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- Thread starter Smudger
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knuckifyoubuck
All-American
See attached for OSU NIL guidelines. That is correct they can not use OSU logos or trademarks (even helmet award stickers & helmet stripes cannot be used) and they still can't sell their own stuff!
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IMHO, the only way to make NIL "upfront" money work is this: Each player gets an annuity of a set dollar amount (say $1,000,000) held in his name. The annuity pays out when the player leaves the Ohio State football team, whether by running out of eligibility, entry into the NFL draft, transfer, injury, or otherwise.
Players would "earn" annuity money in a similar way to earning Buckeye leaf helmet stickers (green or black, doesn't matter). Annuity money would be earned based on individual performance (snap counts, stats, film grades, etc); team performance (total wins, beating scUM, winning B1G, etc), academics (class attendance, Academic All Big Ten, etc), and character (team captain, coach evaluations, etc).
It should be relatively difficult for a player to earn the entire $1,000,000 and it would probably require (at a minimum) a player staying all four (or five) years, being a multi-year All Big Ten selection, being an All American, being part of a multi-championship team, being a team captain, being a multi-year Academic All Big Ten selection, and not having any character issues.
Using the above model, a player could earn some annuity money even if he doesn't play much or at all (say Kamryn Babb) through team performance, academics, and character. Maybe have a minimum "good soldier" payment of say $250,000 for kids who are loyal to the program but for whatever reason just can't compete.
Any annuity money not earned by the player would be returned to the general fund.
A player could theoretically earn extra money beyond the $1,000,000 (taken from the general fund) by staying for four years and for outstanding achievements (All American, major award winner, etc) ... someone like James Laurinaitis comes to mind (3-time AA, Academic AA, Butkus, Nagurski, Lott).
If a player leaves the team early for any reason, then he forfeits any unearned annuity money, which would then be returned to the general fund (exceptions to full forfeiture could be made for "hardship" cases, like career-ending injuries). If a player transfers, then he also forfeits a percentage of his earned annuity money (say 30%) as a "restocking fee".
Players would "earn" annuity money in a similar way to earning Buckeye leaf helmet stickers (green or black, doesn't matter). Annuity money would be earned based on individual performance (snap counts, stats, film grades, etc); team performance (total wins, beating scUM, winning B1G, etc), academics (class attendance, Academic All Big Ten, etc), and character (team captain, coach evaluations, etc).
It should be relatively difficult for a player to earn the entire $1,000,000 and it would probably require (at a minimum) a player staying all four (or five) years, being a multi-year All Big Ten selection, being an All American, being part of a multi-championship team, being a team captain, being a multi-year Academic All Big Ten selection, and not having any character issues.
Using the above model, a player could earn some annuity money even if he doesn't play much or at all (say Kamryn Babb) through team performance, academics, and character. Maybe have a minimum "good soldier" payment of say $250,000 for kids who are loyal to the program but for whatever reason just can't compete.
Any annuity money not earned by the player would be returned to the general fund.
A player could theoretically earn extra money beyond the $1,000,000 (taken from the general fund) by staying for four years and for outstanding achievements (All American, major award winner, etc) ... someone like James Laurinaitis comes to mind (3-time AA, Academic AA, Butkus, Nagurski, Lott).
If a player leaves the team early for any reason, then he forfeits any unearned annuity money, which would then be returned to the general fund (exceptions to full forfeiture could be made for "hardship" cases, like career-ending injuries). If a player transfers, then he also forfeits a percentage of his earned annuity money (say 30%) as a "restocking fee".
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That is the equivalent of an incentive laden contract in the NFL.
If the other guy is offering you more money, sooner and guaranteed...why on earth would you take the OSU deal?
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For the same reason that you shouldn't blow your entire paycheck every two weeks and should allocate some of it toward savings (your future).
It's not like an Ohio State player would be receiving nothing along the way - he'd get all the current benefits of a college scholarship and membership on the football, plus he'd still have the ability to earn NIL money on his own through endorsements, autograph signings, or whatever.
If I'm an employer (in this case, Ohio State football), I'm not giving guaranteed money to an employee (high school kid) who has zero track record. Some kids will buy into the long game, some kids won't ... and the kids who won't can go elsewhere regardless of how much talent/potential that they may possess. I'm not going to become Texas A+M just so I can "win" Signing Day.
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I hear you on your philosophy of compensation and in a vacuum I don't necessarily disagree with it. The problem is your ability to attract & retain talent is always relative to your offering in the open market and paying less, later just isn't going to give you the ability to compete.
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dragurd
Head Coach
In this case you might be able to get by. Not if you offered less though but by offering more but it being incentive laden. People might be willing to work for it if it's more beneficial to them long term even if it's short term less.
But yeah less money and incentive laden isn't going to go over well
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
Isn't this similar to what they currently have?
I think the issue OSU is, the SEC schools are throwing big money right out of the get go. Especially the areas OSU really needs filled this year.
I think this whole thing will progressively work itself out the more programs get burned by giving away big money and it not working out for whatever reason. Also, I think the transfer portal will work itself out once players start seeing the grass isn't greener.
But it may be a painful process to getting there.
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Yes, people will do it now for more later but it has to be a LOT more. Making things performance driven, putting in claw backs and, essentially, a vesting component all make sense but not in the current market.
I also think this will work itself out to some degree on the NIL front because there is only so much money people are going to throw at a zero ROI endeavor. Yes you can get a tax write off and yes there is the emotional coin of helping your team win but sooner than later seven figure payouts to induce Johnny Six Guns to come to deal old U, only to watch him take the money and run a year later, is going to wear on even the most rabid booster. (I think)
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And if the SEC is buying players who will never play for them (because they transfer after one year or get into off-the-field trouble), then how is that pay-for-play scheme giving those schools a competitive advantage over Ohio State?
There's a huge difference between what you can buy and what you can keep.
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Unfortunately it seems like they are using the same NIL approach with transfers.
I agree with you though, OSU needs to figure out how they want to compete for talent and start doing it very well.
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
I don't know if the university is per se, or their outside interests are willing to give large sums of money for a commitment.
I think OSU has made a decision to not go at NIL that way. OSU's current plan makes sense, however, the team is getting pummelled right now because other schools aren't doing it like OSU.
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One thought I have been having on this is that maybe men's basketball might show us some lessons to be learned here.
Before NIL when the payments to players handlers was just over the top guys like Thad Matta faced this similar kind of decision. It starts with the level of talent you are looking for. Are you watching high school kids and only going after future 1st round NFL players or are you looking for guys who project to be very good college players?
If you want the future 1st round NFL guys then there is a price to be paid (literally and figuratively).
You might have to just say to hell with it, I can build a year in year out competitive team full of solid to excellent college players that will always be in the tourney and sometimes make a deep run. If this is the path, then you still have to go compete like hell for those kind of guys and be excellent in your development of them.
Like most things in this world, a blended approach is probably best but you are going to have to face the new realities and decide to where and how you want to compete.
Before NIL when the payments to players handlers was just over the top guys like Thad Matta faced this similar kind of decision. It starts with the level of talent you are looking for. Are you watching high school kids and only going after future 1st round NFL players or are you looking for guys who project to be very good college players?
If you want the future 1st round NFL guys then there is a price to be paid (literally and figuratively).
You might have to just say to hell with it, I can build a year in year out competitive team full of solid to excellent college players that will always be in the tourney and sometimes make a deep run. If this is the path, then you still have to go compete like hell for those kind of guys and be excellent in your development of them.
Like most things in this world, a blended approach is probably best but you are going to have to face the new realities and decide to where and how you want to compete.
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