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Sports Court #39 | NIL (not) For All
The fastest 3 minutes in name, image and likeness
Tariq Ahmad
June 19, 2023
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Today’s Case
Oregon State men’s basketball assistant coach resigns, cites NIL as the reason
Former Oregon State men’s basketball assistant coach Tim Shelton (Photo Credit: Mid-Valley Media)
Tim Shelton, son of former Oregon State star Lonnie Shelton, spent one year as an assistant at Oregon State before announcing his departure and will head to Colorado State as an assistant coach. Shelton felt he was fighting an uphill battle with OSU’s name, image and likeness resources on the recruiting trail and the current roster, as he couldn’t ignore NIL opportunities at Oregon State versus what he’s seeing at competing schools.
Shelton: “You’re trying to make yourself more aware of how to be a successful recruiter and how to retain your talent. My biggest fear is that the guys here don’t feel like we have enough resources [NIL] to keep them.”
After Shelton’s statements were published, both head coach Wayne Tinkle and Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes defended the school’s progress on providing support through the NIL system.
Tinkle: “We know our administration and collectives are working hard, and they have done a lot to bring our NIL initiatives a long ways to take care of our current student-athletes and help us on the recruiting trail…and a big part of that is because of the confidence they have in what Oregon State is doing with NIL currently and into the future.”
Barnes: “…We disagree with his [Shelton’s] sentiments regarding NIL as it pertains to Oregon State and the ongoing efforts being made in this space. We continue to retain the vast majority of our student-athletes and provide multiple opportunities for education, understanding and connectivity to NIL opportunities.”
The Verdict:
This is pretty concerning if any coach leaves their program because they can’t compete with other schools in the NIL era
Oregon State does have to compete with Pac-12 schools that have very well-run and connected NIL programs, but this may be moreso a concern at the local level, ie., garnering support from local businesses and donors for Beavers Athletics.
Additionally, citing NIL concerns as the main reason for leaving could signal a jump for more coaches across different sports and divisions.
Is Colorado State’s NIL program any better?
From a quick internet search, it does appear that CSU offers NIL more resources than Oregon State in terms of additional collectives and support, but it doesn’t appear to be substantially better or more resourceful than Oregon State.
Again, Oregon competing in the Pac-12 may be a factor, whereas CSU playing in the Mountain West might provide the Rams an advantage, but it might be miniscule.
Does this put pressure on CSU’s NIL efforts?
If Shelton left Oregon State for Colorado State, does this mean CSU needs to improve their NIL offerings in order to compete for recruits and keep current players, while appeasing Shelton and other coaches to not leave? Only time will tell.
More NIL deals should happen at the local level
This video highlights two angles for this approach.
Question of the Day
What is your dream brand to work with for NIL deals?
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