MINNEAPOLIS — The ability of college athletes to earn endorsement money based on their celebrity status has led to millions of dollars flowing in and around universities across the country.
Beyond individual businesses striking deals with athletes, the emergence of so-called collectives has led to organized and well-funded efforts to attract top recruits in every sport, but particularly in football and basketball.
Coaches have become more outspoken in noting the importance of money from collectives in landing top talent and the transfer portal has only added to their urgency. Here are some quotes from large program coaches since Aug. 1, unapologetically putting pressure on fans to step up with cash in hand.
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"We had players that were here that are now gone and playing at another school that should be here playing right now — because NIL. We didn’t pay him; we didn’t pay him enough. ... We’ll be a Triple-A ballclub for somebody else. That is the reality and the truth of the situation. So, please contact Dinkytown Athletes.” — Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck.
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“Make no mistake that a good quarterback in the portal costs, you know, a million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now, just so we’re all on the same page, Let’s make sure we all understand what’s happening. There are some teams that have $6 or $7 million players playing for them." — Nebraska coach Matt Rhule.
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“We’re a better football team with a worse record and that’s extremely frustrating, you know, because you see where the world is going ... So if we’re going to play those teams and people want us to beat Duke and North Carolina State and Syracuse and Maryland next year and Wake Forest next year, then there needs to be a commitment monetarily to helping us get the players that can beat them. Because if you’re not going to help us get the players to beat them, then you are not entitled to bitch when we don’t beat them.” — UConn coach Jim Mora.
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“The game has changed. Help us stay a step ahead.” — UCLA coach Chip Kelly.
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“I can promise you -- Georgia, they bought some pretty good players. You’re allowed to these days, and we could use some help. That’s what they look like, you know what I mean, when you have 85 of ’em. I encourage anybody that’s disgruntled to pony up some more.” — Kentucky coach Mike Stoops.
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“For all you folks that want us to keep winning, I would tell you to get on Savage Wolves, find that link. I’d love to see 5,000 people donate $1,000 to our NIL and get us to a point where we can recruit, retain and develop and have a program in the NIL world where the guys on our roster are able to benefit from that.” — NC State coach Dave Doeren.
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“I’m grateful for our fans and every amount of money that they give to this university, this football program, paying money to come to games at Williams-Brice Stadium. But for those that have the ability to give, we need ya, for sure.” — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer.
