Leveraging NIL and Revenue Sharing in College Football: A Strategic Approach to Recruiting and Roster Management

Have you noticed how much college football has changed lately? With Name, Image, Likeness (NIL), and revenue sharing taking center stage, it's a new ballgame out there. College football programs aim to recruit top talent and effectively manage their rosters. The landscape has shifted dramatically, and for college football GMs, player personnel, recruiting staff, and coaches, understanding how to navigate these elements is crucial to building competitive teams while maintaining program integrity and cohesion.

NIL: The New Recruiting Tool

Let's be real: recruiting has always been the game of getting the best talent. But now, NIL deals have added a new dimension. Top recruits are increasingly considering schools' NIL potential when making their decisions. Schools in major markets or with prominent alumni bases often have a competitive advantage. Still, it's not just about location; programs must also have a robust infrastructure to help athletes navigate these opportunities. The story of Quinn Ewers skipping his senior year of high school for NIL opportunities at Ohio State shows us that NIL can accelerate recruiting decisions and shift players between programs.

Key NIL recruiting strategies:

• Education and Transparency: Recruits and their families must be well-informed about your program's opportunities through partnerships, sponsorships, and access to resources that allow them to maximize their NIL potential. General managers and player personnel staff should collaborate with compliance and legal teams to ensure clarity and transparency.
• Partnership with Local Businesses and Alumni: It is critical to build a strong network of local businesses, alumni, and community organizations that engage with athletes. Highlighting these partnerships during the recruiting process helps illustrate the real-world opportunities athletes can take advantage of while in school. In 2023, top college athletes earned $45,000 through NIL deals, with an estimated 65% of athletes engaging in sponsorships.
• Support Systems: Showcasing the program's support structure, such as NIL advisors, branding coaches, and financial literacy programs, reassures recruits that they won't have to navigate the complexities of NIL on their own. Successful athletes will be those who can balance both athletic performance and personal brand management.

Revenue Sharing as a Tool for Roster Management

As the conversation around revenue sharing between universities and athletes continues to evolve, it has the potential to become a game-changer in roster management. While still a developing concept, revenue sharing can provide an added incentive for athletes to remain at a school. Reducing the likelihood of transfers and promoting long-term roster stability.

Revenue Sharing in Roster Management

• Think about this: A star running back faces temptation and the lure of the transfer portal but is retained by his current program through a revenue-sharing model, offering financial stability tied to performance and leadership roles. This is how programs can use revenue-sharing to build & manage their roster.
• Retention of Star Players: How will your program retain key players when lucrative NIL deals at other schools are so tempting? In an age where the transfer portal gives athletes increased flexibility, revenue sharing could be a way to retain key players whom NIL deals at other programs might otherwise sway. By tying revenue-sharing agreements to performance, academics, or leadership roles, schools can incentivize athletes to stay and grow within the program.
• Balancing Team Dynamics: While NIL deals often favor star players, revenue sharing can create a more equitable environment within a team, distributing financial benefits more evenly. This helps prevent resentment or disruption in the locker room if only a few athletes are reaping major NIL rewards.
• Long-Term Planning: For general managers, incorporating revenue sharing into roster management means thinking long-term. Programs can foster player development and continuity rather than chasing short-term success by strategically offering revenue-sharing opportunities based on athletic and academic milestones.

Mitigating Risks: Compliance and Culture

With great opportunities come great challenges. NIL and revenue sharing can complicate roster management if not handled properly. A critical responsibility for any college football head coach or general manager is ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations and maintaining a culture that prioritizes team success over individual financial gain. Think about it: as a college football GM, it's not just about making flashy commitments; it's also about keeping everyone on the same page and making sure the culture has a standard. We can use Nick Saban's approach to team culture from his time as Alabama's head coach. Coach Saban believed that a player's success stemmed from the overall success of the team.

Managing Compliance and Culture

• Clear Guidelines and Policies: Schools need to establish and enforce clear policies regarding NIL and revenue sharing, in line with NCAA rules and state laws. Having a robust compliance team that works closely with the football program ensures that athletes and staff stay within legal boundaries.
• Building a Team-First Culture: A key challenge is maintaining a cohesive team culture in an environment where individual players may have differing levels of NIL earnings. General managers, coaches, and team leaders must emphasize the importance of team goals, setting the expectation that individual success aligns with collective achievement. Encouraging open dialogue among players and staff can help alleviate potential tensions and foster a strong, united locker room.

Data-Driven NIL and Revenue Strategies

Incorporating data analytics into NIL and revenue-sharing strategies is a forward-thinking approach to roster management. By analyzing data on player performance, market trends, social media engagement, and potential NIL earnings, general managers can make more informed decisions in terms of recruiting and roster building.

Leveraging Data to Optimize NIL and Revenue Sharing:

• Player Evaluation: Use data on an athlete's social media presence and marketability in addition to athletic performance to assess their NIL potential. This helps in identifying which recruits or current players may be most attractive to potential sponsors, allowing the program to strategically support their branding efforts.
• Roster Construction: General managers can use this tool to evaluate which positions or player types (e.g., quarterbacks or wide receivers with higher NIL appeal) are most critical to target in recruiting to maximize overall team value.

NIL and revenue sharing are transforming the landscape of college football, creating both challenges and opportunities for general managers, player personnel, recruiting departments, and coaches. By proactively incorporating these elements into recruiting and roster management strategies, programs can attract top talent, retain key players, and build a team culture that thrives in this new environment. The successful programs of the future will be those that balance the business of NIL with the traditions and core values of college football, all while staying committed to the development and success of their student-athletes on and off the field.