TCU Athletics: What Does Being on the Right Side of NIL Look Like?

Where does TCU land in the NIL atmosphere? Are the Frogs headed in the right direction?

Nov 9, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs fans cheer during the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

NIL has been implemented in multiple ways since its emergence in 2021. From Oklahoma State attempting to put scannable QR codes on their players' uniforms where fans can donate money, to Tennessee putting a "talent fee" on their ticket prices to boost their NIL buying power, programs are trying everything to gain an advantage in college athletics. While some schools have been criticized for advertising their NIL funding openly, other schools like TCU have made use of NIL collectives like the Flying T Club to help their athletes in many ways behind the scenes.

This photo provided by Oklahoma State Athletics shows a QR code on an Oklahoma State NCAA college football helmet, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. / Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics via AP

When looking at the Top 50 programs in NIL Funding, TCU surprisingly doesn't crack the list in an article done by 247 Sports. While most TCU fans don't expect to find their school in the Top 10, they might still expect the brand to be at least on the list. The Oregon Ducks lead NCAA programs with nearly a billion dollars invested into their athletics programs.

With this information, I decided I would be better informed if I just went straight to the top of TCU's athletics program to get Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati's (ADJD) opinions on what being on the right side of NIL looks like.

When I first asked ADJD what he thought being on the right side of NIL looks like, he answered me by asking if I was aware of the NIL House Settlement.

For those that don't know, The NIL House settlement refers to a significant legal agreement resulting from several antitrust lawsuits brought against the NCAA. These cases are meant to challenge the NCAA's longstanding rules restricting athlete compensation, including limits on NIL rights. It's expected that around $2.8 billion will be paid to universities and former collegiate athletes who had their name and image used without being compensated for it.

ADJD answered the question by saying that while the NIL House Settlement is still in progress, the goal of most programs is to fulfill their NIL obligations to current athletes. He added that there's a separate long-term plan for NIL as well.

"...In the long term, after the rules change in July when revenue sharing comes into play, NIL will still exist, but it will be fair market value driven and will become much less of a priority for every institution. When the true NIL 3rd party goes into effect, that will be what we imagined NIL being, which is student athletes endorsing products and businesses..." - ADJD

I then decided to ask ADJD the question that many Horned Frog fans have had on their mind since NIL became a prominent feature in collegiate athletics. That question was whether TCU being a private school influences the way he looks at NIL. ADJD answered me by saying that while TCU has a smaller sample size of donors to pull from, that hasn't stopped them before.

"...We've got a smaller pond to fish from, so it can be a little more challenging. That's no excuse, though. We've always punched above our weight class, and we'll continue to do that...I don't see that as a big disadvantage, and candidly there's only a couple schools in the conference that have the resources and opportunities we have here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex "- ADJD

Lastly, I wanted to know where ADJD believes TCU is right now in terms of both the short-term and long-term plans for NIL. Looking back on it, one problem with this question is that it isn't readily quantifiable for many athletic directors. Since the landscape of collegiate athletics is constantly changing, ADJD reasoned that TCU will have to continue to adapt to the changing rules and regulations.

"...It's hard to say percentage-wise. There are no rules in place at the moment and so we're all kind of building the plane as we're flying it. We have a team here that meets twice, sometimes three times a week to plan for the future, so I think we're ahead of a lot of the schools we talk with." - ADJD

While it was only a quick phone call due to some time constraints, ADJD's answers are likely the thoughts of many athletic directors across the country. As previously stated, NIL is a somewhat foggy subject until rules and regulations are put in place. As ADJD said, the NIL House Settlement will likely clear up many of the misunderstandings people have today about NIL deals, leading to a more balanced and safer collegiate atmosphere across all sports.

It's safe to say TCU is on the right side of NIL for right now. The university and athletics programs have had quite a few conference championships/playoff appearances in recent memory. While many only think of the 2022 National Championship appearance when the Horned Frogs are mentioned in conversation, many don't realize how dominant the athletics programs have been when factoring in some of the lesser-known sports.

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