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sports Diaranson 22 December 2021

NIL was factor on signing day; how big of one up for debate

(AP) - The three-day sign- whose company works with money that’s directed to ath-
ing period last week put schools and athletes on NIL letes in the name of NIL.
name, image and likeness details, said he doubts it was
in the spotlight, espe- an overriding one for most. A nonprofit called Horns
cially with No. 1 national With A Heart announced
recruit Travis Hunter de- “I think I would be naïve to it would make $50,000 an-
committing from Florida say it didn’t play a role at all,” nual payments to University
State to sign with second- Schoenthal said. “I think I of Texas offensive linemen
tier Jackson State. would be over-speaking if I starting in August 2022. In
said it was the end all, be all of return, the linemen must do
Neither Hunter nor other kids’ decisions. I think it was work on behalf of charities,
top recruits said whether a factor. I think it was a bigger such as making personal ap-
NIL compensation had any- factor than it’s going to be in pearances.
thing to do with their school the future, once we’re able to
choices. But coaches say NIL show the kids the data.” After Horns With A Heart
came up in the recruiting cy- was announced Dec. 6,
cle, the first since the NCAA Schoenthal predicted the four highly touted line-
cleared the way July 1 for breadth of a school’s NIL men pledged to Texas. Two speed,” he said. “Nobody’s
college athletes to cash in on programming — ranging of them, Kelvin Banks and According to Opendorse, driving 45. Everybody’s gon-
their celebrity. from educating athletes on Cameron Williams, de-com- one of the platforms used by na be driving 70. I don’t drive
NIL to boosters and busi- mitted from Oregon after athletes to connect with third much past 52 because some-
“It’s very much discussed and nesses offering opportunities coach Mario Cristobal left parties for money-making body might give me a ticket. I
talked about, not necessarily — eventually will become the Ducks to take the Miami ventures, seven male athletes don’t think there’s any tickets
in inducements or anything just another thing recruits job. who used Opendorse tech- being handed out right now
like that or quid pro quo,” consider. nology earned $100,000 or for this. I think it’s out of
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz Banks, Williams and Ma- more from NIL from July control.”
said. “You’ve got to educate “NIL is going to become lik Agbo, who announced 1 through Nov. 30. A to-
(recruits) on what the oppor- like facilities. At some point on signing day he would go tal of 110 earned more than Schoenthal, who puts togeth-
tunities could potentially be everybody is going to have with the Longhorns, did not $10,000. er educational programs for
or what you’re going to do to great facilities,” Schoenthal return Associated Press mes- the athletes at the 35 schools
help somebody increase their said. “I’d like to think once sages seeking comment on Opendorse — which works Athliance works with, said
personal brands and how are we get a little more regula- what role, if any, NIL played with 570 NCAA schools, his concern is that recruiters
you going to educate them tion and data points to show in their school choice. most of them Division I — in the first few months of the
on what their opportunities the kids, it doesn’t matter did not break down earnings NIL era have oversold the
of NIL could be and would where you go. It’s about how Booster collectives have by sport. amount of money that could
be, should they choose the much effort you put in, how formed around at least two be made.
University of Missouri.” marketable you are and how dozen Power Five schools, Oklahoma State coach Mike
good you are at getting boost- and more are on the horizon. Gundy said the NIL land- “Promises are being made
The options to be paid for ers involved.” Schoenthal said it’s crucial scape might look different on without the ability to back
endorsements and personal for the rules surrounding signing day 2022. Right now, up those promises and if you
branding probably was a ma- Schoenthal said he’s wary NIL to be more clearly de- he said, it’s wide open. don’t fulfill on those prom-
jor factor in the decisions of of the latest trend in NIL: fined so there’s a clear line ises, there’s no accountability
some recruits who signed let- booster collectives push- between earning money for “It’s like going down High- for not meeting the expecta-
ters of intent last week. Athl- ing the envelope of NCAA services rendered and pay for way 51 if there was nobody tion you set as a coach on the
iance CEO Peter Schoenthal, pay-for-play rules by pooling play. ever there that checked your recruiting trail,” he said.

NFL could become trend-setter for COVID-19 testing policies

(AP) - The NFL’s deci- positive cases that forced recommends “diagnostic teresting and I think really cinated.”
sion to reduce COVID-19 three games to be resched- testing” only for symptomat- safe real-world experiment
testing for asymptomatic, uled over the weekend, the ic or close-contact vaccinated on what our new normal is Almost 95% of NFL players
vaccinated players could NFL, in cooperation with the people, and “screening tests” likely going to look like,” Dr. and nearly all coaching staffs
signal a trend for pro players’ union, agreed on Sat- only for unvaccinated people. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist are vaccinated.
sports leagues and provide urday to scale back testing for and professor at the Univer-
an example for society to vaccinated players. The move The NFL previously re- sity of Washington, said in an Gupta, an informal consul-
follow heading into 2022. aligns with guidance from the quired vaccinated players interview with the AP. “And, tant for the Seattle Seahawks
Centers for Disease Control to get tested weekly before it’s safe to say that the NFL on COVID-19 issues and an
Despite a rising number of and Prevention. The CDC amending the protocols. The is obviously a large vaccine adviser for baseball’s Seattle
NFLPA had advocated for bubble, sans a few high-pro- Mariners, says the NFL is
daily testing for vaccinated file exceptions. “ahead of the curve” with tar-
players but eventually agreed get and voluntary testing.
to “target” testing. “We can’t continue the status
quo, ad infinitum, where we “I think they’re able to do
The NBA didn’t require vac- are testing regularly people things that the rest of the
cinated players to get tested that are otherwise healthy, country is unable to do be-
during the season but revised asymptomatic, triple-vacci- cause they have a vaccine
its policy to increase testing nated, just to detect the as- bubble, and they can control
for a two-week period start- ymptomatic individual who things to a certain degree that
ing Dec. 26. might be positive ... because we can’t control across the
then you’re going to quar- public at large, and so it’s
The NHL tested players ev- antine that individual who an interesting experiment,”
ery third day but returned to might be asymptomatic or Gupta said. “We have to build
daily testing through at least having mild symptoms, who policies and procedures and
Jan. 7. is triple-vaccinated, who case management protocols
might for a small period of around positive tests that
“I think the NFL is actu- time, be infectious to others make sense, given our real-
ally going to be a really in- who presumably are also vac- ity.”