More NIL

Apart from the governor's sudden interest in UCLA's proposed move to the Big Ten, we have noted in the past the legislature's interest in the concept of NIL (name, image, likeness) funds that student-athletes are now allowed to receive.*

Meanwhile, UCLA is continuing to unveil a NIL program of its own. From the LA Times:

One year into the NIL era, the newest moneymaking endeavor to reach Westwood is rich in novelties. It will be run by Bruins athletes from every sport. They will make the decisions. They will raise the money. They will design the program centered on community outreach and fan engagement.

The athletes will profit by showing up to events, serving on an advisory board and fundraising. Show them the money, yes, but also watch them show you the many ways they can galvanize the UCLA sports community... The concept was created by BFA [Bruin Fan Alliance] chairman Gene Karzen, a UCLA alumnus who took $50,000 in seed money to start the nonprofit organization that will be athlete-driven, such former Bruins stars as Olympic gold medalist hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson working in an advisory capacity with current athletes to craft the program...

Karzen also envisioned a program in which the collective recruited at-risk kids with athletic talent and put them on 15 to 20 club-style teams, each coached by a UCLA athlete. The collective would provide tutoring, life counseling and nutritional support with the hope of landing each kid an athletic or academic college scholarship, some of those kids possibly ending up in Westwood as part of the philanthropy...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2022-07-21/new-nil-collective-galvanize-ucla-sports-community-basketball.

Readers will note that the article above is short on details. Some athletes (and sports) will clearly have more potential for NIL money generation than others. Are they compelled to share their revenue? 

And, of course, one might note that there are bigger issues in the state for the legislature and governor to worry about than NIL revenue and Big Ten participation. Just saying...

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*SB 1401, we have previously noted, seeks to regulate the practice, As amended, the bill would create funds to help student-athletes complete their degrees. See https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1401/2021 and https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2022/05/mandatory-athlete-fund.html.