Richmond NIL

[nathanw19]

I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed, but not being physically in Richmond anymore, I was hoping some locals could give any updates on Richmond players having NIL (Name Image Likeness) deals?

Are local radio spots using Gilly and Grant? Is there a new version of “the billboard”, but instead it’s Burton selling me a new car? I would think/hope that there is a market for Richmond bball players getting some local marketing deals (and would be devastated if they’re just going to VCU players…).

 

[SFspidur]

No idea, but I did see the school launched an NIL initiative partnership among athletics, the B-school, and the law school last week.

Spider Athletics Announces Spider NIL Initiative - University of Richmond Athletics

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond athletics department, in collaboration with the Robins School of Business and the University of Richmond School of Law,

richmondspiders.com

 

[Eight Legger]

Haven't seen or heard any athletes from any schools in the state doing ads for anyone. But I imagine some are doing camps and things liked that.

 

[BOSRIC]

No idea, but I did see the school launched an NIL initiative partnership among athletics, the B-school, and the law school last week.

Spider Athletics Announces Spider NIL Initiative - University of Richmond Athletics

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond athletics department, in collaboration with the Robins School of Business and the University of Richmond School of Law,

richmondspiders.com

The B-school, law school, athletic dept collab is pretty cool.

 

[SpiderTrap]

My guess is that if we have not heard of anyone getting a sizable NIL deal, then they likely have not gotten one. It would be good marketing for recruiting purposes to showcase an NIL deal if a player has one, as it shows to recruits - we can get you a local NIL deal and put some money in your pocket.

 

[BOSRIC]

This is great, but only a competitive differentiator for schools without graduate law program: The partnership with the Richmond School of Law is another uniquely Richmond aspect of the Spider NIL Initiative. Spider student-athletes will be provided programming and education from Law School faculty and alumni on intellectual property law, basic contract law, the right to publicity and other areas of interest pertaining to the NIL space.

 

[Ferrum Spider]

If I were local brewers and beer could be part of NIL

Spider Brewing Company
Grants Golden Ale
Gilyards Go-Go-Gose
Burton Hoppy IPA
Andre Gose-tavson
Sal's Soul Stout
Grace Period Porter
Connor Crab Appletree Cider
IPA'ah Wilson
Bailey's Bock
Cayo's Canadian Cream Ale/Cayo's Chocolate Porter
Randolphs Red Ale
Aidens Pale Ale
Dread or Alive IPA
Spicy Sherrod IPA

 

[BOSRIC]

If I were local brewers and beer could be part of NIL

Spider Brewing Company
Grants Golden Ale
Gilyards Go-Go-Gose
Burton Hoppy IPA
Andre Gose-tavson
Sal's Soul Stout
Grace Period Porter
Connor Crab Appletree Cider
IPA'ah Wilson
Bailey's Bock
Cayo's Canadian Cream Ale/Cayo's Chocolate Porter
Randolphs Red Ale
Aidens Pale Ale
Dread or Alive IPA
Spicy Sherrod IPA

Solid, but up here in Burton country it’s all about NEIPAs, double IPA’s and barrel-aged adjunct stouts. I would be happy to drink any Spider beer however.

 

[SFspidur]

Gilyard appears to have signed an NIL deal of some sort.

 

[SpiderFan]

I hear some folks attached to Richmond are looking for some players to be on a billboard soon...

 

[32counter]

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

too bad that richmond alienated one of the few alumni who could fund this. This is what happens when the "woke" police win.

 

[97spiderfan]

The loss of the Ukrop's support of UR athletics was really unfortunate and I'm not disagreeing with it. However, blaming it on the "woke" police, whatever the hell that might be, seems a bit of stretch. I don't know the details but it seems more like Queally had more $$$ than the Ukrop's and when Queally wanted lacrosse, we took his larger paycheck over the Ukrops and their affinty for soccer.

 

[urmite]

The loss of the Ukrop's support of UR athletics was really unfortunate and I'm not disagreeing with it. However, blaming it on the "woke" police, whatever the hell that might be, seems a bit of stretch. I don't know the details but it seems more like Queally had more $$$ than the Ukrop's and when Queally wanted lacrosse, we took his larger paycheck over the Ukrops and their affinty for soccer.

Or does he mean recent alienation of Queally?

 

[SpiderTrap]

The next step in the NIL game is for fans/supporters to create these "collectives". Basically you create a group and everyone pools their money together. And then you can turn around and give that money to the athletes through an NIL deal where you might ask for something in return from them, or nothing. It is an easy loophole for donors/fans to get involved in the NIL game without owning your own company.

Wonder if there would be any interest to do this at UR? It would likely take away from donations to the school as I imagine us small donors would have to choose - do I give my dollars to the school or to the collective.

 

[spiderman]

everyone can do what they want with their money, but I don't see the rationale of giving the 100th man on the team $25k.

we've strayed way off the page of allowing payments for name, image or likeness.

 

[SpiderK]

They will want us to throw money on to the court after every good play next.

 

[spider23]

everyone can do what they want with their money, but I don't see the rationale of giving the 100th man on the team $25k.

we've strayed way off the page of allowing payments for name, image or likeness.

Yep, I was very surprised the Kansas State guy mentioned they were doing this essentially - fully funding walk ons. Not sure how this will ever be a big thing in A10 hoops.

 

[urmite]

They will want us to thrown money on to the court after every good play next.

 

[Eight Legger]

everyone can do what they want with their money, but I don't see the rationale of giving the 100th man on the team $25k.

we've strayed way off the page of allowing payments for name, image or likeness.

The only thing I learned from this article was that K-State must have some drug dealers as alumni.

 

[Spiders4ever]

They will want us to thrown money on to the court after every good play next.

As long as they earn it.

 

[SpiderTrap]

The loss of the Ukrop's support of UR athletics was really unfortunate and I'm not disagreeing with it. However, blaming it on the "woke" police, whatever the hell that might be, seems a bit of stretch. I don't know the details but it seems more like Queally had more $$$ than the Ukrop's and when Queally wanted lacrosse, we took his larger paycheck over the Ukrops and their affinty for soccer.

We should have taken both. No reason we couldn't have had soccer and lacrosse. If the only obstacle was money, then what was the problem?

 

[urfan1]

We should have taken both. No reason we couldn't have had soccer and lacrosse. If the only obstacle was money, then what was the problem?

I have been told the men's track program cost very little additional to operate due to the overlap with the women's program.

 

[8legs1dream]

They will want us to thrown money on to the court after every good play next.

Throw a 20 after a good play and a nickel after a bad one.

 

[SpiderTrap]

I have been told the men's track program cost very little additional to operate due to the overlap with the women's program.

That makes sense. I think the bigger concern was adding lacrosse, we would need to add a women's sport for title IX reasons. So the cost associated with adding lacrosse, and then another sport was apparently deemed too high for the University with one of the highest tuitions in the country and a very healthy sized endowment. Also of concern was the "Watering down" of the student population with student-athletes, who many times have lower academic standards than the regular student. Only problem with that was they cut Men's track and soccer and I think both had higher team GPA's than the regular students. Not to mention - we don't give out many scholarships for those sports so I am willing to bet most athletes on those teams are fairly good students.

But long term - I think it would have been better to keep both from a financial perspective as you keep both "pockets" open to Queally and Ukrop. I have heard Ukrop still gives to the University, but it is considerably less and they are less involved. That is not what we want. We want people to give more and be more involved.

 

[SFspidur]

Very interested to learn how much of all this NIL stuff is "new money" and not just existing donations people are redirecting from the school to the NIL collectives.

 

[spiderman]

The only thing I learned from this article was that K-State must have some drug dealers as alumni.

think it's Texas Tech ... not K-State.

 

[spiderman]

at some point, Title IX becomes a huge problem. we offer a ton of athletic opportunities for women. but when you force things to be equal and you include football in the equation, then it's impossible to offer equal opportunities for non-football playing men.

I know a girl on a ride for crew. never rowed before college. she's on a team with 36(!) others and they share 20 full rides. it has nothing to do with excellence in crew. it's simply to offset male atheltic scholarships.

it's one reason why college costs too much. that lost tuition revenue has to be subsidized by the non-scholarship population.

 

[GKiller]

Also of concern was the "Watering down" of the student population with student-athletes, who many times have lower academic standards than the regular student. Only problem with that was they cut Men's track and soccer and I think both had higher team GPA's than the regular students.

idk on track but Ayers flat out said soccer did not. which is logical, most if not all the larger sports teams esp on mens side probably run behind the general student pop at UR. but so what. Anyway I heard him say it personally re: soccer in 1 of those alum meetings. ayers came across as petulant because he was pushed on the soccer decision by some there and basically said I don't want to answer those questions. very defensive. while the odds r he was right on that specific point I don't think he was completely truthful in that meeting either. maybe he said it as an attempt to move on from the discussion. Think it was first time I met Ayers and it wasn't a good impression. I was a little surprised because ppl were so high on getting him from uva.

 

[Ferrum Spider]

Anyway you cut it cutting the men's sports to offset the addition of lacrosse was a black eye on the university. I say this as someone who supports the Lax program. It cost us Bobby Ukrop who has all the connections to the local community that VCU took full advantage of at our expense, all to appease a tone def mega donor who has now stepped aside. It took the worlds most popular sport played by virtually every demographic in the world and replaced it with probably the most elitist sport out there possible. Should of added women's volley ball or crew and called it a day. If all those Ivy League schools can sponsor 25+ division I sports (Dartmouth is a similar size for example) without it "hurting the diversity of the student body" one would think we could do that too.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Anyway you cut it cutting the men's sports to offset the addition of lacrosse was a black eye on the university. I say this as someone who supports the Lax program. It cost us Bobby Ukrop who has all the connections to the local community that VCU took full advantage of at our expense, all to appease a tone def mega donor who has now stepped aside. It took the worlds most popular sport played by virtually every demographic in the world and replaced it with probably the most elitist sport out there possible. Should of added women's volley ball or crew and called it a day. If all those Ivy League schools can sponsor 25+ division I sports (Dartmouth is a similar size for example) without it "hurting the diversity of the student body" one would think we could do that too.

Agree- there is no doubt UR could have done it. They just didn't WANT to do it.

But good question - what women's sport would you have liked to see added? Volleyball is a good one. I think volleyball is pretty big in high schools around Richmond and adult leagues as well. And facilities could have probably used existing Robins Center.

Softball I like - but that would be the addition of a softball field. So I can see cost associated with that.

But wonder if anyone else had a women's sport they wish UR took part in.

 

[SFspidur]

The participation stat on volleyball always astounds me...95% of D-I schools sponsor it, but not us. Softball is the other big one we're missing...85% of D-I schools sponsor it.

After that it's a big drop-off...about a quarter of schools have women's rowing. Gymnastics and beach volleyball are in the 15–20% range, and then you're dropping down into the 10% and below range for sports like water polo, ice hockey, bowling, fencing, etc.

Here's an interesting new one...acrobatics and tumbling, a subset of gymnastics. There are only a handful of D-I programs, but Duquesne just announced they're adding it and it has passed 40 total NCAA programs so it can now be considered for an NCAA championship.

NCAA Acrobatics & Tumbling has taken a significant step on the road to forty

NCAA Acrobatics & Tumbling has taken a significant step on the road to forty.

thencata.org

 

[SpiderTrap]

Sounds like acrobatics and tumbling could be added if we use the men's lacrosse justification (one of the justifications given for adding it) is that with a small number of programs in existence, it will be easier for us to compete on a national level and become a top team quicker - as opposed to joining a sport with 300+ schools.

 

[SpiderK]

Throw a 20 after a good play and a nickel after a bad one.

I can throw that nickel pretty hard. Lol

 

[SpiderK]

at some point, Title IX becomes a huge problem. we offer a ton of athletic opportunities for women. but when you force things to be equal and you include football in the equation, then it's impossible to offer equal opportunities for non-football playing men.

I know a girl on a ride for crew. never rowed before college. she's on a team with 36(!) others and they share 20 full rides. it has nothing to do with excellence in crew. it's simply to offset male atheltic scholarships.

it's one reason why college costs too much. that lost tuition revenue has to be subsidized by the non-scholarship population.

Absolutely, that’s next.

 

[SpiderK]

NIL will be a disaster for college sports, but it won’t be any of my money. I will stop donating and let Pepsi and Facebook buy my team for me.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

Youth and travel softball is huge in RVA and throughout the State. JMU beat the eventual National champions last year in the WCWS championship, before falling. Liberty was in the mix for the National title in 2021 as well. And Va. Tech was ranked as high as # 2 at one point this past season.

Most of the Virginia colleges are dominated by State talent, and I can tell you from first hand experience with my granddaughter that the competition in the feeder travel world is very good. Seems that UR and VCU would be wise to stick their toe in that pool.

 

[whampas]

Youth and travel softball is huge in RVA and throughout the State. JMU beat the eventual National champions last year in the WCWS championship, before falling. Liberty was in the mix for the National title in 2021 as well. And Va. Tech was ranked as high as # 2 at one point this past season.

Most of the Virginia colleges are dominated by State talent, and I can tell you from first hand experience with my granddaughter that the competition in the feeder travel world is very good. Seems that UR and VCU would be wise to stick their toe in that pool.

Totally agree. My 14 yr old granddaughter practices and plays 11 months out of the year.

 

[Eight Legger]

Yeah, I think we are missing the boat by not having softball or volleyball. The Richmond Volleyball Club is just churning out D1 talent right in our own backyard, and the softball scene here is huge too. Not to mention that we obviously would be able to recruit high-level athletes from a lot of other regions, of course. I feel like we could find a spot for a softball field over on the Westhampton practice fields or somewhere in that area. Worst case take it off campus initially.

 

[urfan1]

I like the volleyball choice, think it would be a great fit. I understand the discussion as about women's crew as we had an active club team at the time and little was needed to bring it to a D-1 level.