Local Businesses Starting to Take Initiative With NIL Deals For LSU Athletes
It’s no secret LSU has a jumpstart on the new normality of name, image and likeness in college athletics. Trademarking the term “NILSU,” the Tigers have embraced this new piece of the puzzle that the NCAA has added into recruiting. NIL has already proven to become a factor in which program highly touted prospects select and LSU has expressed their approval using this new tool.
After inking a deal with Gordon McKernan Injury Lawyers, Tigers wide receiver Kayshon Boutte signed a different deal than most college athletes have to this point. Aside from restaurant chains, car dealerships and the occasional gaming company, it’s been more or less the same type of NIL agreements being signed.
Insert McKernan, a die-hard LSU Tigers fan, who has already signed LSU Women’s basketball standout Alexis Morris to a deal, the first of its kind. McKernan’s vision goes beyond his athletes simply endorsing the company, it gives him the chance to teach life skills in a business setting.
“Trying to get these student-athletes to think about the long term and their future before all the money comes in is a big thing,” McKernan said in an interview with WBRZ. “I’m hopeful that myself and other businessmen who I know are coming along will involve themselves in that process.”
Schools like Texas A&M and Alabama have flourished with NIL given their brand and business opportunities in their big market locations, but LSU is coming with something to prove as well. Though the Tigers have embraced this new normalcy, McKernan still feels LSU is a step behind, which explains him getting involved so early in the process.
But this deal has the chance to get more local businesses into the name, image and likeness realm. To keep Louisiana talent in-state, it’s important for these companies to express interest in the athletes or else another school can offer them bigger deals.
Look at Kentucky basketball, who has already used their platform to continue reeling in the elite talent it does on a normal basis. In the last few months alone, two of their freshmen, Shaedon Sharpe and TyTy Washington, signed deals with the local Porsche dealership. It’s a tool that will only allow them to continue reloading top recruits to play for head coach John Calipari.
For LSU to stay ahead of the game in all sports, it starts with a community to get behind this new NIL rule and continue to grow. We’ve seen the football program ink numerous deals, but what about LSU baseball?
Baseball has the chance to benefit most from NIL given the massive audience it attracts. With head coach Jay Johnson at the helm of this program, the expectations going into this season are high with the roster he has built, which brings in even more fans.
Coach Johnson has said NIL has benefitted him and his team, even going as far as saying one of his players offered to give his scholarship back as a result of the money he’s received from NIL.
"I had one prominent player on our team make some money in terms of name, image and likeness, and his dad called me and said, 'Coach, I know you're trying to put together a roster. We're going to give you back the scholarship for this year,’” Johnson said at a local Rotary Club meeting this week.
As incredible as it sounds, this is the new way of college athletics. Particularly with a sport like college baseball, where some high schoolers have a tough decision on going straight to the MLB or college, having these NIL deals in place might help bring more talented players to school.
Johnson has even been on record back at the end of fall saying that he's confident high school players will turn down $2 million to play in Baton Rouge because of the opportunity.
With NIL and the transfer portal entering the fold, it has changed the game significantly and it’s important for local businesses to buy into this new way of the NCAA. This new way of college sports has its pros and cons. Coach Johnson explained having to adapt to the change and use it as a beneficial piece to selling LSU to recruits whether it be high schoolers or players in the transfer portal.
"I don't think the NCAA really understood what they were doing with this and it's going to cause some issues, but no matter what it's been, the transfer portal, NIL, my job is, I can either cry about it or I can figure out how we need to do it to do well for us,” Johnson said.
With Gordon McKernan starting what has all the makings of being a new trend of successful businesses adding LSU athletes to their team, the sky is the limit of where NIL can go in Baton Rouge. Using name, image and likeness as a tool in recruiting, it proves how valuable a community, not just a university, will play into landing elite prospects from all over the country.
