Nearly two years since the passing of NIL, its landscape at Maryland holds concerns

By: Michael Howes, Sam Jane and Brendan Weissel

It has been two years since NIL broke onto the scene of college athletics, forever changing the way the NCAA and student athletes operate on a day-to-day basis. Yet so far, the ruling has created far more confusion than anticipated.

After NIL’s passing on June 21, 2021, college athletes have been able to profit off of their name, image and likeness. Players are now able to sign autographs in exchange for compensation, which wasn’t allowed in the past. The case was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it ruled unanimously in favor of the athletes, forcing the NCAA to allow the rule change.

There has been an onslaught of ‘collectives’ formed across the country since the ruling. While there is no concrete definition, collectives are loosely defined as pools of funding from prominent alumni and boosters. The pool of money raised is then funneled to various student-athletes. 

But those collectives have caused growing concerns.

“The collectives, I don’t think that was thought of as true NIL, we have gone completely outside of what I think the intention of the rule was,” Maryland softball coach Mark Montgomery said.

“I just know that if there was a collective, [the teammates who cashed in] would probably make even more money,” Maryland women’s basketball forward Brinae Alexander said.

Montgomery and Alexander aren’t the only two with doubts about Maryland’s NIL structure, as numerous people tied to the university see an unsettled NIL situation.

Six-figure deals and out-of-sight collectives have been elements of the NCAA’s new structure, or as baseball coach Rob Vaughn put it, “pay for play.” NIL has tipped the scale for how different schools approach their athletic programs, leaving some in disarray while others thrive. 

Yet that’s been the case since NIL was first enacted.

Background of NIL at Maryland

Athletic departments entered the new age of NIL confused on what’s allowed within the new ruling.

Consequently, schools have seen collectives formed for various athletic programs. As of July 1, 2022, 92 percent of the 65 Power Five schools either had a collective or were in the process of forming one.

There are three unique collectives for separate teams in College Park. The Maryland men’s basketball team is supported by the collective Turtle NIL, the football team is financed by The Best Is Ahead Foundation (TBIAF), and the men’s lacrosse team is aided by Hardshell Collective.

According to Grayson Wagner, Maryland’s director of NIL services, the majority of athlete’s deals are provided through the various collectives. But Wagner also said he believes only 30 to 40 percent of athletes at Maryland last season received at least one NIL deal.

In order for Maryland to compete with the upper-echelon of college athletics, the connection between fans, collectives and the athletic department needs to be stronger, according to Wagner.

“There’s the true NIL side, we’re seeing the fan deals, we’re seeing smaller local brands interact with student athletes … I think building a strong base with that is super important,” Wagner said. “But also making sure because of the way our relationships are with collectives, making sure that that’s as strong as possible …. So we are able to be mentioned in those conversations with SEC schools, whatever it may be.”

Where Maryland stands

It’s well documented that the high revenue Maryland sports (football and men’s basketball) haven’t matched some of the elite success of the A-list programs across the country over the past decade. 

Maryland ranks seventh in the Big Ten in combined win total between men’s basketball and football since joining the conference in 2014.

But the Terps are also a step behind in the NIL world. 

Top-tier programs such as Ohio State, Tennessee and others have released specific name, image and likeness deals that athletes have received. 

Sprye Sports — a collective for Tennessee — strives to produce upwards of $25 million annually. That money goes straight into the hands of athletes and recruits, per founder Hunter Baddour. 

Meanwhile, when asked for information about players’ agreements or the amount of money the Maryland collectives generated, each respective spokesperson for the collectives declined to comment.

The Terps’ collectives expressed there are fundamental differences between Maryland and others. 

“There’s been some crazy deals that make no sense at other schools, that are just not market value at all,” Turtle’s NIL (men’s basketball collective) Director of Operations Alex O’Neil said.

Maryland collectives have encountered issues with consistent fundraising. At Turtle NIL, the group hopes to have 500-plus subscribers across all levels for the club’s membership packages by the start of next season, according to O’Neil.

Fans can support the collectives through various package deals. Turtle NIL offers four different subscriptions, each providing different benefits to fans based on the amount of money donated.

Yet the athletic department’s NIL director believes that Maryland still has a ways to go in informing fans about the ways they can support their teams.

“I think we have a great fan base, and one that really wants to get involved. But I think the biggest thing is just the awareness of the different ways that they can help,” Wagner said. “And you know, right now, not everybody might know … how to give to men’s basketball, or to TBIAF or Hardshell.”

Lack of equity

NIL has not only left fans unaware, but its intentions have also left non-revenue and women’s sports in the dark. 

Non-revenue sports don’t generate immediate revenue for the university, unlike revenue sports such as football and men’s basketball.

Despite elite programs such as women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, and field hockey providing 68 percent of Maryland’s NCAA championships since 2000, only three female athletes — former women’s basketball guard Diamond Miller, women’s lacrosse defender Abby Bosco and gymnast Olivia Weir — are valued in the top 100 athletes at Maryland, according to the On3 NIL track tracker.

None of the three rank in the top 50.

Opendorse is a vehicle for NIL social media deals, acting as a nationwide athlete marketplace that features over 100,000 signed up athletes. Per their 2022 nationwide NIL report, the majority of brand compensation — 62 percent — and fan compensation — 72 percent — went to male athletes. More jarring is that 93 percent of donor compensation went to men’s athletics.

“I think we definitely need a lot more support and representation for the female student-athletes,” Wagner, the university’s director of NIL, said.

Alexander revealed that while she and some of her women’s basketball teammates secured NIL agreements through their personal brand, the responsibility to secure other deals fell squarely on their shoulders.

A team spokesperson revealed that every player received a shirt jersey agreement from Under Armour for a flat rate for the 2022-23 season. But deals beyond that were limited and up to a player’s discretion. Alexander made approximately $150 last season from selling her own tee-shirts.

Meanwhile, at one of the premiere collegiate women’s basketball programs in South Carolina, each player on its roster received at least $25,000 this past season through a collective deal, according to a NOCAP Sports release.

The lack of a collective at Maryland leaves social media as one of the only avenues for female and non-revenue athletes to earn money. 

Over 200 Maryland athletes have disclosed an NIL social media deal via Opendorse, including Alexander, baseball shortstop Matt Shaw and softball catcher Kiley Goff, among others.

But the platform can only do so much.

“I think that if I was in a powerhouse sport where there’s a bunch of people watching your games, I do think that I probably would be making a lot more money than what I have,” Goff said.

The Uncertain Future

Maryland is one of the schools struggling to navigate this new terrain, with foundations supporting only three of its 20 athletic programs. While collectives have helped some schools thrive, others have encountered issues with consistent fundraising and questions about their practices. 

As the NCAA continues to grapple with the implications of NIL, it remains to be seen how college athletics will evolve over the next few years.

But the questions ring louder than the answers.

As Montgomery said, “I don’t think NIL in its current form is sustainable.” 

More information on NIL at Maryland can be found on the Under the Shell podcast