Tag Archive for: Spry5 Newsletter

Spry 5 – April 19, 2022

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SEASONS ARE CHANGING

Spring brings a flurry of change on college campuses. Sports are wrapping up, students are studying for finals and preparing for graduation and summer break. And by now, all student-athletes should have reported their earnings from NIL opportunities and be planning for next year’s opportunities.

NIL SUSTAINABILITY

Football coach weighs in

Paying a player to attend a particular school is still a violation of NCAA rules, but NIL deals have quickly become intertwined with recruiting — both high school prospects and the growing number of college transfers. Read what Nick Saban, head football coach at Alabama, thinks of the current state of college sports.

Read Article >

COMPLIANCE

Who is responsible for NCAA violations?

Former Oregon football player, Doug Brenner, filed a lawsuit against his college coaching staff for NCAA violations. Learn more about the opening testimony here.

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TAXES, TAXES, TAXES

NIL deals and taxes

April marks the end of tax season. We hope that all student-athletes who took advantage of NIL opportunities were able to properly report the income.

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HIGHSCHOOL NIL

Check out Ohio

Will Ohio be the next state to allow NIL opportunities for highschool athletes? The conversation is on the table.

Read Article >

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Spry 5 – March 22, 2022

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NIL & COMPLIANCE ISSUES SHARE SPOTLIGHT WITH MARCH MADNESS

The business of college sports doesn’t stop, not even for March Madness, so let’s take a look at some of the latest trends and topics.

COMPLIANCE

Clemson reports 21 NCAA violations over the past two years

Clemson reported 21 NCAA violations from 2020-21 – all deemed minor Level III offenses. Ten sports and the athletic department’s creative media team were tagged for non compliance with violations ranging from sale of complimentary tickets to issues with CARA, RARA and VARA.

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NOTHING TO SEE HERE

BYU confirms NCAA is not investigating Built Bar NIL deal

Questions arose when the entire BYU football team signed NIL deals with Built Bar. The university, which was not involved in the transaction, said the NCAA is not investigating the matter. Spry’s CEO Lyle Adam shared his thoughts on how clarity is needed for team-wide NIL teams.

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MARCH NIL MADNESS

High School junior QB nets NIL deal that could be worth more than $8 million

A class of 2023 five-star football recruit has reportedly signed a name, image and likeness deal with a school’s collective that could be worth more than $8 million by the end of his junior year of college, according to The Athletic.

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U.S. FAVORS NIL

Marist Poll shows Americans feel strongly that collegians should be paid for NIL

2A recent Marist Poll, in conjunction with the Center for Sports Communications at Marist College, showed that Americans support the new rules that allow college athletes to be paid for their name, image and likeness but are divided over whether colleges should pay their athletes.

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Spry 5 – March 8, 2022

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NIL STATUS UPDATE

The collegiate landscape has changed dramatically in the months since the Supreme Court ruled in NCAA v. Alston et al. prompting the NCAA to vote to allow and institute NIL policies. The NCAA recently announced plans to review those NIL policies and potential violations.

NIL POLICY REVIEW

NCAA reviews NIL policies including impact on student athletes and potential recruiting violations

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors recently announced a review of how NIL policies have affected athletes’ school choice, transfer opportunities, academics and their mental health. The preliminary report is due next month.

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NIL COMPLIANCE

NCAA gives Insight on potential NIL rulings

With NIL policies in full effect, many schools are in uncharted territories while dealing with a variety of new compliance issues. The NCAA is not giving indications on how they may rule on potential infractions making the situation more difficult for administrators.

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NIL DEALS

Data shows what deals are hot

Bill Carter, who teaches an NIL class at the University of Vermont, did an extensive survey of more than 1,100 Division I student athletes and discovered nearly 75% of all NIL deals thus far have come from social media posts and content creation.

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NIL, NFT & GIRL POWER

Auburn gymnast Darrian Gobourne launching NFT

2019 NCAA national champion gymnast Derrian Gobourne has partnered with Legacy League to launch her “Black Girl Magic” NFT collection. The series will feature several other accomplished black gymnasts.

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NEXT GENERATION NIL

LeBron’s son, Bronny James, signs first NIL deal as a high school junior

It’s one thing to be a highly touted prospective student athlete. It’s another thing to be the son of an NBA legend. Bronny James has leveraged both into his first NIL deal.

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Spry 5 – February 8, 2022

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Last week we announced our new product, SpryConnect, which will streamline communication within Athletic Departments. By taking this step forward as a company we can provide the excellent software originally designed for NIL management and dive deeper into helping student-athletes find success!

 SPRYCONNECT

Spry expands to offer compliance software

Spry released a new product earlier this week called SpryConnect. SpryConnect will help manage Athletic Department compliance operations and NIL processes on one streamlined platform.

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NIL NEXT STEPS

Should the NCAA step in?

Last July, the NCAA told schools to follow school policy or state laws when it came to NIL on their campuses. Now 7 months later is it time for the NCAA to step in and set additional guidelines? At this point, the only rule they enforce is that student-athletes can not be paid for simply being athletes.

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2022 WINTER OLYMPICS

Where do Olympian student-athletes come from?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a huge number of winter Olympics athletes come from the University of Utah! Check out who is representing the Utes this year in Beijing.

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NIL INFRACTIONS

What is the cause of an NIL Investigation?

Are some of the major concerns about NIL manipulation starting to pop up? The NCAA is investigating University of Oregon booster activity to see if there has been a breach of the new NIL legislation.

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FROM NBA TO NIL

​​NIL really is for everyone

J.R. Smith a former NBA star has returned to college and joined the golf team at North Caroline A&T. As a student-athlete Smith is eligible for the same NIL opportunities as all other collegiate athletes. He recently signed with Excel Sports to handle his NIL deals.

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Spry 5 – January 11, 2022

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A quick look back and lots of plans to move forward!

It’s fun to say that NIL was introduced last year; it makes our young industry sound a little older and wiser. And while we officially have 6 months of NIL opportunities and programs under our belts 2022 promises to bring continued change and opportunity.

SPORTS LAWS THAT CHANGED IN 2021

What’s changed in college sports?

While NIL topped the charts in the courtroom in 2020 and 2021, there are several other interesting legal topics to research.

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INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES ARE BLOCKED FROM NIL

What’s the answer to helping international athletes?

Due to visa restrictions, international athletes are unable to sign NIL deals. The article mentions that if an institution finds out that international student-athletes are participating in NIL opportunities the school is obligated to terminate their visa.

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NIL AND THE TRANSFER PORTAL HAVE CHANGED THE NCAA

From the coaches desk

NIL and the transfer portal have changed the game for collegiate coaches and student-athletes. FSU’s Leonard Hamilton discusses how he is trying to keep up with the changes to the system. Recruiting and keeping student-athletes on campus is a new ballgame these days.

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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF NIL LOOK LIKE?

Miami AD lays out his vision

NIL is new but there are a lot of predictions about where these deals will go. It’s interesting to read what Miami AD, Dan Radakovish has to say about his vision for the future.

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NIL OPPORTUNITIES WE’VE SEEN

A quick summary of deals

Read about a few NIL deals that created headlines in 2021.

Read Article >

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Spry 5 – December 21, 2021

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That’s a wrap!

In the last of issue of the Spry 5 for 2021 we reflect on some of the deals and transactions that have taken place since the introduction of NIL.

HOW NIL IS AFFECTING RECRUITING

UT players see the benefits of NIL

UT alumni are basically paying players to come to their schools, and that’s a massive boom to recruiting. By procuring deals with local businesses that include a charitable endeavor, UT football players are securing a new type of NIL deal.

Read Article >

GATORADE MAKES AND NIL SPLASH

Beuckers is first NCAA athlete to sign with Gatorade

We’ve been following Page Beuckers since the early NIL conversations. By Gatorade signing her as their first NCAA we see confirmation that NIL deals are not only for men’s football stars but for all athletes.

Read Article >

WWE takes on NIL

WWE creates a pipeline for future athletes

The WWE is planning to use the NCAA’s new NIL rules as a way to form a pipeline for its developmental system. WWE signed on athletes from four sports: wrestling, football, basketball and track and field.

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TWO HEADLINE NIL DEALS MAY BE PROHIBITED

The NCAA is trying to determine deals qualify as a pay-for-play.

It has been reported that the NCAA is looking into a pair of high-profile NIL deals involving football players at Brigham Young University and the University of Miami. The investigation provides insight as to how the NIL school-by-school and state-by-state nature of the space has created confusion surrounding the rules and their enforcement.

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NIL STAR IS INJURED

Several weeks ago we reported that Paige Buekers signed the first NIL deal with Gatorade. Sadly just after that report, Bueckers injured her leg. This article provides some color on the injury and her projected recovery.

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NIL DEALS HITS HIGHSCHOOL

Basketball players shoot for the stars

In NY State, one of the first states allowing high school students to monetize their NIL, two basketball players from The Bronx, are ready to cash in on their immense talent. They have signed on with social media company Spreadshop for a sponsorship deal in which they can begin to create their own personal brand on the organization’s platform.

Read Article >

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Spry 5 – December 7, 2021

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Locker room chemistry, new deal ideas – there’s always a lot to talk about!

As the year comes to an end we will see a lot of numbers summarizing the first 6 months of NIL. At Spry we’re proud to see that NIL compliance remains a top concern for many Institutions. At the end of the day, keeping student-athletes on the field and empowering them to accept NIL deals is everyone’s benchmark for NIL success.

LOCKER ROOM CHEMISTRY

How is NIL affecting the locker room?

Appalachian State football star, Kaiden Smith, gives us an inside look on how teammates are helping each other navigate NIL. NIL compliance is critical for continued opportunities for all student-athletes.

Read Article >

GATORADE MAKES AND NIL SPLASH

Beuckers is first NCAA athlete to sign with Gatorade

We’ve been following Page Beuckers since the early NIL conversations. By Gatorade signing her as their first NCAA we see confirmation that NIL deals are not only for men’s football stars but for all athletes.

Read Article >

ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT IN NIL

Iowas wrestlers have lots of opportunities

The Iowa wrestling brand speaks for itself but now student-athletes are lucky to have help from alumni as they navigate NIL opportunities.

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NEW NIL OPPORTUNITIES

How UT is using NIL to help student-athletes

When NIL passed, we weren’t quite sure how it would affect different schools. A byproduct of the rule change now allows schools to provide ‘educational benefits’ to student-athletes. For example at the University of Texas, athletes are eligible to get education-related benefits, including money for tutors and school-related equipment (up to a maximum value of $5,980). We are starting to see how Institutions plan to “pay” their student-athletes.

Read Article >

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CALIFORNIA

There are NIL deals for everyone

These are the stories that we love to read about. Student-athletes taking advantage of NIL deals and representing themselves as savvy, empowered individuals.

Read Article >

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Spry 5 – November 23, 2021

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Gobble, gobble! Going back for second NIL helpings, for sure!

As we enter the holiday season, we have a lot to be thankful for. NIL has opened new doors for thousands of student-athletes and we get a front-row seat to these life-changing opportunities.

Some of the Spry team members are thankful for:

    • “Thankful to breathe clean air and have water to drink.” – Ellen Zavian, Board Advisor
    • “I am thankful that I will be with my family over Thanksgiving this year!” – Keith Martin, Board Advisor
    • “I’m thankful that my family is healthy and we are able to celebrate together this year!” – Sarah Knysh, Marketing Director
    • “I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by supportive family, friends, and a work circle who encourage me and my aspirations.” – Matt Suchecki, Customer Success Manager

NIL AND TITLE IX MAY BE ON A COLLISION COURSE

History collides: NIL and Title IX

How will NIL affect Title IX on college campuses? If an Institution helps any athletes secure NIL deals, they must provide equal opportunities to the opposite gender. ‘Passed almost 50 years ago by the U.S. Congress, Title IX says, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (20 U.S.C. § 1681(a))’

Read Article >

 

NIL DEALS OF ALL SIZES

FAU Quarterback has seen tremendous NIL opportunities

At Spry we have said that the NIL deals are not just for the most well-known athletes. A perfect example is N’Kosi Perry from FAU. Perry has seen several NIL opportunities come up, one directly related to FAU alumni.

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PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WEIGH IN ON NIL

Former NY Yankee, Alex Rodriquez worries about the effects of NIL

Not all professional athletes have made a decision on the new NIL legislations. Alex Rodriquez told Yahoo Finance, “I’m watching, I’m curious,” he says. “I think there’s not enough information or data out there really for me to make a decision on it. I’m certainly watching closely.”

Read Article >

 

MILK DOES A BODY GOOD!

Cashing in on a nickname for NIL deals

Notre Dame long snapper, who goes by the nickname “Milk” recently signed a deal with the American Dairy Association Indiana. In the perfect partnership, we see how branding can lead to NIL opportunities on all levels.

Read Article >

 

THE KEY IS CATEGORIZATION

The discussion around International students + NIL continues

International athletes can’t currently capitalize on new NIL opportunities, but lawyers and international students think how NIL activities are categorized might be the key to unlocking opportunities.

Read Article >

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Spry 5 – November 9, 2021

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NIL is moving into November

There always seems to be a lot happening in the NIL space and the past few weeks have been more of the same. Deals are being signed and conversations about the real change that NIL legislation is bringing keep making headlines. While watching the market grow and shift, Spry continues adjustments to the product in an effort to stay at the forefront of NIL.


ALL WORK AND NO PLAY – NOT ANYMORE

NIL is adding to the strain facing the those working in collegiate athletics

Sports industry executives are taking a hard look at the collegiate sports work environment. Stressful jobs with long hours are losing their luster in this post-pandemic world of “work from home” opportunities.

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PREPARING A NIL POLICY NOW CAN SAVE HEADACHES LATER.

Tips to prepare your Institution’s NIL policy

By having a detailed NIL policy in place, Institutions can prepare themselves and student-athletes for the future. NIL compliance is brand new and there are many gray areas on a national level. This article, the second of a 2 part series, provides advice on how to get started in preparing your institution’s policy.

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ATHLETES HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO NIL

Where are the deals for Paige Bueckers?

Paige Bueckers was set to be one of the most marketable players in college basketball. But overall, her jump into NIL opportunities has been thoughtful and deliberate, some may be wondering why they don’t see her name associated with more brands. Read more about her personal NIL strategy here.

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SOCIAL MEDIA CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Instagram is just one way to reach fans

Social media is one of the easiest and least expensive ways for student-athletes to market themselves. By gaining followers and adding tracking metrics to their posts, they can prove their value to brands who are looking reach specific markets. How do student-athletes know their social media reach, here is a little more insight.

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TIMING IS EVERYTHING – ESPECIALLY IN NIL!

NCAA suspends Illinois star center for selling memorabilia before NIL

The Kofi Cockburn story is a great example as to why student-athletes should track all NIL disclosures. The NIL rules continue to change and while this specific situation occurred before NIL legislation passed, we don’t know how things will change moving forward.

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Spry 5 – October 26, 2021

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New seasons bring new changes

As the fall sports season begins to wind down and championship trophies are awarded, student-athletes will have time to reflect on their sports seasons. Some will look at the on-field successes and failures while others will analyze their NIL opportunities and earnings. Now is a good time to recap the NIL transactions we have seen taking place and also look at how the NIL conversation continues to pivot, for example into high school sports. But as we know, “to everything, there is a season.”


IT’S WORKING! FANS SUPPORT THE BRANDS THAT HAVE ALIGNED THEMSELVES WITH STUDENT-ATHLETES.

Paying student-athletes pays off!

Brands that have aligned themselves with student-athletes are starting to see the rewards! Often these brands are viewed favorably, especially among sports fans, for supporting student-athletes in NIL deals. Read more to see how sports fans reveal their satisfaction with brands choosing to spend their money on NIL deals.

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THERE ARE MANY GREY AREAS WHEN IT COMES TO BRANDS OFFERING NIL DEALS

Right or wrong? Who decides?

There is something about “student-athletes” that we want to protect. Is it because of their age? Or because they are at school? That is why there is a lot of conversation about these “taboo” (alcohol, gambling, etc) NIL opportunities. Many of these deals are the first of their kind, so we do not know what to expect. But the only way to find out is to keep moving forward.

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AT WHAT POINT ARE STUDENT-ATHLETES READY TO SEIZE THEIR OWN NIL OPPORTUNITIES

Are high school students ready for NIL?

As fast as institutions are putting NIL procedures in place, they are being faced with new challenges. Some states are discussing legislation that allows high school student-athletes to take advantage of their name, image and likeness. It will be interesting to watch and see how this next level unfolds.

Read Article >

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, NL OPPORTUNITIES ARE APPROVED FOR NY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES

Revisions to amateur rules allow NY state athletes NIL opportunities

Just this week, NY has revised language establishing amateur status. Now, high school athletes have the unique opportunity to use their NIL to secure deals and potentially affect their recruiting strategies.

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