New NIL Program To Give Texas Offensive Lineman $50K To Play In Austin
Texas Football is getting a boost from sponsors next season thanks to the Name, Image and Likeness program set by the NCAA.
Horns with Heart, a nonprofit charity organization based in Austin, will provide every Texas offensive linemen on scholarship with $50,000 annually as part of a new NIL program. This is the latest in a series of launches by Longhorns boosters and supporters in hopes of helping with recruiting and bringing more names towards the program.
The program is set to be named The Pancake Factory, in large part due to blocks set by offensive linemen when trying to open running lanes. It will be the first of its kind, supporting just one football position group for players to participate in charitable endeavors.
The Pancake Factory is set to begin August 1, 2022, with a total of $800,000 annually earmarked for the offensive line sponsorship. This, along with the Clark Field Collective, another company sponsoring Texas players, means each Texas OL will be making at least $150,000 per season.
The NIL deal began earlier this season, where players were able to sign with companies and organizations, representing them or their products as sponsors. Several Texas players currently are on deals, including running back Bijan Robinson, who recently agreed to terms with DAZN boxing earlier this month.
The $50,000 set by The Pancake Factory is merely just the starting figure for players who come to the Forty Acres. Other deals are certainly in place, but the Pancake Factory will not sponsor it as of this time.
In an interview with On3Sports' Eric Prisbell, Horns With Heart co-founder Rob Blair said that the hope is to expand from just The Pancake Factory to other programs and sports in the Texas athletic department. All funds are expected to come from donors.
“Being able to put their time and their face and their names to good use is huge — being able to take these new rules and put it towards something a little more noble than just a media appearance,” Blair said.
The Longhorns, who finished 5-7 under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, will not play in a bowl game this month.
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