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

NIL

Washington Huskies charge forward with new NIL rules in place

SEATTLE — The college sports world has very much changed and has done so in a very quick timeframe. If you told someone in, say, 2020, that the Pac-12 would be a shell of its former self and the Big Ten would stretch from coast to coast, even the most hardened college football fans would […]

Published

on

Washington Huskies charge forward with new NIL rules in place

The college sports world has very much changed and has done so in a very quick timeframe.

If you told someone in, say, 2020, that the Pac-12 would be a shell of its former self and the Big Ten would stretch from coast to coast, even the most hardened college football fans would have a hard time believing it.

But here we are.

A lot of the changes have been ushered in by name, image and likeness, which has finally gotten athletes paid for their work on the field, but still needed some fine-tuning.

Certainly, it was overdue for some compensation to come the players’ way, but as many coaches told me the last couple years it was like the “wild wild west” out there, with few regulations to keep the playing field level.

Now, in the wake of the House vs. NCAA settlement, schools can revenue share and pay athletes directly with a $20.5 million salary cap to be spread among all of an institution’s sports.

It’s not perfect but it’s a start in a world where just last year you may have seen the football powers of the south spending tens of millions while some schools could only muster a fraction of that.

“It’s a huge culture shift, I mean we’re going from no rules for our coaches to rules again. That’s gonna be interesting to see how the environment adapts to that,” said UW Director of Athletics Pat Chun.

Chun says UW is still figuring out how exactly to allocate those funds through all its sports and does point out that this doesn’t preclude athletes from landing their own third- party NIL days, but those will be much more closely monitored for fairness.

To most, the implementation of the revenue share salary cap and regulations are a welcome sight. The changes in college sports felt inevitable, but also went from 0 to 60 in half a second, so to speak.

In other words, the committee charged with putting the regulation together which includes Chun, believes this can help restore order to college athletics.

“There’s a little bit of soul searching that we all have to do in college sports. And if we want to do what’s best for young people for this environment, I am one who is firmly in the camp that the last environment we were in was unsustainable. It was unhealthy for college sports and the most unhealthy for the young people who participate in it,” Chun said, adding, “This participant agreement, this membership agreement, it’s just another step in trying to do what’s best for college sports.”

The work isn’t done.

Yes, the NIL framework was necessary and top priority, but there’s more to come. Chun expressed a great desire to fix the college football calendar, pointing out what so many already know about the transfer portal — that it shouldn’t open during the season.

Chun brought up Penn State losing a backup quarterback while the Nittany Lions were in contention for a national title playing in the College Football Playoff. Closer to home, Washington State fans got a gut punch when the Cougs lost star quarterback John Mateer before WSU could suit up against Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl. It’s important to note, Chun believes those athletes have a right to pursue a better opportunity, but that players shouldn’t be switching schools during the season. He’s hoping for some work on a new calendar by July, but recognizes the difficulty in that coming to fruition. The hope is for something that resembles the NFL calendar as far as the steps that offseason transactions take that make sense and avoid the most chaos.

A lot of work, a lot of information, but ultimately a better and more stable college athletics landscape.

But, lastly, how does it impact the Washington Huskies?

Let’s not forget, the Dawgs have a head coach in Jedd Fisch who lived the salary cap world for an extended time in the NFL.

“To Jedd’s credit, for those who cover football, it’s no surprise, I mean, he has been exposed to a salary cap environment for a lot of his career. He has spent a lot of time on how he wants to model his roster.”

The Huskies open the season Aug. 30, hosting Colorado State at Husky Stadium.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NIL

July 28, 2025 – Bulldawg Illustrated

Jump To Top of Page The Pitch That Wins: “Get Paid Now, Get Rich Later” In the high-stakes world of college athletics, the University of Georgia is selling more than just a scholarship. Its pitch: “Get paid now, get rich later.” Behind the slogan lies a deliberate, long-game NIL strategy that blends smart financial allocation, culture-driven recruiting and athlete […]

Published

on


Jump To Top of Page

The Pitch That Wins: “Get Paid Now, Get Rich Later”

In the high-stakes world of college athletics, the University of Georgia is selling more than just a scholarship. Its pitch: “Get paid now, get rich later.” Behind the slogan lies a deliberate, long-game NIL strategy that blends smart financial allocation, culture-driven recruiting and athlete branding infrastructure.

In June 2025, Georgia Athletics teamed with Learfield Impact to launch an independent, full-service NIL agency, integrated with Georgia Bulldogs Sports Marketing. The partnership provides UGA athletes with an elite toolkit for building brands, securing endorsements, and accessing long-term income—all while remaining aligned with University systems and collective oversight.

This move builds on the Classic City Collective, a pioneering organization that helped define the University of Georgia’s NIL ecosystem. Georgia chose to keep its own collective active—unlike many peer institutions that are winding theirs down—signaling an intentional focus on “above-the-cap” compensation via legitimate marketing and licensing deals beyond the NCAA’s standard revenue-share cap of $20.5 million per year.

Head coach Kirby Smart has made Georgia’s NIL philosophy uncompromisingly clear: pay what athletes are worth—but don’t overpay, especially for early-career players. He emphasizes relationships over transactions, favoring loyalty and program fit above big short-term payouts.

Inside fan forums, supporters describe UGA’s NIL approach as consistently investing in players already in the program, rather than splurging on portal or transfer athletes or “mercenaries.” One standard analysis: “While other teams are blowing much of their NIL by signing mercenaries off the Portal, UGA is spending to keep the guys they’ve invested in via development.” That strategy aligns with the revenue-sharing cap environment: rather than maxing out a few megadeals, Georgia spreads its NIL dollars across multiple athletes, reinforcing depth, culture, and long-term value.

Georgia understands that player turnover is costly.

Recent NIL resources have been invested in retaining stars who might otherwise leave via the transfer portal. For example, when rumors swirled about player departures, UGA reportedly provided incentives to keep key contributors on the roster. That approach preserves continuity, fosters trust, and builds a team identity, contrasting with programs that chase immediate success by purchasing experienced portal talent.

During SEC Media Days, Smart acknowledged Georgia occasionally loses out on recruits due to smaller NIL packages. One high-profile case: five-star in-state defensive lineman Justus Terry chose Texas over Georgia, citing a bigger NIL offer. Yet Smart sees this as evidence—not weakness—that Georgia’s emphasis on development and suit-fit trumps transactional offers.

Despite such losses, Georgia has signed four straight top-4 recruiting classes, including the No. 1 class in 2024 and No. 2 in 2025, and leads the chase for 2026. That track record suggests the message—relationships over transactions—resonates with players of character who see UGA as a path to pro success beyond immediate NIL dollars.

With new NCAA regulations capping revenue-share at $20.5 million and banning overly big NIL contracts that resemble pay-for-play (contracts above $600 trigger scrutiny), many schools are winding down their collectives. However, Georgia is bucking that trend, doubling down on above-cap deals through brand licensure and sponsorship, rather than performance-based payouts.

On July 24, 2025, a federal executive order was signed banning third-party, booster-sourced NIL payments used as recruiting inducements, while allowing fair-market endorsement deals. That national guardrail underscores why Georgia’s carefully structured model, rooted in transparency and legitimate marketing, may be more resilient moving forward.

This multi-layered strategy serves several goals: Athlete brand building via professional marketing support. Draft prep and exposure, making players pro-ready with strong off-field platforms. Roster stability, via investments in loyalty. Competitive depth is achieved by deploying NIL across multiple players, rather than relying on a few stars. Institutional alignment, giving Georgia complete oversight and brand integration, not leaving NIL to boosters or third parties.

The payoff is both on-field dominance—back-to-back national titles—and off-field value, as Bulldogs build long-term partnerships that outlast eligibility.

Georgia’s pitch is clear: if you buy into the culture and development model—if you stay loyal and work off and on the field—today’s NIL earnings are just the start. Tomorrow brings bigger returns: professional contracts, long-term endorsement deals, and life after UGA success.

In this context, “Get Paid Now” means athletes are compensated in market-value deals early in their careers. But “Get Rich Later” reflects Georgia’s belief that successful development, exposure, national championships, and personal branding ultimately deliver far more than one-time megadeals.

UGA’s NIL strategy is not about knee-jerk, big-money deals. It is a purposeful, multi-layered plan blending institutional infrastructure, athlete support, cultural alignment, recruitment messaging, and brand partnerships. They’re selling something bigger than endorsement checks—a sustainable blueprint for success: win today, build tomorrow.

Georgia’s pitch wins by offering athletes a clear path: earn immediate NIL, but invest in development, identity, and loyalty, and you’ll “get rich later.”

Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Daily Dawg Thread

Jump To Top of Page The Pitch That Wins: “Get Paid Now, Get Rich Later” In the high-stakes world of college athletics, the University of Georgia is selling more than just a scholarship. Its pitch: “Get paid now, get rich later.” Behind the slogan lies a deliberate, long-game NIL strategy that blends smart financial allocation, culture-driven recruiting and athlete […]

Published

on

Daily Dawg Thread

Jump To Top of Page

The Pitch That Wins: “Get Paid Now, Get Rich Later”

In the high-stakes world of college athletics, the University of Georgia is selling more than just a scholarship. Its pitch: “Get paid now, get rich later.” Behind the slogan lies a deliberate, long-game NIL strategy that blends smart financial allocation, culture-driven recruiting and athlete branding infrastructure.

In June 2025, Georgia Athletics teamed with Learfield Impact to launch an independent, full-service NIL agency, integrated with Georgia Bulldogs Sports Marketing. The partnership provides UGA athletes with an elite toolkit for building brands, securing endorsements, and accessing long-term income—all while remaining aligned with University systems and collective oversight.

This move builds on the Classic City Collective, a pioneering organization that helped define the University of Georgia’s NIL ecosystem. Georgia chose to keep its own collective active—unlike many peer institutions that are winding theirs down—signaling an intentional focus on “above-the-cap” compensation via legitimate marketing and licensing deals beyond the NCAA’s standard revenue-share cap of $20.5 million per year.

Head coach Kirby Smart has made Georgia’s NIL philosophy uncompromisingly clear: pay what athletes are worth—but don’t overpay, especially for early-career players. He emphasizes relationships over transactions, favoring loyalty and program fit above big short-term payouts.

Inside fan forums, supporters describe UGA’s NIL approach as consistently investing in players already in the program, rather than splurging on portal or transfer athletes or “mercenaries.” One standard analysis: “While other teams are blowing much of their NIL by signing mercenaries off the Portal, UGA is spending to keep the guys they’ve invested in via development.” That strategy aligns with the revenue-sharing cap environment: rather than maxing out a few megadeals, Georgia spreads its NIL dollars across multiple athletes, reinforcing depth, culture, and long-term value.

Georgia understands that player turnover is costly.

Recent NIL resources have been invested in retaining stars who might otherwise leave via the transfer portal. For example, when rumors swirled about player departures, UGA reportedly provided incentives to keep key contributors on the roster. That approach preserves continuity, fosters trust, and builds a team identity, contrasting with programs that chase immediate success by purchasing experienced portal talent.

During SEC Media Days, Smart acknowledged Georgia occasionally loses out on recruits due to smaller NIL packages. One high-profile case: five-star in-state defensive lineman Justus Terry chose Texas over Georgia, citing a bigger NIL offer. Yet Smart sees this as evidence—not weakness—that Georgia’s emphasis on development and suit-fit trumps transactional offers.

Despite such losses, Georgia has signed four straight top-4 recruiting classes, including the No. 1 class in 2024 and No. 2 in 2025, and leads the chase for 2026. That track record suggests the message—relationships over transactions—resonates with players of character who see UGA as a path to pro success beyond immediate NIL dollars.

With new NCAA regulations capping revenue-share at $20.5 million and banning overly big NIL contracts that resemble pay-for-play (contracts above $600 trigger scrutiny), many schools are winding down their collectives. However, Georgia is bucking that trend, doubling down on above-cap deals through brand licensure and sponsorship, rather than performance-based payouts.

On July 24, 2025, a federal executive order was signed banning third-party, booster-sourced NIL payments used as recruiting inducements, while allowing fair-market endorsement deals. That national guardrail underscores why Georgia’s carefully structured model, rooted in transparency and legitimate marketing, may be more resilient moving forward.

This multi-layered strategy serves several goals: Athlete brand building via professional marketing support. Draft prep and exposure, making players pro-ready with strong off-field platforms. Roster stability, via investments in loyalty. Competitive depth is achieved by deploying NIL across multiple players, rather than relying on a few stars. Institutional alignment, giving Georgia complete oversight and brand integration, not leaving NIL to boosters or third parties.

The payoff is both on-field dominance—back-to-back national titles—and off-field value, as Bulldogs build long-term partnerships that outlast eligibility.

Georgia’s pitch is clear: if you buy into the culture and development model—if you stay loyal and work off and on the field—today’s NIL earnings are just the start. Tomorrow brings bigger returns: professional contracts, long-term endorsement deals, and life after UGA success.

In this context, “Get Paid Now” means athletes are compensated in market-value deals early in their careers. But “Get Rich Later” reflects Georgia’s belief that successful development, exposure, national championships, and personal branding ultimately deliver far more than one-time megadeals.

UGA’s NIL strategy is not about knee-jerk, big-money deals. It is a purposeful, multi-layered plan blending institutional infrastructure, athlete support, cultural alignment, recruitment messaging, and brand partnerships. They’re selling something bigger than endorsement checks—a sustainable blueprint for success: win today, build tomorrow.

Georgia’s pitch wins by offering athletes a clear path: earn immediate NIL, but invest in development, identity, and loyalty, and you’ll “get rich later.”

Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread

Continue Reading

NIL

Crypto Sponsorships in Sports

Cryptocurrency firms invest aggressively in sports, locking up stadium deals, jerseys and athlete sponsorship. But are the agreements sustainable partnerships or hype-seeking in a volatile sector? Cryptocurrency’s spread in the world of sports has really not been easy to avoid. Blockchain enterprises emblazoned across teams’ uniforms, stadium naming rights sponsored by crypto and the connection […]

Published

on

Crypto Sponsorships in Sports

Cryptocurrency firms invest aggressively in sports, locking up stadium deals, jerseys and athlete sponsorship. But are the agreements sustainable partnerships or hype-seeking in a volatile sector?

Cryptocurrency’s spread in the world of sports has really not been easy to avoid. Blockchain enterprises emblazoned across teams’ uniforms, stadium naming rights sponsored by crypto and the connection between sports entertainment and virtual currency have become more overt. However, as the degree of trust in the sector ebbs and flows, the eyes are now only on whether the arrangements constitute long-term investment planning or short-term marketing stunts.

While sponsorships have really given crypto sites widespread coverage, online market volatility remains a wildcard. The Bitcoin price live at high-profile events frequently reflects popular interest boosts, illustrating the extent to which fan sentiment tracks headlines in financial news.

A Surge in Crypto Branding Across Major Leagues

From Formula 1 to European football, the crypto branding boom has changed the sponsorship landscape of professional sports. Multi-million-dollar contracts have placed crypto exchanges, wallet platforms and NFT startups center stage among global audiences.

In the Premier League, Serie A, UFC and NBA, blockchain-backed firms have struck high-profile deals for shirt sponsorships, virtual fan tokens and sports star endorsements. The aim is real-time access to active audiences, often geographically dispersed and tech-savvy. As the value of bitcoin live usually trends in real-time sports events on social media, crypto visibility in stadiums and broadcasts keeps pace with real-time audience engagement.

Nonetheless, not all of these collaborations have gone smoothly. Certain clubs and leagues have suspended or withdrawn from crypto agreements due to concerns of volatility, unclear deliverables or adverse fan reception. These contradictions have raised questions concerning the long-term sustainability of crypto-sports convergence.

Stadium Naming Rights

Arguably, the most daring uses of crypto’s presence in sports have come through stadium naming rights agreements. In various markets, blockchain companies have made multi-decade deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to create a permanent presence in the sports space.

These deals, while sensational, are at the mercy of the market. Some deals have had to be renegotiated or terminated prematurely due to declining valuations, leadership changes or increased local regulation. Due to the allure of mainstream acceptability, these disappointments demonstrate a potential disconnection between crypto’s future potential longevity and practical application.

However, in some instances, naming agreements have continued to make headlines, as logos are used in broadcasts and products internationally. The latest price of bitcoin at premier game times has often become a subject of discussion, confirming the presence of the digital economy in today’s fan culture, even as the fate of the collaborations remains unpredictable.

Athlete Endorsements and Performance-Based Deals

Sponsorships of individual sports have also been another significant crypto playbook move. Universal football, tennis, basketball and combat sport deals have brought crypto branding directly to millions of Twitter fans and television audiences.

These sponsorships vary from advertising campaigns to more experimental deals in which the athletes are paid in virtual currencies or endorse individual NFTs. The short-term marketing reach cannot be denied, but the long-term brand effect relies greatly upon mutual trust, market sentiment and reception among the people.

These athlete endorsements of blockchain products now have reputational risk to manage. Should the market fall or platforms fail to deliver the touted utility, they can count on backlash. Nonetheless, some athletes have rising crypto activity when the Bitcoin live price happens in conjunction with favorable publicity, which makes the connection between financial education and athletic prowess more overt.

Mixed Signals from the Global Community

Reception among fans of crypto sponsorships has varied. Virtual currencies are viewed as a badge of financial emancipation and innovation in some sectors. In others, mistrust persists due to past controversies, regulatory fears or misunderstandings of the protocol itself.

Clubs implementing fan tokens, for example, have cited resistance when the purported gains, like casting club decisions via vote or receiving exclusive content, fail to meet expectations. Fans are usually open to the idea if the communication and implementation are transparent. But unforeseen token price swings or sponsorship volatility can breed mistrust.

Bitcoin price often becomes the gauge of common sentiment, particularly if the swings occur around major sporting events. The ever-present tension between risk and innovation continues to define the future of crypto entities in the sporting landscape.

What’s Next for Crypto in Sports?

The future of sports crypto sponsorships has wide-ranging potential. Market forces, technological breakthroughs and regulatory clarity will all decide the longevity of the deals. The initial crypto branding boom has generated awareness, but the future stage may be subject to enduring utility, clarity and flexibility.

Newer applications are beginning to materialize, including blockchain-based ticket systems, virtual collectibles and smart contract merchandise licenses. These usages foreshadow a more integrally embedded use of crypto beyond the simplest of logos and taglines.

Whether the cost of bitcoin rises or falls, the sports-decentralized finance experiment has already left its mark. The real challenge, however, lies in transitioning from hype to impact—the fact that the connection between the two universes represents something more than a temporary trend.

The post Crypto Sponsorships in Sports appeared first on Stadium Rant.

Continue Reading

NIL

5 Reasons President Donald Trump’s “Save College Sports’ Order Will Backfire

By passing legislation via Congress, US President Donald Trump has issued a “Save College Sports” executive order. As with most topics in which Trump weighs in, a storm of commentary, both pro and anti, has erupted. Here are a few potential snags in this order. Dive into Try out PFSN’s FREE college football playoff predictor, […]

Published

on


By passing legislation via Congress, US President Donald Trump has issued a “Save College Sports” executive order. As with most topics in which Trump weighs in, a storm of commentary, both pro and anti, has erupted. Here are a few potential snags in this order.

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

5 Reasons President Donald Trump’s College Sports Order Will Backfire

Ed O'Bannon (middle) was a significant NCAA pioneer. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)
Ed O’Bannon (center) was a pioneer in the NIL arena with his suit against the NCAA, but the executive order from President Trump may ban such action. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

1. Legal scholars indicate that the order could be vulnerable to overruling

President Trump has been aggressive in his use of executive orders, in which the President sets a government policy in the absence of any explicit legislative statement. However, executive orders in general are subject to being overturned by courts, which could render the order, in whole or in part, invalid. The uncertainty of the order will be a potential problem.

2. Trump’s decree that athletes can receive only “fair market value” from a third party is nearly unenforceable

The executive order purports to limit player compensation from third parties to only “fair market value” for services provided. In the realm of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), trying to establish a fair market value is near impossible. All the deals will be different from one another, and an unenforceable standard might be the only thing worse than no standard.

Additionally, the order doesn’t say exactly who will determine “fair market value.” Would it be the NCAA, the applicable federal court, or President Trump himself? Stay tuned, because without any mechanism of policing, a standard is hard to justify.

3. Protections on nonrevenue scholarships are unwieldy at best

Given the Trump administration’s prior stance on Title IX, a stated protection on nonrevenue scholarships will be unwieldy for college programs to handle. Is requiring schools to maintain nonrevenue scholarship levels a de facto limitation on their NIL money spent on football and basketball?

How will alums of major football schools react when there’s not enough NIL money to fund top recruits in football and all of those nonrevenue scholarships in less popular sports?

4. Limitations on athletes as employees could push courts in the alternative direction

One of the major issues now is whether college athletes should be classified as employees. In light of the time requirement and the control over athletes’ schedules, a credible argument has been raised that athletes are employees.

However, the Trump order says otherwise, and with the pendulum swinging in favor of an employee determination, President Trump’s order may ultimately cause a court to hasten to a contrary finding.

5. NCAA lawsuit protection seems unlikely to stand

To be clear, NIL changes have been made only because of litigation from former athletes. The Trump order indicates that the NCAA will be protected against suits from former athletes. That could be significant in issues like extra seasons of eligibility, whether transfer requirements sideline athletes, and more in the contours of athlete protection. Given the interconnection of the NCAA and athletes, a ban on litigation seems unlikely to stick.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in footballbasketball, and more!



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Mack Brown endorses changes to pay college players: ‘We should have paid players forever’

In his second retirement, Mack Brown has been an active voice in the college football space. Recently joining Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram and Rob Stone on the Triple Option Podcast, he voiced his opinion on the current state of NIL and the transfer portal. Even though we’re in the rev share era of college athletics, […]

Published

on


In his second retirement, Mack Brown has been an active voice in the college football space. Recently joining Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram and Rob Stone on the Triple Option Podcast, he voiced his opinion on the current state of NIL and the transfer portal.

Even though we’re in the rev share era of college athletics, not all concerns have been addressed, and Brown is offering solutions to how to improve NIL. He even provided examples of ways athletes can better benefit from the current state of college athletics. Still, he wishes it had been around a bit sooner.

“We should have paid players forever,” Brown said. “Urban (Meyer) and I got $15 a month. Mark (Ingram), was a super player. He should have gotten a lot of money when he played — and what happened was the universities abused it. They took the money, the conferences took the money, and the players and the families didn’t get any. If we had given even a stipend for graduation, give Mark (Ingram) 150,000 when he graduates to get his life started. If we could have paid parents way to games, or we could have done something to help these families before it got to a point where it was just ridiculous.

“And then what we do, we panic. We get all the toothpaste out of the tube, and we make decisions. A lot of smart people that maybe didn’t have enough common sense made decisions that have bad consequences.”

Brown is worried that college athletes will get paid more from NIL while they’re in school, they’ll be at a disadvantage if they’re unable to turn pro and have to enter the real world. It would be a hefty pay cut that Brown believes could lead to bigger problems like homelessness and mental health issues.

“Right now, we don’t have any guidelines,” Brown said. “Then you get transfer portal — and the transfer portal and NIL at the same time are a disaster because that’s creates tampering.

“If a guy transfers one time, he’s got a 63% chance to graduate because a lot of his courses don’t transfer. If he transfers four or five times, he’s not going to graduate and he’s not going to have a home. He’s not going to have boosters that get to know their favorite players. He’s not going to get a job in that community when he gets out.”

As we enter the revenue sharing era, many questions and concerns still remain unanswered regarding NIL and the transfer portal. Brown sees this as one of the biggest issues facing college athletics today, and he’s not alone in his concern. Only time will tell how it eventually plays out.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

MSU’s J Batt Optimistic About What’s Developed So Far in Tenure

New Michigan State athletic director J Batt is not letting any grass grow under his feet. He is already working the circuit trying to raise money for the new era of college sports that includes NIL and revenue sharing. These are uncharted waters and for a new athletic director, it makes even more difficult. Batt […]

Published

on


New Michigan State athletic director J Batt is not letting any grass grow under his feet. He is already working the circuit trying to raise money for the new era of college sports that includes NIL and revenue sharing. These are uncharted waters and for a new athletic director, it makes even more difficult.

Batt is doing everything without having the benefit of the football team performing. Football drives the income, and a successful football team drives even faster. The pressure is on second-year coach Jonathan Smith to improve off of last season’s 5-7 record.

“I think there’s a lot of confidence in the building,” Batt said on Thursday during Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas. “Getting in there talking to our folks, talking to our student-athletes a little bit, talking to coaches a little bit, there’s a lot of confidence in the process and the growth. I’m certainly looking forward to them getting on the field, me getting to see some practice. I’m excited for that progress and I think that confidence that they have that we’ve made a lot of strides has been good.”

Batt was recently lured away from Georgia Tech. He replaced former athletic director Alan Haller, who was fired in May. Batt puts a primary on fundraising, and he has become very adept and luring in big donors. He has been at Maryland and Alabama where he has had success in fundraising. He spent almost three years at Tech before transitioning to East Lansing.

Jonathan Smith, Michigan State Universit

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

He brought with him Jon Palumbo, Michigan State’s new executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.

“Jon’s such a steady person,” Batt said. “He’ll handle a lot of our kind of operational day-to-day things. As I’m out … on the road meeting with our folks, meeting with our fans, donors, etcetera, Jon will spend a lot of the time working with a great staff we already have.”

Batt now has to deal with revenue sharing and the doling out of more than $20.5 million to athletes in all sports. He has to figure out how to divide the pie. He also has to figure out how to get the filling.

“I would just tell you that we’re going to make sure our student-athletes have all the opportunities that we possibly can,” Batt said. “That’s going to take lots of different forms and shapes across the landscape but we’re certainly going to be in that space.”

Don’t forget to follow along with all of our Michigan State football content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go WhiteWHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI.



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending