Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack encouraged Orange fans to donate to two collectives that are paying athletes to work with local charities in a Wednesday update on the school’s efforts surrounding Name, Image and Likeness rights for athletes.
Wildhack joined a chorus of athletic administrators over the past month who have publicly expressed support for specific NIL collectives after updated NCAA guidance allowed schools to promote student-athlete NIL activities.
The public support from athletic administrators for those organizations shows just how much the landscape has changed in college sports over the past year. What are now financial opportunities supported by schools were previously considered a violation of NCAA rules.
In his message, Wildhack noted, “there has never been a more dynamic time in college sports.”
Wildhack’s message referenced the 315 Foundation, founded by Tony DeSorbo and Mike Bristol, and Athletes Who Care, which was founded by Cliff Ensley.
Both organizations are registered as 501c3 non-profit organizations, which means donations to them are tax deductible. The organizations pay athletes for work with local charities, an arrangement that benefits athletes financially and helps charities, who then benefit from the labor and exposure provided.
In addition to referencing the two collectives, Wildhack noted NIL workshops for athletes that were put on by Dave Meluni, a professor in SU’s Falk School of Sport Management, and the Syracuse Accelerate program, an online portal that connects athletes and businesses directly.
“At Syracuse we are committed to providing a best-in-class experience for our student-athletes,” Wildhack said. “A robust NIL program will make us more competitive and allow our teams to compete for and win national championships.”
The updated NCAA guidance sparked a spate of similar messages from schools encouraging their own fanbases to join the latest financial competition in college sports.
Over the past month athletic directors from Michigan, Baylor, Temple, East Carolina and others have all published similar announcements, offering updates and detailing specific collectives where fans hoping to contribute to athletes could send their money.
Kansas produced videos featuring its athletic director, football and women’s basketball coach, while Indiana announced that its boosters had raised more than $2 million for its collectives.
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