NIL Money

[Jon Perkins]

I think this could be a thread to have a legitimate discussion about and to inform others of the NIL deals being offered behind closed doors.

I have heard from a couple of reliable sources, with direct knowledge, of just how much money some of the top athletes in NCAA wrestling are making on their NIL deals and it is staggering. Donors for the top programs are paying some of these wrestlers hundreds of thousands of dollars. I've heard of several different wrestlers getting paid between $200K - $300K per year and the tax bill being owed on these deals being paid by other donors. I have also seen on another public forum that one of the top programs has a donor who was offering any All American with any remaining eligibility $400K to wrestle for that program next year and giving them a bonus of a brand-new Tesla if they have an All-American finish at next years national tournament. I have seen two public interviews in the last couple of years all but confirming that these numbers are accurate. Young men in college, with no full-time job, are buying houses or having homes built in the towns that they are going to college in. These kind of NIL donors are not good for the small to mid-sized programs.

I am interested in what people think or know concerning NIL deals.

[NJwvu12]

I think this could be a thread to have a legitimate discussion about and to inform others of the NIL deals being offered behind closed doors.

I have heard from a couple of reliable sources, with direct knowledge, of just how much money some of the top athletes in NCAA wrestling are making on their NIL deals and it is staggering. Donors for the top programs are paying some of these wrestlers hundreds of thousands of dollars. I've heard of several different wrestlers getting paid between $200K - $300K per year and the tax bill being owed on these deals being paid by other donors. I have also seen on another public forum that one of the top programs has a donor who was offering any All American with any remaining eligibility $400K to wrestle for that program next year and giving them a bonus of a brand-new Tesla if they have an All-American finish at next years national tournament. I have seen two public interviews in the last couple of years all but confirming that these numbers are accurate. Young men in college, with no full-time job, are buying houses or having homes built in the towns that they are going to college in. These kind of NIL donors are not good for the small to mid-sized programs.


I am interested in what people think or know concerning NIL deals.

It’s a very serious problem for the non power schools, I know for a fact teams approached Watters as early as Friday night , his name is all over the Iowa message board where actual team boosters post , it really just makes recruiting harder bc not only are you looking for national level talent student athletes but now you need to know how loyal they are , how desperate is their family for money? If you have a guy whose family is living on the poverty line and Iowa or Michigan shows up with 250,000 dollars how is a young man going to turn that down? It’s not generational $$ like football but it’s life changing money for families in small towns spread out across this country which make up like 70 percent of the wrestling community. WVU has a chance to really have a great season next year and getting recruits like watters , Lawerence , Titus we re building something special but the vultures are circling and unfortunately all these non wrestling factors are going to play a huge role in what Tim Flynn can accomplish. Schools like Little Rock, Ohio are even in a worst spot , it’s something that can really hinder wrestling growth long term . WV and local businesses needs to figure out a way to make sure top guys are getting something here because as a 19-20 athlete it has to hurt the ego to see a guy you pinned and outplaced is making 100k more a year that’s just basic human nature

[Jon Perkins]

The biggest problem with the NIL system is that it is very loosely regulated and there are too many loopholes that don't protect the smaller schools from the larger schools who want to poach their athletes. The only way Ty Watters or any other rostered athlete should be allowed to be contacted by a coach, another athlete, or by a booster is if they are in the transfer portal. The NCAA needs to tighten up on this and expand on its investigations. There needs to be a rule that states if a rostered athlete is contacted in any way concerning the transfer from one school to another, then the team that particular person is associated with will be suspended from post season play for one year. Whether that contact is through an athlete, a booster, or just a donor. I guarantee you if Iowa or Penn State had to stay at home and watch the BIG 10 tournament and the NCAA tournament because a booster was trying to poach an athlete from another team, their system would tighten up to assure that didn't happen anymore. Some of the universities have donors throwing around radical dollars to get the athletes they want and that needs to be regulated with radical rules to assure a fair playing field for everyone.

[NJwvu12]

The biggest problem with the NIL system is that it is very loosely regulated and there are too many loopholes that don't protect the smaller schools from the larger schools who want to poach their athletes. The only way Ty Watters or any other rostered athlete should be allowed to be contacted by a coach, another athlete, or by a booster is if they are in the transfer portal. The NCAA needs to tighten up on this and expand on its investigations. There needs to be a rule that states if a rostered athlete is contacted in any way concerning the transfer from one school to another, then the team that particular person is associated with will be suspended from post season play for one year. Whether that contact is through an athlete, a booster, or just a donor. I guarantee you if Iowa or Penn State had to stay at home and watch the BIG 10 tournament and the NCAA tournament because a booster was trying to poach an athlete from another team, their system would tighten up to assure that didn't happen anymore. Some of the universities have donors throwing around radical dollars to get the athletes they want and that needs to be regulated with radical rules to assure a fair playing field for everyone.

I completely agree with everything you said but the ncaa is currently on its last legs because of football and basketball and the N.I.L. situation, idk if they’ll exist as an organization 10 years from now , and as we all know you can’t wait around for the suits to fix a problem anyway. Larry Lee was opening recruiting kids to Iowa for Spencers last year , another coach reported it with proof and nothing happened and I believe mr lee was on Iowa payroll in some capacity and it still was just swept under the rug. The open recruiting at the ncaa tournament this past weekend was a joke , if i were a college coach and saw a booster trying to recruit my guy away that openly id probably end up spending the weekend behind bars. I think this situation will get worse before it gets better and the only solution in the moment is try to get these top guys some deals in Morgantown and hope Flynn is recruiting loyal and committed young men

[indywvu]

This is a serious issue with no solution in sight. The only thing we can do is raise funds to support the wrestling program and wrestlers. I can guarantee Hall and Watters are getting thrown ridiculous money to transfer to them. To combat that, we need money to offer too. If you are interested in the continued trajectory of WVU wrestling, please consider giving to WVRTC. The website is www.wv-RTC.com. It works in conjunction with CRT on NILs. Plus money can be used to fund another coach too. Spread the word. If you know any individuals or businesses who may be interested in giving to this cause, please share the website. Or have them contact the WVU staff directly. Every little bit helps. As mentioned, we can have one hell of a squad next year. Let’s do our part to keep the pieces together.

[Letsgooo]

NIL is obviously a joke. Some people actually thought it would be just kids selling their own shirts and if they had a lot of followers online then getting some money from there. But obviously that isn’t the case for the top programs, and there isn’t too many playing this game. NIL was made much much worse when you then threw out the transfer portal and now guys don’t have to sit out a year. It’s honestly free agency every single year for for these guys. Plus it’s obvious against the rules to contact kids who aren’t in the portal but it’s being done everyday with proxies.
It’s pay to play, it sucks but is what it is. Might as well learn to live with it lol.

[mscoach4]

I have been hearing some numbers for NIL that just seem ridiculous, I would love to know if these numbers are for real. Is there anyone who knows a wrestler personally or their family that can confirm some of these numbers? No need for names etc just confirmed NIL in dollars.

[Jon Perkins]

I have been hearing some numbers for NIL that just seem ridiculous, I would love to know if these numbers are for real. Is there anyone who knows a wrestler personally or their family that can confirm some of these numbers? No need for names etc just confirmed NIL in dollars.

I certainly do not know any of these athletes on a personal basis and have no access to their bank accounts, but I have had conversations with people who have firsthand knowledge. In one situation a particular wrestler had one year of eligibility left and was ready to move on with life. The boosters offered him $250k to come back and wrestle one more year. This particular wrestler now has $250k and another All American trophy. A second situation is a particular wrestler was talking to a buddy on another team who told him, "if you transfer to our team you will make $200k with no questions asked." This particular wrestler told his coach about the conversation and made $300k this past season. A third example is Flo released a video of Keegan O'Toole saying that he is having a house built. He is in college without a full-time job and he is having a house built, this is not normal. I don't know what kind of numbers you are hearing about but do not doubt them.

[Pottstd]

I have been hearing some numbers for NIL that just seem ridiculous, I would love to know if these numbers are for real. Is there anyone who knows a wrestler personally or their family that can confirm some of these numbers? No need for names etc just confirmed NIL in dollars.

I certainly do not know any of these athletes on a personal basis and have no access to their bank accounts, but I have had conversations with people who have firsthand knowledge. In one situation a particular wrestler had one year of eligibility left and was ready to move on with life. The boosters offered him $250k to come back and wrestle one more year. This particular wrestler now has $250k and another All American trophy. A second situation is a particular wrestler was talking to a buddy on another team who told him, "if you transfer to our team you will make $200k with no questions asked." This particular wrestler told his coach about the conversation and made $300k this past season. A third example is Flo released a video of Keegan O'Toole saying that he is having a house built. He is in college without a full-time job and he is having a house built, this is not normal. I don't know what kind of numbers you are hearing about but do not doubt them.

Agreed, while numbers might not be exact, talking in the hundreds of thousands for big name guys that fill lineup holes is not surprising. Certainly the wrestlers arent going to garner the same numbers as football/basketball but when we are seeing number of 1 million+ for those athletes, seeing 10-25% of those numbers to a champion contending wrestler shouldnt be a suprise.

And yes, NIL is a joke at this point. I certain think athletes should have been able to profit from the NIL from the outset, but at this point its not NIL, its pay to play with mental gymnastics. Like it or not some version of it is here to stay, its just the final version of it we end up with and how colleges/universities adapt to it. Hard to be too tough on the wrestlers/athletes taking advantage of it as well. O'Toole is gonna walk away from Missouri basically set up for life with no house payments and money in the bank allowing him to easily pursue the path he wants. He can spend along time on the senior international circuit. Hell, he could make 20k a year coaching a division III wrestling team and be fine b/c of this. I for one wont act like most of us wouldnt be doing the same thing in this situation if we were in their shoes.