Sam Webb: Michigan and NIL Doing Big Things
On Monday’s Recruiting Round-Up segment Sam mentions that Walter Nolen’s dad has told him that Michigan is all over NIL deals but they just aren’t talking about it publicly. Below is a link to the segment and I’m pretty sure it should be queued but if not it’s the last 60 seconds of the segment.
https://overcast.fm/+FRnKNw9SA/10:24
Also, JJ McCarthy is promoting Direct TV today. ?
September 14th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
I feel like as long as players and recruits know Michigan is on top of the NIL game that's all they need, but publicity wouldn't hurt in this regard. It's all marketing anyway.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
I feel like they're probably keeping it on the DL to maintain that "pure", traditional Michigan aura about the program for all the fans that take pride in not having adverts in the stadium, etc. Cuz like you said, if the players/recruits know, that's the important thing.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
To hell with that, they need to let it be known to pique recruits interest! Just like standing at a podium and saying "Our starting QB that hasn't started a game yet, already has almost $1M in NIL deals." You think 5* kids and their families aren't interested to know that? Not all of the recruits know what Michigan is about and what they are doing behind the scenes as far as NIL. Especially if they want to compete against the "bagmen" in the South. I get that they don't want players that are just interested in the money, but there are good kids from good families that Michigan will miss out on because they don't hear of Michigan doing anything in the media when it comes to NIL.
September 14th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
You are yelling about nothing.
They obviously would be telling recruits, especially those they are interested in, about the NIL options. Just because us random fans don't hear about them all doesnt mean its not part of the pitch.
You replied to a poster who's first sentence was literally, "as long as they are telling the players and recruits"
September 14th, 2021 at 9:02 PM ^
Yup...makes absolutely zero sense. The value in using a person's identity for commercial purposes is based entirely on the publicity they can provide. That's why Olivia Dunne of LSU gymnastics with 4.5 million TikTok followers is making seven figures while the number 1 projected pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (Carson Strong, Nevada, QB) is making peanuts. Why would you be trying to "keep it on the down low?" That'd be kind of like trying to sell your car and then hiding the car in the garage and not telling anybody that it's for sale.
Hopefully Michigan is preparing to unveil some sort of innovative approach to maximize profitability for the players using NIL deals.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
I don't find it significantly different than the totally reasonable and honest practice of Michigan demonstrating high visibility of the program as a means of players to potentially increase their prominence and hence future marketability to the NFL and advertisers.
The only difference now is that we can remove the word "future" without breaking any rules.
Same difference. It's an advantage UM has and to not use it would be incompetence.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^
I could be wrong. But I just have this feeling that Michigan *should* dominate NIL. We have an absolutely massive fanbase, combined with an excellent business school. A Michigan kid could successfully market stuff from Ann Arbor to New York to LA and still reach out to Michigan fans.
September 14th, 2021 at 3:16 PM ^
There were so many wonderweenies and rupturesquirts here proclaiming that the UM sucked at NIL THREE SECONDS after it became a thing. . . bit of a low point for mgoblog, IMO.
Thank god that we are all united in our delight with the team once again. :)
September 14th, 2021 at 3:24 PM ^
The reflexive negativity seems to be at an all time high.
September 14th, 2021 at 5:45 PM ^
Wait this can’t be. People on hear just last week were crying that UM president was blocking any of this from happening
September 15th, 2021 at 11:38 AM ^
Why does this program always treat it's fans like shit? "Oh trust us, big things are happening. You just don't need to know about it."
September 14th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
I feel like as long as players and recruits know Michigan is on top of the NIL game that's all they need, but publicity wouldn't hurt in this regard. It's all marketing anyway.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
You can say that again.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^
Don't encourage him. Let's face NIL only matters to the team and the players and recruits. We don't have to know anything about it. Hell it's probably better if we don't.
September 14th, 2021 at 5:51 PM ^
I think publicity would hurt. Why tip off to anyone what we are doing, except to the top recruits we want?
September 14th, 2021 at 12:49 PM ^
How can there be NIL deals without it being public? Isnt that the point? Like here is X player promoting Y product? It seems impossible that it is a private deal unless the school is just giving kids money directly through donors without using their name or image
September 14th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
Or you have NIL deal with local car dealership. Show up once a month for 5 minutes wave and drive off in a new whip and a McDonald’s bag of money in the glove box. I’m sure Michigan has a slew of wealthy Alumni.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
Harbaugh isn’t using the podium to talk about how much the guys are making. Saban made headlines doing this, OSU made headlines with Ewers deal. I think he means you won’t see the AD making sure it makes the news cycle in an effort to recruit and grab attention.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
The terms of the deals can remain private / vague. They're not out there publicly talking about how JJ is making X dollars this year like Alabama. To the OP's point, as a long as the recruits know how much there is to be made, that's all that matters (but yes, perhaps more publicly screaming about it, means more recruits know? dunno).
September 14th, 2021 at 3:06 PM ^
Take "not being made public" to mean "we arent sitting in press conferences yelling about how much JJ is making or making Twitter posts telling everyone about it."
They are just letting the deals be set up and executed without saying "hey everyone look at how good we look"
September 14th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^
That's not what he saying. He thinks we should know what Michigan's involvement in the players obtaining deals. We don't need to know what the school is doing in helping kids get these deals.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
Keeping things on the hush hush seems very counter productive.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
If keeping things hush hush with specific players results in Walter Nolen wearing Maize & Blue, then I'm all for it!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
Keeping things on the hush hush is a very UM thing to do. It's the Michigan Way, and this is Michigan!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
Disagree, as long as we can point to concrete evidence when talking to our targets, that's all that matters.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:18 PM ^
Depending on the nature of the deals, keeping it quiet may actually make a lot of sense. No need to create more competition by divulging any unique or propriety agreements which can not be protected.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:55 PM ^
This is just my perception from having grown up around Ann Arbor and having been on campus as a student for several years - Michigan has built up probably some of the highest brand equity in the college world, and I've always been of the opinion that they do believe that this is ultimately sufficient in some way. Sure, they will make heavy use of NIL, even do innovative things with it now that you can, but it will always be ultimately about the Block "M" and the mechanics of how that equity increases over time probably will not be fussed over too much, at least not publicly. That just seems to be how they've always been.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
I did hear that from Sam Webb.
Its good to hear and I hope that's true. It seems we don't publicize it well.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^
Now that's what I'm talking about! I was a little concerned Michigan was being too obtuse about the direction college athletics was going. There is no way to stop this money train, so if you want to compete at the highest level, you best jump on board now. Sounds like, anecdotally, Michigan has some big things in the works (DirecTV isn't car dealership money we're talking about). If Michigan can find a way to "corporatize" the bag money, and do so in a way that is not exploitative towards the players, they could be an almost unstoppable recruiting machine so long as the play on the field continues to improve.
Get that money young JJ!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
I'm sure the 5* QB's and WR's are chomping at the big to be a part of that!!!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
Champing. Champing at the bit.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
I'm more of a "chomping at the big" kinda guy.
Champing at the bit, just a lot of pretense. Pretense and horses. Chomping at the big, that's an everyman's phrase!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^
This is another misnomer, and one I don't think we've seen here often, but yes, "Champing" is the correct term. For all intensive purposes.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
Intents and purposes?
September 14th, 2021 at 5:43 PM ^
WOOOSH
September 14th, 2021 at 8:14 PM ^
You took it for granite that he'd get the joke.
September 14th, 2021 at 9:36 PM ^
It's a mute point.
September 15th, 2021 at 9:44 AM ^
Maybe a joke, maybe not. Funny either way.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
Good to hear. I’ve been concerned about this, so it would be nice if we turned out to be quietly on top of things
September 14th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
The deals will eventually come out when the players sign or get on campus, or when the actual promotions come out. Hoping they're just keeping it hush hush in order to stay an inch ahead of the game and they have a unique approach that they want to be the only ones to have. They could leverage this so many ways with the business school and the alumni base at their disposal. NIL can be the equalizer to get us out of the terrible state of Big 3-4 Little 200 that college football has become, if schools are smart about it. Sounds like all the recruits over the weekend loved the atmosphere as expected. We've heard that before but lost guys due to shady reasons. Time to level the playing field.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
Money talks and wealth whispers.
September 14th, 2021 at 9:25 PM ^
Bro, I’m being seriously considered by the NBA
September 14th, 2021 at 1:29 PM ^
So, the more interesting subtext of this all is how it relates specifically to Walter Nolen. It's apparently not a small secret that NIL is a BIG BIG factor for Nolen and his college decision. His mom made the trip up with him this weekend and has family in the area. Walter had recently listed a Top 5 that didn't include Michigan at all, and the "good guys" were and are still viewed to be outsiders in this race.
But dad making positive remarks to Sam regarding Michigan's advancements re: NIL is big both in the macro, and in the micro.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^
NIL or not, how does Nolan pick Tennessee? Even if its his home state... that program is a awful in every way and they will have a new coach in 2 years or less. But, Bama, i get it fine i guess. if you wanna be THAT kind of person. Hope he's staying open and we dont crap the bed.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:10 PM ^
Tennessee's DL coach is Rodney Garner who is one of the top DL coaches in the country. Garner has been coaching DL in the SEC at UGA and Auburn since the 90s. He's credited with 9 5*s and 16 more Top 100 commits on 247, so he's an elite recruiter. And he can claim plenty of NFL draft picks as well. It's a pretty compelling resume to pitch to an elite talent.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
You can throw a rock from Powell and hit Knoxville as well. It's basically questioning why any kid at Ann Arbor Pioneer would consider going to Michigan.
That said, I don't think Tesla is here for logic. He's just here to let us sizzle in his hot, hot takes.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
He also specifically moved to Powell this summer. Supposedly Michigan tried to get him to move to Detroit but he moved to Knoxville instead. Tennessee is clearly a contender. I think their DL coach is a big reason why.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:22 PM ^
Ok Joe. We get you didn't like Michigan and you love Tennessee. Stay off the blog and I hope the leg heals.
September 14th, 2021 at 2:32 PM ^
You've got me all wrong: I'm actually Brian Jean-Mary