🏅The Nico Iamaleava Saga

Teaming up with

Hey there,

Wake up, the Masters is over and it’s time to lock back in to what’s happening in the NIL world. Good news — the weekend was wild, so we’ve got a wild set of stories for you today.

Over the weekend, Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee were forced into a pretty nasty divorce – and now that more details are emerging, the story is somehow becoming even crazier. After that, we’re talking about the rev-share money in baseball… or perhaps lack-thereof, and how one coach is approaching the situation. Lastly, we’re looking at how one aptly named golfer is cashing in on his NIL brand this season. It’s all coming up right now.

Quick reminder: We love to hear feedback on anything and everything about our newsletter. Hit reply or send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. Alright, now let’s get you to the news!

— Cole and Collin

The Big 3

Major Drama Unfolding in Tennessee

Late last week, Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava decided to hold out of spring practices with the team in hopes of securing a new NIL deal. The rising sophomore was getting paid about $2 million in NIL last season, and sources say he wanted nearly double that figure in 2025. On3 currently has his valuation at $3.1 million.

Well, he did not get a new deal. Instead, Tennessee shocked the world by moving on from the Iamaleava over the weekend. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program,” said coach Josh Heupel of the situation. 

It goes without saying that this is unprecedented stuff, but there’s actually even crazier details now emerging. Apparently Iamaleava was threatening to sit out of the team’s playoff game in December too – all in hopes of a renegotiated NIL agreement. Now, after the breakup, both parties are looking to find a fit for next season. (More)

Texas Tech Baseball Coach is Fine with >2% of Rev-Share Budget

The impending House Settlement is forcing schools to choose where they focus their finances, and unsurprisingly, football will soak up tons of money. A school like Texas Tech is no exception – but don’t tell head baseball coach Tim Tadlock he’s at a disadvantage. 

“This is great,” Tadlock said of revenue-sharing, which is likely coming next season, “Now you can bring a kid in here and go, ‘Look, with the combination of athletic scholarship and revenue share, we're going to be able to take care of you – and maybe put a little money in your pocket.’”

Here’s the kicker – Texas Tech is only expected to spend about $390K of the roughly $20 million rev-share cap on baseball funding. That’s less than 2%! Meanwhile, 74% will go towards football, and about 18% toward men’s basketball. (More)

Ball State’s Happy Gilmore is (Predictably) an NIL Icon

The Masters may have finished up (congrats Ror, but the college golf season is in full swing. There’s actually a lot of NIL money in college golf right now – just ask Happy Gilmore, an actual college golfer who competes for Ball State. 

Before you ask, no, his name isn’t really Happy – it’s Landon – but he’s been going by Happy since he was a kid. He’s now leveraging that nickname into NIL dollars, landing his biggest sponsorship to date: Arby’s.

Gilmore’s been on a roll with NIL partnerships. He recently landed a deal with Sunday Golf that will provide clubs and equipment for his entire 2025 season. The only thing left for him to accomplish is a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2, which is set to come out later this year. (More)

NIL

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BLITZ

♦️ Less than two weeks removed from March Madness, over 2,000 men’s basketball players have entered the transfer portal

♦️ This new NIL bill would completely replace the NCAA – and much, much more

♦️ Pro volleyball’s success is dependent on college stardom carrying over

♦️ Lane Kiffin is refusing to share the Ole Miss’s rev-share strategy

♦️ Will NIL donor fatigue ever set in for college sports, or will the money just keep growing?

♦️ Intuit ran an NIL business masterclass during March Madness

♦️ Here’s how much MAC basketball players are getting paid with NIL

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should the Ohio Senate use public funds to save Cleveland State’s wrestling program?

• Sure, why not? - 46%

• No, that’s not what tax money is for - 54%