It’s only right that the University of Miami, the cultural shifters of college football, is leading the way of new rules. You may have heard but July 1st marked the first day that student-athletes can officially take advantage of NIL rights. The interim policy by the NCAA will allow athletes in all 50 states to monetize their likeness. This means that collegiate athletes can now officially profit off of their likeness. And do so without penalty from the NCAA. The Miami Hurricanes were well prepared for this day as the state of Florida was prepared to launch on July 1st prior to the NCAA’s interim policy. One minute after midnight it was announced that quarterback D’Eriq King had already signed multiple deals. Read more on the Miami Hurricanes finding success with NIL Rules
QB in A Big Market
Being a big-name quarterback on a popular college football team has its benefits. That’s the case for King who inked multiple deals on midnight as the calendar turned to July 1st. King will receive a combined $10,000 signing bonus from College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving and Murphy Auto Group. In addition to the signing bonus, he will be compensated per month, the total deal is valued at $20,000. Safety Bubba Bolden also signed the same deal with both companies. Both deals were facilitated through Ahmon Richards of Legendary Sports, a former star Hurricanes wideout.
The deals continued to roll in for King as he would later announce a joint venture with FSU quarterback McKenzie Milton. The two are co-founders of Dreamfield, a NIL-based platform that will book engagements for student-athletes. While also offering NFT’s (non-fungible tokens) for auction. The two are believed to be the first active collegiate athletes with their own NFT’s. News also broke of King collaborating with Miami event venue, The Wharf, for a total of four deals on the first day. In addition to the deals, King also launched his website selling his own merchandise. The website includes apparel such as fleece joggers, caps, sweatshirts, and signed memorabilia. Signed footballs and helmets range anywhere from $150 – $600.
Everybody Eats
Cornerback Al Blades Jr. saw his Twitch account pick up a new 300 followers bringing his total to over 3000 followers. Twitch is a popular live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming. He’s also set to launch his own merchandise from his ABJ brand, including a popular shirt that will pay homage to his late father Al Blades Sr.
Senior wideout Mike Harley announced two deals with Positivity Alkaline water and College Football Edits, terms of the deals were not announced. Junior cornerback Te’Cory Couch made the announcement that he will be joining Yoke Gaming.
Final Review
Schools in bigger markets stand to gain a big advantage over other schools in more rural areas. The Hurricanes were prepared for the launch of the new rules as the players have been well prepped in finding opportunities with various ventures. While every player may not net as much as King or Bolden in their own deal. However, the chance to compete in a bigger market like South Florida stands to be an advantage over schools with less recognition. The popularity of King also should entice other Miami players to stay longer in school. While in prior years players have entered the draft early in hopes of earning money faster.
