“On July 1, 2021, the NIL rule changed. That’s the day my life changed,” says Olivia Dunne in a recently released Amazon Prime exclusive ‘The Money Game’. These words from Dunne paint a picture of the impact of NIL deals and how NIL has been a game-changer for numerous athletes. But again, there lies an unspoken side to it. And we just covered it in our recent exclusive with none other than Doug Sanders, President of Sanders Sports & Entertainment.

While getting a bucket full of cash with fancy endorsements might seem like a dream escapade for an NCAA athlete, a sense of responsibility is of utmost importance. In an exclusive interview with the EssentiallySports Think Tank Host, Trey Holder, Sanders explores the untreaded, forlorn territories of college football and NIL deals. 

Sanders, who has devoted his life to managing and overseeing NFL elites, expressed his interest in venturing out to the college football realm. He has unquestioned authority over building a brand from scratch, marketing, and managing sports media, while keeping the head of his client on the ground level, invoking a never-ending cycle of hunger to ascend to the summit. The US Sports Marketing phenom mentioned that the NIL deal has truly revolutionized the NCAA fraternity.

While the athletes were deprived of earnings despite having impeccable skills, the revised rules have allowed them to taste the sweet elixir of success.“With great power, comes great responsibility,” is the sentiment that Sanders continues to follow as he shares his keen inclination towards playing Uncle Ben in this Think Tank exclusive. 

College football NIL deals: A ‘Money Heist’ to be aware of 

When Trey asked Sanders about the green bills coming thick and fast for the college football players, the SSE CEO nodded in acknowledgment. “They should be able to be compensated for that and be a part of that institution for a long time”, Sanders said. But he was quick to bring out the ‘Nota Bene’. An alarmed Sanders emphasized the need for proper guidance and ‘guardrails’ for the athletes to drive them on the right track. 

Reiterating his point, Doug Sanders chimed in, “I think if I’m being completely honest and transparent, I think there needs to be some guardrails on it and better guardrails. I think, you know, you’re giving these young kids an opportunity to make an income and they need to be schooled on what that is and the relationships that they should be getting in bed with and how they should go about it.” As a matter of fact, such concerns do hold a lot of weight if we take a glance at the current college football and the NIL scenario. 

One of the richest icons of the NBA, Michael Jordan, had his first brand endorsement with Nike back in 1984. He was signed for $2.5 million on a five-year deal. Now compare that to what the University of Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders is getting. Currently ranking number 1, Sanders has an estimated NIL valuation of $4.7 million in just 22 years! In fact, 6 of the top 10 college athletes as per their estimated NIL valuation are footballers. Thus, when Doug Sanders says, “Even a step further is making sure they have the right team in place as it relates to accounting,” it certainly feels like a wake-up call to reality. Having known the industry in and out, Sanders stressed guiding the athletes to be selective about the brands they sign with instead of blindly looking at the numbers on the check. 

A little time travel back to the past will present us with the dark truth of being financially irresponsible. The boxing legend had an empire of $300 million dollars from where he managed to go bankrupt. As Tyson put it in an interview with tennis star Nick Kyrgios, he was caught up “in a vortex of destroying” himself. Luckily for him, Tyson found a way out and recovered, currently having a net worth of $10 million, which is only a shadow of his previous wealth. Thus, these examples make us consider our guest, Doug Sanders’ words in bold, red letters. 

This exclusive from Doug Sanders is just the tip of the iceberg of EssentiallySports Think Tank’s Titanic commitment to gift-wrap some of the most intellectual content to our elite audience. Through our platforms, we assemble the most able business Avengers to focus on leadership, change, and strategies in the sports realm. ES Think Tank offers a unique experience for our audiences to get all the know-how about the latest developments in sports marketing and strategy and enables them to indulge in the opportunities discussed.

We know you can’t wait for this one! You can catch the latest episode with Doug Sanders on September 17, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET on esfancast.tv. Stay tuned for similar insightful content coming your way shortly.