport.

4. Prioritize professionalism

Athletic skills may get you noticed, but professionalism will determine your long-term success. Sponsors care about how you present yourself online, in public, and media. Poor decisions off the field can quickly harm your reputation and cost you current or future deals.

Tips:

New athletes: Look to established professionals in your sport and adopt habits that reflect maturity and responsibility.
Experienced athletes: Protect your brand by staying consistent and professional across every aspect of your NIL activities.
Everyone: Treat your NIL presence as a business because it is.

5. Secure professional representation

NIL agreements, tax implications, and school policies are complex. Without the right advisors, athletes can end up in risky or unfair contracts or miss important obligations that affect eligibility or earnings. Lawyers and sports agents can help draft fair contracts, ensure compliance with regulations, and protect your interests.

Tips:

New athletes: Talk to an experienced professional before entering into any NIL deal.
Seasoned athletes: Review existing contracts and structures with trusted advisors to ensure you are protected.
Everyone: Think of legal and financial support as a smart investment in your future.

6. Know the new rules: Direct pay is coming

Starting July 1, 2025, schools will be allowed to compensate athletes directly. Under the House settlement, up to $20.5 million per school per year will be available for athlete pay. This represents a major shift in how college athletics are structured.

Key changes include:

Roster limits will replace the traditional scholarship model with caps on team sizes (for example, football capped at 105 players) and potentially affect scholarship availability. Talk with your coach or compliance office to understand how these changes impact your spot.
NIL deals over $600 must be reported through a new national portal.
A new oversight body, the College Sports Commission, will handle compliance and enforcement rather than the NCAA.

Tips:

New athletes: Ask your school how it plans to implement the changes and what it means for your compensation and roster spot.
Seasoned athletes: Understand the difference between NIL and direct school pay so you can make informed decisions.
Everyone: Keep an eye on developments in employment law and Title IX as legal challenges continue to shape the future. Legal challenges around athlete employment status and Title IX are ongoing, so staying informed is critical.

The final whistle: Preparing for NIL success

NIL has changed the game, but now it is only one piece of a larger picture. As schools prepare to compensate athletes directly and new oversight takes effect, the business of college sports is evolving rapidly. Success in this environment requires more than just talent; it demands knowledge, professionalism, and support from experienced advisors.

NIL

Buss family to sell Lakers at $10 billion valuation to Dodgers owner Mark Walter

By Joe Vardon, Mike Vorkunov, Fabian Ardaya and Andy McCullough The Buss family has agreed in principle to sell the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, to financier Mark Walter in a deal that values the team at a global record $10 billion, league sources told The Athletic. […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Buss family to sell Lakers at $10 billion valuation to Dodgers owner Mark Walter

By Joe Vardon, Mike Vorkunov, Fabian Ardaya and Andy McCullough

The Buss family has agreed in principle to sell the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, to financier Mark Walter in a deal that values the team at a global record $10 billion, league sources told The Athletic.

“Mark Walter is entering into an agreement to acquire additional interests in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, of which he has been a stakeholder since 2021,” a spokesperson for Walter said in a statement to The Athletic.

The sale, which is not yet finalized, could eventually value the team at $12 billion, according to one source with knowledge of the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the transaction. That would be far more than the $6.1 billion valuation for the Boston Celtics when they were sold in March.

Even at the lower number, the sale would be the largest for any sports team, and it will affect not only how competitive the Lakers can be in the NBA, but also impact the other storied Los Angeles sports team for whom Walter is the controlling owner, the Dodgers.

Jeanie Buss, 63, will remain governor after the sale is complete, a league source said. Her father, Jerry Buss, purchased the Lakers in 1979, and the following year the Lakers were NBA champions, the first of 10 titles they would win under his ownership. With stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s helped reinvigorate the league’s popularity and made the franchise one of the most popular in sports.

Jeanie Buss has been team governor and controlling owner since 2017, four years after her father died and a legal dispute among his children was settled, allowing her to take control.

The pending sale was first reported by ESPN.

Walter, 65, is chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a global financial services firm with more than $325 billion in assets. He led the group that bought the Dodgers in 2012 for $2 billion. The franchise has won two World Series titles since and operated as one of the best organizations in professional sports.

Walter first took a stake in the Lakers in 2021 when he and Todd Boehly bought a 27 percent share of the franchise, then valued at about $5 billion, including a right of first negotiation, according to one source with knowledge of the deal.

Buss bought the Lakers for about $68 million from Jack Kent Cooke, the former owner, in a complex deal that also gave him the Los Angeles Kings and the Forum. The price of the Lakers has gone up drastically since then.

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships — second only to the Boston Celtics — and have at multiple points employed the “face” of the league, or a player so important professionally and culturally that he transcends any box score. From Wilt Chamberlain to Abdul-Jabbar to Johnson to Shaquille O’Neal to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, the Lakers added to that impressive list by trading for perennial MVP candidate Luka Dončić last February.

One of those legends, Johnson, who is part of the group with Walter that purchased the Dodgers, expressed his excitement about the Lakers sale.

“Laker fans should be (ecstatic),” Johnson posted to X. “A few things I can tell you about Mark — he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike.”

James, who is 40 and has played 22 seasons, is said to be comfortable with the sale, though he is nearing the end of his career.

Dončić, meanwhile, is 26 and eligible for a $229 million contract extension. While paying multiple players a maximum salary has never been an issue for the Lakers, spending outside of the roster occasionally has been problematic for a team with such a strong brand.

The Buss family fortune was largely tied to the Lakers, whereas most owners in the NBA today made their money outside of the sport. The Lakers have, in the past, been more frugal when it comes to paying coaches, front-office executives, buying draft picks in the second round and other ancillary but important functions for running a world-class organization.

“I’m really excited — now the Lakers will be able to spend like they should spend,” said one league source with ties to the franchise.

Walter’s group, Guggenheim Baseball Management, bought the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in 2012 from owner Frank McCourt, who had driven the club into bankruptcy. Walter outbid a $2 billion offer from Steve Cohen, the future owner of the New York Mets, to secure the club. The group was fronted by Johnson, with former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals executive Stan Kasten designated as the team president. The Guggenheim investors included film producer Peter Guber and Boehly.

Walter sunk millions into rebuilding the team’s roster, improving its internal infrastructure and renovating Dodger Stadium. The club has not missed the postseason under his guidance, with championships in 2020 and 2024. Along the way, Walter added more sports assets to his portfolio. In 2014, he purchased a stake in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. He owns the Professional Women’s Hockey League and has begun investing in motorsports.

“Speaking from (the perspective of) a Dodger employee, he’s very competitive,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they’ve already built with the Buss family.”

In 2021, Walter and Boehly added a stake in the Lakers. A year later, Walter joined a Boehly-led group, BlueCo, that overtook Chelsea F.C. The group also owns the French soccer club Strasbourg.

The Dodgers under Guggenheim’s management have seemingly taken their revenues to a different stratosphere with the acquisition of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal in December 2023, dramatically shifting their business opportunities abroad as they have opened their last two seasons in South Korea and Japan. They committed approximately $1.4 billion in new salaries in the same offseason when they signed Ohtani, and backed that up with a substantial investment this past winter. Their payroll has remained among the game’s highest, with an expected investment of nearly half a billion dollars in the 2025 Dodgers alone between payroll and expected luxury tax payments.

“Our business is very healthy,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this past November.

Ohtani signaled his desire to join the Dodgers was in part because of the ownership group’s investment and stability, attaching himself at the hip to Walter and Friedman through a “key man clause,” meaning that Ohtani could opt out of his deal if either left the organization. With Walter’s purchase of the Lakers, it appears he’s not leaving any time soon.

(Photo: Jevone Moore / Getty Images)

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Long

On June 6, 2025, the Northern District of California in House v. NCAA approved a landmark settlement deal allowing colleges and universities to pay their students directly for their participation in college athletics. The deal between the National Collegiate Athletic Association, its conferences, and lawyers representing NCAA Division I athletes marks another major shift in […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

On June 6, 2025, the Northern District of California in House v. NCAA approved a landmark settlement deal allowing colleges and universities to pay their students directly for their participation in college athletics. The deal between the National Collegiate Athletic Association, its conferences, and lawyers representing NCAA Division I athletes marks another major shift in the NCAA’s policies around the amateurism of student athletes and in their performance compensation. The settlement deal is already raising legal questions in the world of collegiate athletics.

Part of the impetus behind this settlement deal was to help the NCAA and colleges clarify rules around recent changes to name, image, and likeness (NIL) licensing. As we previously discussed, the NCAA allowed collegiate athletes to pursue and benefit from NIL licensing beginning in 2021, leading to an influx of athlete payments and substantially reshaping the landscape of college athletics.

There were an estimated $917 million worth of licensing deals signed by student athletes in the first year of the NIL rule change alone. In response, states have passed their own laws regulating NIL licensing for college athletes, resulting in an uneven patchwork of rules and regulations.

The settlement agreement establishes the College Sports Commission (CSC) with the intent to help standardize and enforce the approach to athlete payments, including NIL payments. The CSC will enforce the settlement agreement’s revenue-sharing provisions between schools and their athletes. Under this framework, schools may distribute up to 22% of their revenue from ticket sales, sponsorship revenue, and media rights, and these media rights include paying players directly for their own NIL rights.

Schools will be allotted $20.5 million of revenue per school and will be required to relinquish their right to sue the NCAA in the event of the dispute over these revenue-sharing policies through a membership or affiliation agreement with the CSC. Additionally, since athletes will still be permitted to license their NIL rights to third parties, the settlement agreement includes a new enforcement program that requires athletes to report any NIL payment over $600. These outside NIL deals will be required to go through a Deloitte-run clearinghouse, NIL-Go, which will help determine whether the deals are fair market value and represent a valid business purpose.

There are already efforts to challenge some of these new requirements. A group of female former student athletes have appealed the settlement in part because the settlement’s NIL revenue-sharing provision, which also applies to a $2.8 billion payout to collegiate athletes who were not able to earn NIL money before 2021, will allegedly result in female athletes being paid less than their male counterparts. The State of Tennessee has tried to obviate the law, inserting provisions in a bill that schools in the state and their affiliates can break the terms of their agreement with the CSC if they deem its restrictions to interfere with the school’s revenue distribution.

The above, and the changes to the structure of NIL rules via the revenue-sharing provision and creation of NIL-Go, will create new legal challenges for the NCAA, its conferences and universities, and its athletes. Even with those new uncertainties, it appears that now is the time to begin preparing for new restrictions to NIL deals and updating templates accordingly as the settlement agreement reverberates through the NCAA ecosystem.

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