Boise State Football Coach's Bold Stand on NIL

Spencer Danielson says his freshmen players need to work to earn NIL money. Will it hurt the team?

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson reacts during the / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State’s new head football coach, Spencer Danielson, is charting a distinct path in the realm of NIL agreements. His approach harkens back to a bygone era and risks damaging the Broncos even further in today’s competitive collegiate sports landscape.

Danielson assumed the reins from Andy Avalos midway through the previous season, culminating in a commendable 3-1 record as the interim coach, punctuated by a victorious appearance in the LA Bowl, which certainly helped to clinch his appointment removing the “interim” from his title. As he gears up for his inaugural season as head coach of the Boise Broncos, he’s ushering in some novel directives. 

In a recent press interaction, Danielson made a shocking statement: no incoming freshmen on the Boise State roster will receive guaranteed NIL compensation. This statement caused quite a stir. 

Danielson has since clarified, “When we recruit freshmen, no NIL or collective (money) is promised to anybody. Now, any athlete can go out and get NIL opportunities in the community where they’re from or here at Boise State. That is up to them. That’s between them and what they want to do. But for us, when we recruit young men, it is not about, if you come here, this is what we’re going to be able to do for you. This is how we’re going to develop you. We’re a developmental program. What I was talking about earlier today, all of the freshmen that come in here are not promised anything. They’re promised a chance to compete.”

Prater & The Ballgame: May 8, 2024 - Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson https://t.co/jgDa4LfgD3

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He doesn’t have the wrong idea per se - when NIL money became a thing, this was how it was expected to be used. Now, collectives are helping to land recruits. Some schools guarantee freshmen money; Boise State will not be one. Boise State likely doesn’t have a huge collective for NIL money like some schools, but nonetheless, this is likely to affect recruiting efforts.