Ohio State appears to be at the top of the name, image, and likeness era — as the first anniversary approaches.
Last week, the school said via Twitter that athletes have disclosed more than 1,000 deals.
In January, the Buckeyes counted 608 deals for a total of $2.98 million in earnings. Though the number of deals has almost doubled since then, the school did not announce how much the new partnerships were worth.
Ohio State is one of several athletic departments that have gone beyond just providing NIL education for athletes. In addition to Ohio State, schools like Boise State and USC offer either in-house services or outside programs to help athletes get deals.
The school’s “NIL Edge Team” is actually helping athletes procure deals, according to its January announcement. Team-specific directors are assigned to help players cash in.
Some state laws prohibit athletic department staff from helping with deals. But several are being amended or overturned, as state legislatures recognize that they’ve put unnecessary restrictions on local schools.
The NCAA’s interim NIL policy doesn’t actually prohibit schools from facilitating deals, so long as the department staff isn’t marketing that athlete’s “athletic ability” as pay-for-play. Schools also can’t offer deals as recruiting inducements.
