• Loading stock data...
Monday, August 4, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

One Year of NIL: Controversial Collectives Aren’t Going Away

  • NIL collectives have dominated media headlines in the first year of the NIL era.
  • Right now, they may be less impactful than expected — but experts think their future is bright.
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past several months, collectives have been framed as the scandalous side of NIL. 

There have been reports of million-dollar deals being used as recruiting inducements and rumors of bidding wars. They’ve drawn the ire of Nick Saban and countless other college sports officials, who think they could ruin the future of college sports by facilitating pay for play.

But athletes and industry experts told Front Office Sports that currently, collectives are much less powerful than the headlines would suggest. And instead of “ruining” college sports, collectives could be an efficient and lucrative resource for athletes — and hardly a dark underbelly of college sports.

The Current Landscape

Generally, NIL collectives are groups of donors, alumni, boosters, and local businesses who pool resources to provide NIL opportunities for athletes at a certain school. Some are providing deals using their own businesses, while others are acting as agencies, facilitating opportunities for athletes.

There are more than 60 active collectives, according to Business of College Sports. A few, like Oregon’s Division Street or Tennessee’s Spyre Sports collective, are well-funded and active. The ones offering six, seven, or even eight-figure deals are also in the vast minority. 

But, Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence told FOS that according to his data, the media coverage around collectives has made their impact seem larger than it is. “There’s a big gap between the collectives that have figured it out…and those that are creating a lot of buzz through announcements, but aren’t doing much in reality.”

Positive Cases

Front Office Sports spoke with athletes who all believe collectives are currently benefiting athletes — and can continue to do so in the future.

Over this first year of the name, image, and likeness era, NC State offensive lineman Tim McCay has done all of his deals through an NIL collective called the “Pack of Wolves.” He was the first athlete to sign with the group, and he says his experience so far has been positive. 

“They’ve really helped me connect with donors and alumni,” he told Front Office Sports at the first-ever NIL Summit in Atlanta earlier this month. McCay is now an ambassador for the group and is helping with some NFT development.

NIL trailblazer and former Rutgers guard Geo Baker thinks his alma mater’s collective is working well. The Knights of Raritan is focused on procuring deals for current athletes, he said, rather than trying to get into the recruiting landscape.

But he noted that at other schools, the deals that could be considered recruiting inducements are just deals that probably would’ve been under the table anyway. 

The Future Factors

Experts agree that collectives aren’t going away. In the next few years, the big questions are how much they’ll influence recruiting, and how much they’ll actually benefit athletes.

With updated guidance in May, the NCAA itself tried to push collectives out of recruiting altogether: 

  • The policy said that boosters were not allowed to communicate with potential recruits at all — including about NIL deals. Coaches aren’t allowed to promise deals, either. 
  • At some point, multiple legal experts predict that the NCAA will attempt to punish a collective — potentially further clarifying the rules for the rest.

But the NCAA hasn’t been successful so far at kicking collectives out of recruiting. And even if the rules get stricter, collectives can still have an above-board influence. 

How? Kennyhertz Perry attorney Mit Winter predicted that in coming years, collectives will develop reputations — and won’t have to talk to recruits at all. Coaches “can say, yeah, look over here at this, we have this collective, and here are some historical deals that they have done with guys on our team, and here are the range of those deals.”

The success of collectives for athletes could also depend on who is running the collective. Are they following the rules? Are they offering fair contracts?

Mike Hamilton, executive vice president of the university partnership group at Learfield — and former Tennessee athletic director — added another major piece to the collective puzzle: “How will the return on investment be defined?”

If a donor offers a major deal to an athlete who doesn’t end up playing well, will that donor think twice about doing an NIL deal in the future? Hamilton believes that over time, the market will “self-correct.”

The crux of the collective issue is that it’s created an above-board way for boosters to pay athletes — something the NCAA has always considered taboo. But finally, schools will have to grapple with an issue they can no longer prevent.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Inked Under Anesthesia: Athletes Getting $50,000 Tattoos

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Stanford

John Donahoe Taking Over Stanford Sports After Rocky Nike Tenure

John Donahoe will be Stanford’s AD after a four-year stint running Nike.
Troy Taylor

Ex-Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Sues ESPN for Defamation

Taylor was fired after a pair of 3–9 seasons.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
NCAA Track

NIL Collectives Can Still Pay College Athletes, With Some Restrictions

NIL collectives will still play a pivotal role in recruiting.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) runs the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
July 25, 2025

‘More Bark Than Bite’: What Trump’s Executive Order Means for College Sports

“This all comes down to Congress and the courts.”
Rutgers
July 28, 2025

Rutgers Finds New Athletic Director After Almost a Year

Rutgers’s previous athletic director, Pat Hobbs, resigned in August 2024.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 24, 2025

UNC’s Bill Belichick Brings His NFL Swagger to ACC Media Days

UNC is becoming one of the most interesting stories in college football.
President Donald Trump speaks during the American 250 kickoff event on July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrouds.
July 24, 2025

Trump Signs Executive Order on College Sports Pay

The order marks Trump’s first foray into legislating college sports compensation.
July 24, 2025

ACC’s Phillips on FSU, Clemson: ‘It Can Never Be About a School..

The commissioner isn’t worried about more conference realignment.
Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort.
exclusive
July 23, 2025

As Other Power Leagues Shy Away From PE, the Big Ten Continues..

Tony Petitti told FOS conversations were ongoing.