There is an NIL business opportunity here for someone creative and energetic

[Dryburn]

There is a great NIL business opportunity for someone in Ames, Des Moines, Ankeny, wherever.

Sign and promote ISU athlete's in all sports. Could involve an existing marketing or talent company or a new venture completely separate from those types.

Sign the athletes to exclusive contracts. Do merchandising, personal appearances, product endorsements, whatever, all through your company. The merchandising attempts I have seen so far for ISU athlete's have been pretty lame, IMHO. Whoever is designing these t-shirts, please start employing some creative, savvy, talented artists! Putting an unrecognizable image of a football player in uniform throwing a pass or making a running cut is boring as it can be! Nicknames, slogans, creative cheers, whatever are needed....not just a line drawing with a signature.

I don't know what the NCAA restrictions are on this, but I would think the ISU athletic department could offer some advice, and it may be worth their time and effort to give it. Also, organizations like the Aumini Association and the ISU Foundation may offer some advice on promotions or contacts.

Every non-blueblood school in any sport is going to find themselves in non-competitive situations rapidly if the do not figure some way to get a program, private or whatever, in place to provide NIL opportunities for their student-athletes. Otherwise, they will recruit an athlete for the first year...that athlete is better than expected that first year....and poof...he or she is gone the next year to the best NIL potential. Of course, if they realize the un-regulated mess they have created, the NCAA could fix things. Yeah, right.

Just a thought. I'm too old to do it, but the opportunity is there, I'm pretty sure.

 

[Cyballz]

I think you're missing a big opportunity for lemonaid stands outside Hilton and Jack Trice. Think about the traffic there on game days! And you could use the profit for NIL deals! Anyone got a contact at CountryTime?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Not sure which step is the “profit” phase of this idea. Newsflash: “NIL” is just rich people paying players to stay at their school of choice.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I think you're missing a big opportunity for lemonaid stands outside Hilton and Jack Trice. Think about the traffic there on game days!

You're probably right.

 

[CF Shop]

Sign the athletes to exclusive contracts. Do merchandising, personal appearances, product endorsements, whatever, all through your company. The merchandising attempts I have seen so far for ISU athlete's have been pretty lame, IMHO. Whoever is designing these t-shirts, please start employing some creative, savvy, talented artists! Putting an unrecognizable image of a football player in uniform throwing a pass or making a running cut is boring as it can be! Nicknames, slogans, creative cheers, whatever are needed....not just a line drawing with a signature.

I love this. 2 things, it hasn't even been 12 months since NIL and I follow the NIL merch landscape very close, what we do is what is being done everywhere and we are working on some retail spots in Ames and Des Moines carrying our stuff. So can't be all that bad.

But we are planning on doing more unique designs and ideas in the future. I've got a list of things to tackle. I've wanted to do player merch forever.

 

[MartyFine]

 

[Cyclonepride]

I am neither creative nor energetic.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

I would love to sponsor and athlete. Problem is I don’t see the ROI. It’s my main gripe with the whole thing. This has nothing to do with Name Image and Likeness.

 

[ISUcyclones11]

Not sure which step is the “profit” phase of this idea. Newsflash: “NIL” is just rich people paying players to stay at their school of choice.

Agreed, we aren't competing with the oil billionaires of Texas that have been paying players for decades.

 

[Rabbuk]

I would love to sponsor and athlete. Problem is I don’t see the ROI. It’s my main gripe with the whole thing. This has nothing to do with Name Image and Likeness.

I think the ROI is a wink and a nod sort of thing mostly.

 

[Stewo]

We have those?

 

[allfourcy]

Let's say I get on board and really contribute to this supposed NIL collective. What happens if said recruit gets NIL deal, only to transfer out in one year because there's always going to be someone out there with better? Hard to wrap my mind around it.

 

[Stewo]

“NIL” is just rich people paying players to stay at their school of choice.

This is the definition of NIL.

 

[Didley]

And optimistically an “awesome design” sells like 1000 shirts. At maybe $6 upcharge per shirt and net a whopping $6k for a dude. Move over blue bloods. Shirts ftw

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

I think the ROI is a wink and a nod sort of thing mostly.

Right. I believe there are some athletes that do have a brand value so to speak like a Niang. Heck I would rather have Jaz be my spokesperson after the recent interview. Just because you’re good at basketball doesn’t mean you are marketable. So many athletes have spent a lot of time polishing their image. Look at Michael Strahan, while he may be a HOFer it’s his personality that made him a household name

 

[DeereClone]

Wait, people still think NIL is actually about marketing, publicity, merchandise, etc? LOLOL

 

[Mr Janny]

Let's say I get on board and really contribute to this supposed NIL collective. What happens if said recruit gets NIL deal, only to transfer out in one year because there's always going to be someone out there with better? Hard to wrap my mind around it.

That's the way it can work in the real world. I can quit my job tomorrow and go work for another company, and it doesn't matter how much of an investment my company has made in me.

College sports has existed in a bubble for a long, long time, and has been insulated from real world forces, while reaping massive profits. It's understandable that some are struggling to adjust, but schools like Iowa State need to figure it out quick. Being late to the party is a a nearly surefire conduit to irrelevance.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

That's the way it can work in the real world. I can quit my job tomorrow and go work for another company, and it doesn't matter how much of an investment my company has made in me.

College sports has existed in a bubble for a long, long time, and has been insulated from real world forces, while reaping massive profits. It's understandable that some are struggling to adjust, but schools like Iowa State need to figure it out quick. Being late to the party is a a nearly surefire conduit to irrelevance.

That’s why they have non-competes

 

[BigJCy]

 

[allfourcy]

That's the way it can work in the real world. I can quit my job tomorrow and go work for another company, and it doesn't matter how much of an investment my company has made in me.

College sports has existed in a bubble for a long, long time, and has been insulated from real world forces, while reaping massive profits. It's understandable that some are struggling to adjust, but schools like Iowa State need to figure it out quick. Being late to the party is a a nearly surefire conduit to irrelevance.

your response sounds so intelligent, noteworthy, and sensible......but dang depressing