College football is back — with upsets, trash talk, merch and more sponsor logos coming soon

Hey there,

Football season is back, and there’s tons to talk about after Week 1, from expectations surrounding Texas quarterback Arch Manning to Miami’s win over Notre Dame and Florida State’s upset win over Alabama. Plus, there was that commercial from billionaire Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and his group, “Save College Sports.”

With the season underway, a lot of the focus has shifted to games, but the conversation about NIL — and whether it’s changing the sport — is still all over my timeline. In today’s newsletter, we’ll get into the arrival of sponsor logos on fields, look at how schools are using premium seating and game-day experiences to help generate revenue, and spotlight FSU quarterback’s Thomas Castellanos’s bold approach to merch. Let’s get into it.

— Deyscha

KICKOFF

Sponsor logos have arrived on fields

The Texas Longhorns have played at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium since 1924. Now, for the first time in the school’s history, the program will have a sponsor’s logo on the field. Humann, a supplement company, has been named the official cardiovascular supplement of the university’s athletic department. 

The logo will also appear on every field and court at Texas, from the basketball arena to the pool to the boathouse and the golf club.

It’s only been a year since the NCAA lifted its ban on sponsor branding on fields, and more schools are hopping on the signage trend. Colorado extended two different partnerships with two of its facilities: First, the program announced Ford as the official naming partner for its indoor facility, and now the school has partnered with Toyota, whose logo will appear in the end zone at Folsom Field. 

On-field sponsor logos are just one way schools are exploring to generate more revenue. Jersey sponsors could be next. According to nola.com, LSU is reportedly seeking NCAA approval to sell sponsored jersey patches, which would be another first in college sports.

FSU’s Castellanos dropped merch inspired by his trash talk

In June, Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos boldly said that Alabama doesn’t “have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me." Remember that?

Well, that’s exactly what happened on Saturday, when the Seminoles defeated the Crimson Tide, 31-17. As for Castellanos, he is standing on what he said and profiting off of it by dropping a new collection of merch with his now-iconic quote printed on shirts and hoodies.

His agency even brought the price of the tees down from $35 to $31.17 after a user on X pointed out the opportunity.

College athletes selling t-shirts with their quotes on them isn’t anything new, but what we’re seeing now is a shift to even bolder marketing. For Castellanos — who isn’t even in the top 100 of On3’s NIL valuations list — capitalizing on the upset and on his own performance (he was 9-of-14 passing for 152 yards and rushed for another 78 yards and a touchdown) through his merch is quite the marketing strategy, and it’s working.

This reminds me of when South Carolina’s Rahsul Faison caught everyone’s attention by releasing #FreeSul shirts while awaiting the NCAA’s decision on his eligibility, which makes me wonder: Will we see more athletes dropping merch after wins this season — or strategically using merch to make a statement they might not otherwise say aloud? And how will players in other sports, like tennis — where new licensing deals will now players to profit off of apparel for the first time — use NIL in creative ways?

Programs facing pressure to generate revenue

With college football kicking off (there’s another pun) a new era in rev-share and NIL earnings, schools are facing pressure to not only compensate the highest-paid players in college sports history, but to remain competitive. 

Earlier this month, Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock told the school’s board of visitors that “if you want to compete near the top of the ACC, our budget needs to be $200 million.” 

He also pointed out that the Hokies are projected to spend about $144 million this fiscal school year — which is more than the amount of revenue they brought in last year, based on what we know via the Extra Points Library. Babcock also issued a warning: “If we don’t radically leap forward now, we’re likely sealing our own fate for years and generations to come.” 

His word reflect just how desperate schools are to find ways to pay (and afford) players. As a result, we’re now seeing schools implement new experiences and opportunities for fans at games. Some schools are going all-in on premium seating. Others are getting even more creative. Boston College partnered with LivXP to offer unique experiences to fans, including auctions for game balls and helmets, plus in-person, behind-the-scenes access during games. (Options include a visit to the sidelines, greeting players in the fan tunnel during halftime, going behind the scenes to the control room and the chance to ring the bell and go onto the field.) Prices range from $75 (fan tunnel) to $15,000-plus for a VIP package, which gives fans a tour of the equipment room, premium tickets, seating on the field the entire game and custom BC football jerseys. This is LivXP’s first time partnering with a college athletic department. 

In the age of revenue sharing, teams need to make more money so they can spend more. And it all makes me wonder: Will big spending equate to better performances? And could the opportunity to spend on rosters change the college football hierarchy?

Meanwhile, coaches with lower budgets have more talking points after losses. After his team’s 34-17 loss to Mississippi State, Southern Miss coach Charles Huff brought up how much the Bulldogs supposedly spent on their team:

It’s the latter part of his sentence that makes me wonder: are the big spenders the ones who dominate? It’s still way too early to come to any conclusions, but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out this season.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

C.J. Daniels

I tuned in to the Notre Dame-Miami game on Sunday — and not gonna lie, I had to run it back and rewatch this moment from C.J. Daniels. Absolutely insane catch.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Aaron Anderson’s grills steal the show

Aaron Anderson’s icy grills match how cold his game is. The Tigers wide receiver dominated in LSU’s win against Clemson, recording six receptions for 99 yards while flashing his grills on national television.

Share NIL Wire

Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy NIL Wire? Share with them today!

You currently have 0 referrals.