Tulane Green Wave Athletic Director Makes Plea for NIL Collective
Amid a turbulent few months in college sports, Tulane athletic director David Harris’ pointed plea to “Tulane fans and friends” may have been about more than just getting more support for the program’s Name, Image and Likeness collective.
Harris posted a short letter to the Green Wave’s athletic site on Thursday, asking for support for the Fear The Wave collective, the primary collective supporting Tulane student-athletes in the NIL space.
“While your direct support of our department, whether by purchasing tickets, giving to the Green Wave Club or joining the Olive & Blue Society remains critical to our growth and well-being, please remember that having a strong Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) collective is also critical to providing opportunities for our student-athletes,” Harris wrote.
The FTW collective is run by former Tulane student-athletes and coordinates with the Green Wave athletic department to ensure they comply with NCAA regulations.
Student-athletes have had the ability to tap into NIL as a way of making money since the NCAA suspended its original rules around it four years ago. The entity is still struggling with crafting standard practices around NIL and has repeatedly asked the federal government for legislation to help.
The timing of Harris’ letter comes after two events that will have an impact on Tulane athletics in some way.
Recently, the Green Wave, along with three other American Athletic Conference schools, turned down the opportunity to join the Pac-12 Conference, which is trying to rebuild after losing most of its membership. The quartet cited several factors, including the uncertainty of the league’s TV contract, which has yet to be agreed to.
While the Pac-12 continues to accumulate members the league still needs one more football member to remain a recognized conference by the NCAA. The Pac-12 must have that eighth school by the 2026-27 athletic year.
The other was the preliminary approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. When the settlement is finally and fully approved, the landscape of college athletics will change dramatically.
Schools will be able to opt-in or opt-out on sharing revenue. That is expected to be $21-22 million in shared revenue in 2025-26, with that revenue increasing by 4% each season.
Right now, most power conference schools have announced their intention to opt-in. Some are already preparing to find new sources of revenue, even as power conference television contracts bring those schools at least $40 million in shared revenue a year.
Tulane can choose a path. But the opt-in is costly and it’s not yet clear if the Green Wave has the money to share at the full amount.
For now, Harris is asking Tulane fans to do what it can to support student-athletes through the collective.
“Our student-athletes continue to excel on the field and in the classroom and we remain diligent in our resolve to compete for championships,” he wrote. “All of our head coaches agree that NIL opportunities, particularly through Fear the Wave Collective, are imperative for future success.”
