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WWE Broadens Talent Pool, NCAA Mulls Player Pay, and Calls for NIL Support Surge

Today's digest delves into WWE expanding its NIL program with fresh collegiate talent, NCAA's consideration of direct athlete pay stirring debate, and a spike in NIL donation appeals from football coaches. Meanwhile, professional sports unions advocate for college athletes' rights to unionize.

Author

Jack M
December 07, 2023

WWE Expands NIL Roster with Talented Collegiate Athletes

  • WWE celebrates two years of the "Next In Line" NIL program by signing 14 new college athletes, including stars like Lucas Davison and Stephen Buchanan, and extends its reach with its first acrobatics and baseball participants.

  • The fourth class of "Next In Line" showcases a diverse group from across ten NCAA conferences, representing 14 different universities with athletes bringing a wide array of skills and impressive physical stats.

  • WWE's NIL program not only boosts athlete's WWE potential but also enriches their personal brands with media training and live event promotion, highlighted by athletes' strong social media presence tallying millions of followers.

NCAA Envisions Bold Changes with NIL Proposal

Charlie Baker

  • NCAA President Charlie Baker proposes a pioneering path for selected Division I schools to pay athletes, sparking discussions among college sports officials about the future of student compensation.

  • Baker proposes a move away from amateurism, allowing direct payments to student-athletes and in-house marketing deals to curb third-party influence.

  • Baker's plan introduces the idea of a trust fund for athletes at top resource schools, extending beyond scholarships and addressing in-house NIL compensations and educational benefits.

  • This change aims to distribute revenue more evenly, potentially addressing Title IX disparities, as the current model heavily favors male-dominated sports.

  • While some praise the proposal's direction, there's concern it may widen the resource gap between schools, with the potential for federal law to ultimately shape the landscape of athlete compensation and employment.

College Football Coaches Appeal Directly to Fans for NIL Support

  • College football coaches publicly request donations from fans for NIL funding to retain and recruit players, capitalizing on transfer season urgency.

  • NIL collectives receive a significant uptick in donations following appeals from coaches, showcasing a shift from traditional university fundraising methods.

  • Concerns grow over the sustainability of this model, as fan contributions become central to the financial strategy of competitive collegiate athletics.

Professional Sports Unions Back College Athletes' Right to Unionize and Employee Status

  • Five professional sports labor unions publicly support the idea of college athletes being recognized as employees with the right to unionize.

  • Legislators reintroduce the "College Athletes Right to Organize Act" to classify athletes with school benefits as employees under the National Labor Relations Act.

  • The NCAA actively lobbies against such classifications, spending millions in court to preserve the traditional model of student-athletes.