In an attempt to stay tapped into all things NIL, I’ve sorted through and gathered some interesting NIL-centered news items today. The title of each section will redirect you to the initial article, as I did not translate all of the columns into this page. Just the best cliff notes.
I will continue adding more news as the week unfolds! Please feel free to link any informative or interesting NIL articles in this thread!
1. House attorneys, power conferences out deal to relax NIL collective roadblocks (Yahoo)
Less than a month into the implementation of the House settlement, college sports’ new enforcement entity is adjusting its approach.
Attorneys for the House plaintiffs have struck an agreement with the power conferences and NCAA officials to amend the decision-making from the industry’s new enforcement arm, the College Sports Commission, related to how booster-backed collectives can compensate athletes. Multiple sources spoke to Yahoo Sports under the condition of anonymity.
As part of the agreement, the College Sports Commission is expected to treat collectives or any “school-associated entity” in a similar fashion as other businesses when determining the legitimacy of third-party NIL deals submitted to the CSC’s NIL Go clearinghouse.
This is a change from the CSC’s previously publicized approach.
2. Why Indiana football isn’t moving to NFL-like structure to manage revenue-sharing (The Herald-Times)
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti looked genuinely puzzled at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday. When he was asked about how the program was determining the amount each player gets from revenue-sharing.
“I decide that,” Cignetti said, “I’m the GM and head coach.”
Indiana‘s athletic department started directly paying student-athletes on July 1 as part of the House vs. NCAA settlement. The football program will receive 70-75% of the $20.5 million the Hoosiers are allowed to share with athletes, as outlined in the court settlement.
“I’m a control freak,” Cignetti said. “I’m organized, I’m good with numbers. My name is on this. I spent a lot of years getting to this point, I’m the best one to do it.”
Cignetti told reporters it’s not a heavy lift. Thanks to the autonomy he gives his longtime coordinators, Mike Shanahan and Bryant Haines. The longtime coach doesn’t call plays and isn’t in every offensive and defensive team meeting throughout the offseason.
5. 2026 recruits in line for monster NIL pay days (ON3)
Miami Five-Star Plus+ OT commit Jackson Cantwell
- After previously reporting that Miami had a $2 million offer on the table, sources indicated that the Hurricanes’ offer was raised to roughly $2.5 million in Year 1. Sources have told On3 that the offer is a multi-year deal that escalates in salary annually.
Texas Tech five-star OT commit Felix Ojo
- Ojo’s agent, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management, publicized that the offensive tackle inked a fully guaranteed three-year, $5.1 million revenue-sharing deal. Sources around Texas Tech pushed back on the number, telling On3 that Ojo’s three-year deal is expected to pay an average of $775,000 annually.
- Shelby declined to share Ojo’s contract but backed his publicized financial figure. Texas Tech and Ojo have a verbal agreement that if the college football market shifts back to an NIL-driven format. The parties could renegotiate the contract up to the $5 million mark.
