Tuesday September 26, 2023
The Best Employers in Sports Survey is Now Open!

Led By Female Athletes, LSU Is Dominating NIL

  • Going into the summer, the school boasts four top 10 women’s sports athletes with top annual NIL earning potential.
  • Taylor Jacobs, the athletic department’s director of NIL, told Front Office Sports that the success began with an attitude of embracing NIL.
LSU leads the way in NIL.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports, Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports and Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Front Office Sports Today

How Jamie Erdahl Made Good Morning Football Her Own

Jamie Erdahl joins to discuss her career and the growth of “Good Morning Football.”
Listen Now
September 25, 2023 | Podcast
Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

On the first day of the name, image, and likeness era, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne was featured on a billboard in Times Square in New York City.

It was a metaphor for Dunne and LSU’s entire department. The school has taken over the NIL world, building a robust support program, helping athletes reach the top of the NIL landscape, and recruiting heavy-hitting earners.

Going into the summer, the school boasts four of the top 10 women’s sports athletes with top annual NIL earning potential — and has swept the top three spots, according to On3:

  • Gymnast Olivia Dunne (who ranks second overall of any athlete in the NCAA), $3.4M
  • Basketball player Angel Reese, $1.4M
  • Basketball player Flau’jae Johnson, $812K
  • Basketball player Hailey Van Lith, $506K

(While it’s impossible to know just how accurate these valuations are, Reese has repeatedly confirmed that she’s making more in NIL than she would with a top WNBA contract.)

Of course, luck was involved. Stars like Dunne and Johnson, a rapper who has a deal with Roc Nation, have built up their own NIL potential while at LSU. Winning a national championship helps too. 

But the overall success of the department is no accident.

Dickinson transferred to Kansas after three years with Michigan.

Hunter Dickinson Implies NIL Drove His Transfer From Michigan 

Dickinson says he made less than six figures at Michigan.
May 11, 2023

LSU Latches Onto NIL

Taylor Jacobs, the athletic department’s director of NIL, told Front Office Sports that the success began with an attitude of embracing NIL. 

That’s part of why the school landed legendary women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey.

“She was then able to see how she could really use [NIL] in recruiting from the stance of, ‘Hey, our school is investing in NIL,'” Jacobs said. “‘They are choosing to believe in it, which means they believe in our athletes. Which means you can come here and have opportunities.'”

Mulkey told reporters during the Final Four that she wanted nothing to do with NIL. “It’s too much,” she said. “I just want to coach.” So she designated an assistant coach as the full-time women’s basketball NIL liaison. 

The main draw for recruits is to build a dynasty under a legendary coach, but it would be naive to think NIL didn’t play a role in these athletes’ decisions.

The team is building a star-studded roster for next season, including NIL star Hailey Van Lith, who transferred from Louisville, and DePaul transfer Aneesha Morrow — whose transfer announcement video was a NIL deal with Caktus AI, which has relationships with multiple LSU players. 

“When I meet with transfer recruits, and I tell them about our program, they’re like, ‘Wow, that was not what it was like at my previous school,'” Jacobs said.

High-profile players like Reese have entire teams around them, so Jacobs plays a supportive role, like helping coordinate on-campus shoots or answering compliance questions. But the top earners are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Building A Support System

During an ESPNW Summit panel on NIL, Jacobs described how many athletes come into her office skeptical about how successful they could be with NIL, saying, “‘I’m not Angel. I’m not Livvy. But I want to try.'”

“We can’t be their representation, but we can educate them through everything,” Jacobs said. “Who are you, and what do you stand for? What are your core values? What businesses do you want to target that we can teach you how to pitch?”

The program has set up mandatory financial literacy education sessions, brand-building advising, and educational social media content. It’s also built a strong relationship with Bayou Traditions, the local NIL collective. 

Managing a NIL collective is vital to a successful NIL department — NCAA rules allow athletic department officials to endorse and fundraise for the collective. And while the word has gained a negative connotation, athletes without national notoriety have benefited from deals that collectives give or help them find.

While it’s unclear how much money the collective has now, it started with seven figures in donor funds, according to The Advertiser. Like many collectives, it offers payment plans for access to exclusive content that range from $100 to $50,000. The collective also helps set up corporate sponsorships.

“We make NIL deals more accessible, allowing student-athletes to gain finance and business experience without compromising their focus on studies and sports,” the Bayou Traditions website reads. “NIL is a competitive space and now influences where an athlete attends college. We need the tiger community to join us and keep LSU at the forefront of NIL.”

Women Athletes Soar

Jacobs advocates with the collective to support female athletes in particular — and noted that the success of stars like Reese had galvanized support for women’s sports athletes at LSU across the

Apr 1, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins athlete Jordan Chiles competes during the floor exercise competition at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Los Angeles Regional at Pauley Pavilion.

NCAA Gymnasts Have Top NIL Earning Potential

Basketball isn’t the only women’s college sport with major brand appeal.
April 13, 2023

But while LSU has made headlines for its top NIL earners, it’s an example of a program that’s helping athletes across the board profit, no matter how famous they are.

“There is so much negative context around NIL,” Jacobs said. “When a student-athlete comes to my office and says, ‘This deal was so much fun, the photo shoot was so much fun, I learned so much.’ That is the most rewarding thing.”

“I just want to look at all of the [NIL] haters and be like, How can you not see that and say, ‘Man. This is really great. This is really cool.'”

Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sponsored

NHL’s Chris Foster on Amplifying Content Distribution With Automation

Learn how the NHL is using WSC Sports to increase fan engagement.
Sponsored

How Daktronics Helps Elite Athletic Programs Secure Top Talent

How colleges are utilizing Daktronics' displays to elevate recruiting.

WBD Pursues ‘Different’ Strategy For Sports on Max

Company to place all of its live sports on new streaming tier

Colorado's Epic Victory Sets New ESPN Prime Time Viewership Record

Coach Prime Deion Sanders delivered in prime time on ESPN.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

How Jamie Erdahl Made Good Morning Football Her Own

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

Rob-Manfred-MLB

Oakland-MLB Relationship Devolves Into Next-Level Toxicity

Commissioner, mayor have very different accounts of July meeting
Jacksonville Jaguars Team President Mark Lamping addressed community members at Strings Sports Brewery on Main Street for the first of 14 planned town hall sessions to present the team's plans for the new "stadium of the future" complex and address the public concerns.
September 25, 2023

Jacksonville Jaguars President Walks Back Stadium ‘Threat’

"Viewing those comments as a threat to leave Jacksonville isn't correct."
Chatri Sityodtong
September 25, 2023

ONE Championship's Quest To Challenge Rival UFC Through U.S. Expansion

Leveraging its Amazon deal, ONE Championship seeks to expand in U.S.
Savannah-Bananas
September 24, 2023

Savannah Bananas Break All The Rules To Hit The Mainstream

Team concludes 2023 tour with even-bigger plans for next year

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Chicago Cubs
Chicago
Fanatics
New York
Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Inc.
USA - Multiple Locations
Big-12

Texas, Oklahoma's Big 12 Exit Could Have Cost $60M More

The school's move to the SEC is costing about $100 million.
Tickets for Colorado’s upcoming road game against Oregon are more expensive than 14 of 16 Week 3 NFL matchups.
September 20, 2023

Deion Sanders' Impact Makes Tickets Pricier Than NFL Games

Colorado-Oregon tickets are pricier than most Week 3 NFL matchups.
Renderings of the University of Virginia's new proposed athletic facilities.
September 20, 2023

Virginia Joins The College Facilities Arms Race

UVA plans to upgrade football and Olympic sports facilities.
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker speaks at post game press conference after 31-7 win over Central Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
September 19, 2023

Mel Tucker Firing Would Prevent $80M Buyout on Historic Contract

Tucker was suspended after a report of alleged sexual harassment.
SMU has raised $100 million from donors before it forgoes media rights payments for the first nine years of its ACC tenure.
September 18, 2023

SMU Raises $100M for ACC Move as Basketball, Football Sales Surge

SMU has raised $100 million ahead of its 2024 move to the ACC.
September 17, 2023

Coach Prime, Unbeaten Colorado Keep Larger-Than-Life Hype Going

Boulder was the epicenter of college football over the weekend.
September 17, 2023

Learfield Recapitalization Extends Private Equity Presence In College Sports

Deal advances private equity's presence in college sports
September 14, 2023

Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Players File Petition to Unionize

There are two other similar NLRB cases pending.