Oregon - Looking Like A Big NIL Spender


Why? Because he decided to become a major benefactor to his alma mater? As if we would somehow bitch and moan if the Gophers had a sugar daddy like that? I think not.

One interesting question though. Phil is 84 years old. When he dies, will the money spigot turn off?

Sounds like someone is naive enough to think that players haven't been being paid for decades.
The difference is situations like Bucko. He wouldn't have transferred 10 years ago.
 


The difference is situations like Bucko. He wouldn't have transferred 10 years ago.
A lot of players wouldn't transfer because they would have to sit out too under previous rules.
 




Not NIL, just a payment. Fully legal in the current landscape of college football just not what NIL was ever supposed to be.
It's actually not legal from my understanding, but perhaps somebody will correct me. From listening to Derek Burns explain Dinkytown Athletes on the GGR podcast, it sounds to me like Minnesota has a strict compliance department and plays by the rules 100% -- which means no enticements or promises of money to enroll/transfer...only above board, fair payments for NIL that actually require something of the players once they're on the team. Other schools AREN'T playing by those rules and are using NIL as cover to outright pay players to enroll/transfer -- akin to a contract rather than a marketing deal. If I'm understanding him right, this is still illegal, but there's no way the NCAA is going to attempt enforcement on anything related to NIL right now.
 

It's actually not legal from my understanding, but perhaps somebody will correct me. From listening to Derek Burns explain Dinkytown Athletes on the GGR podcast, it sounds to me like Minnesota has a strict compliance department and plays by the rules 100% -- which means no enticements or promises of money to enroll/transfer...only above board, fair payments for NIL that actually require something of the players once they're on the team. Other schools AREN'T playing by those rules and are using NIL as cover to outright pay players to enroll/transfer -- akin to a contract rather than a marketing deal. If I'm understanding him right, this is still illegal, but there's no way the NCAA is going to attempt enforcement on anything related to NIL right now.

If something is obviously against the rules, I think it will be up to one or more of the main competitor schools to sue. That is, assuming the competitors aren't doing the same thing.
 

It's actually not legal from my understanding, but perhaps somebody will correct me. From listening to Derek Burns explain Dinkytown Athletes on the GGR podcast, it sounds to me like Minnesota has a strict compliance department and plays by the rules 100% -- which means no enticements or promises of money to enroll/transfer...only above board, fair payments for NIL that actually require something of the players once they're on the team. Other schools AREN'T playing by those rules and are using NIL as cover to outright pay players to enroll/transfer -- akin to a contract rather than a marketing deal. If I'm understanding him right, this is still illegal, but there's no way the NCAA is going to attempt enforcement on anything related to NIL right now.
Well said. Legal wasn't the best choice because you are correct that pay for play is still illegal even if that is exactly what a lot of teams are using NIL as a cover for.

And yeah, the NCAA isn't going to do anything to try and control it right now. Eventually things will get controlled to some degree but right now it is the wild west and teams/collectives are out there abusing the system until the time comes when they can't anymore.
 



If something is obviously against the rules, I think it will be up to one or more of the main competitor schools to sue. That is, assuming the competitors aren't doing the same thing.
I would love to see some SEC school file a suit against Oregon for tampering with NIL inducement.

I don't know what law they would use, but just drag their asses through the mud in the public's eye. Worth it.
 

I would love to see some SEC school file a suit against Oregon for tampering with NIL inducement.

I don't know what law they would use, but just drag their asses through the mud in the public's eye. Worth it.

I don't know that it has to be against the law. It could be a civil suit. Some sort of breach of contract among NCAA member schools. I'm also not an attorney and talking out of my ass on this.
 

I would love to see some SEC school file a suit against Oregon for tampering with NIL inducement.

I don't know what law they would use, but just drag their asses through the mud in the public's eye. Worth it.
Problem is that the team that launches the challenge would have to be totally clear of any of the same player payments. That said, I do think the tampering part will get addressed somehow at some point.

Because it is one thing to be throwing money at recruits and guys in the portal. It is another thing all together to be contacting players not in the portal. That should not be happening but we all know that it is.
 

There 100% are legit uses of NIL, that would certainly be an example of it. But we all know that this big money being thrown at recruits and portal players has nothing to do with NIL and is smiply a way to openly pay players in order to get them to commit.

For example.....it was rumored/confirmed that Bucky got a good sized amount of money from Oregon. That wasn't tied to an endorsement or marketing deal, it was just money he was paid to help him make the decision to go to Oregon. Not NIL, just a payment. Fully legal in the current landscape of college football just not what NIL was ever supposed to be.
There have been rumors about that here. Who has confirmed it? I never saw that. Not saying it isn’t true.
 




There have been rumors about that here. Who has confirmed it? I never saw that. Not saying it isn’t true.
6 figure NIL deals have been talked about, I think they were confirmed but not going to go hunting for the truth. Bucky talked about needing money for his mom there were a lot of angles that made it seem like his transfer was motivated by money.

So assuming he got some money to go to Oregon, that money would have had nothing to do with a legit NIL venture and just would have been a payment to get him to go there.

Not faulting Oregon, they are just doing what the teams that plan to play in that space are all doing. The reality is that we all get what is going on and what NIL has become in college football and basketball.
 

I’m guessing eventually some lesser program will get hammered with probations and the blue bloods will become sneakier. Until then they’ll just blatantly throw money at players.
 

6 figure NIL deals have been talked about, I think they were confirmed but not going to go hunting for the truth. Bucky talked about needing money for his mom there were a lot of angles that made it seem like his transfer was motivated by money.

So assuming he got some money to go to Oregon, that money would have had nothing to do with a legit NIL venture and just would have been a payment to get him to go there.

Not faulting Oregon, they are just doing what the teams that plan to play in that space are all doing. The reality is that we all get what is going on and what NIL has become in college football and basketball.
It's pay for play, and it's out in the open (except the tampering bits).

If we're going to do that, then let's really do it. Players as employees and with their own P5 football and basketball collective bargaining association.
 

Seems like it would be pretty easy for Phil Knight to create a NIL fund for transfers that is probably perfectly legit. Tell a potential recruit, sign this NIL deal with Nike and get $30,000. It’s up to Nike to decide if, when and where to use you in our marketing strategy. Because of the proximity of the school to Nike headquarters, it would be a breach of contract - thus cancellable - if you stopped playing for Oregon.
 

Tampering is a far worse offense than just looking at who's in the portal and offering them a nice bag.

They're going to starters on P5 rosters across the country, via back door channels, and offering massive bags to induce them to transfer.

Pathetic joke that they aren't hit with an X year suspension.


Problem I'm sure is, how do you prove it? Players won't rat, they want those bags to keep flowing.
Bag men used to clandestinely in the Deep South SEC Country. They are now all out in the open with NIL. We now have to worry about tampering.
 

(1) Permit schools to pay the players.
(2) Let the players unionize, and engage in collective bargaining.
(3) Engage the collective bargaining process to impose legal salary caps.
(4) Form two super conferences, constituted of divisions to preserve rivalries.
(5) No time-limits on eligibility.

Bingo. With steps 1-4, you've become the NFL. With step 5, you put it out of business.
 

(1) Permit schools to pay the players.
(2) Let the players unionize, and engage in collective bargaining.
(3) Engage the collective bargaining process to impose legal salary caps.
(4) Form two super conferences, constituted of divisions to preserve rivalries.
(5) No time-limits on eligibility.

Bingo. With steps 1-4, you've become the NFL. With step 5, you put it out of business.
The size of the NFL TV contract still dwarfs the Big Ten, SEC, and CFP TV contracts put together, if I'm not mistaken, and college will have to distribute that money around to probably at least 50-60 teams.

So I don't think your proposed step 5 will work out.
 

The size of the NFL TV contract still dwarfs the Big Ten, SEC, and CFP TV contracts put together, if I'm not mistaken, and college will have to distribute that money around to probably at least 50-60 teams.

So I don't think your proposed step 5 will work out.
lol....I'm thinking that plan would fall apart well before step 5. Way too many logistics involved to try and organize college football to that degree.
 

Seems like it would be pretty easy for Phil Knight to create a NIL fund for transfers that is probably perfectly legit. Tell a potential recruit, sign this NIL deal with Nike and get $30,000. It’s up to Nike to decide if, when and where to use you in our marketing strategy. Because of the proximity of the school to Nike headquarters, it would be a breach of contract - thus cancellable - if you stopped playing for Oregon.
The money is likely coming from Phil Knight directly, not Nike. Knight is a non-voting board member, and otherwise no longer employed by Nike. He and his kid, however, own 97% of class A shares in the company. Class A shareholders hold 9 of 12 votes for board members, so he can basically single-handedly elect whomever he wants. So a publicly traded company, but they’re not really held accountable to their shareholders, just Knight. Kinda shady if you ask me.
 

Seems like it would be pretty easy for Phil Knight to create a NIL fund for transfers that is probably perfectly legit. Tell a potential recruit, sign this NIL deal with Nike and get $30,000. It’s up to Nike to decide if, when and where to use you in our marketing strategy. Because of the proximity of the school to Nike headquarters, it would be a breach of contract - thus cancellable - if you stopped playing for Oregon.

Correct. The paying entity doesn't actually have to use the player's name and likeness, they just can if they want.

Or say "hey football player, here's $100 grand, just wear this style of shoe every day and you are a paid endorser."
 

lol....I'm thinking that plan would fall apart well before step 5. Way too many logistics involved to try and organize college football to that degree.
Plus, quite frankly, parity between franchises (or schools in this case) enhances the product. No one wants to see the same 5% of clubs making it to the semi-finals every year.

Right now, there really are no mechanisms in college for trying to ensure parity of access to top talent.
 





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