Every year, collegiate representatives from athletic departments across the country gather at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ (NACDA) convention. This is an opportunity to watch dozens of experts speak on all aspects of collegiate athletics and current issues. Naturally, Name, Image, and Likeness took center stage amongst the issues discussed. 

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MOGL is proud to have sponsored the NIL Education Seminar curated to help administrators, vendors, and others navigate this new landscape and learn how best to prosper amidst a flexible regulatory environment. 

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Here are our key takeaways from NACDA 2023:

1. NIL dominated the conversations

Now celebrating its second birthday, NIL still remains a challenge for many. As its impact rapidly accelerates, it’s crucial that athletic departments continue to seek education, tools, and resources to keep up with the needs and wants of their student-athletes. As this becomes a central focus for an increasing number of schools beyond the Power Five and Division 1, it’s no surprise that conversations about NIL dominated the majority of panels and discussions at the conference.

As the opportunities afforded collegiate athletes by the NIL industry expand, they are capturing the attention of Division 2 and Division 3 players and schools. In previous years, NIL participation at D2 and D3 schools was minimal; but there has been a significant spike in interest recently as brands and other stakeholders are increasingly connecting with student-athletes and institutions recognize the importance of providing their student-athletes with the tools to succeed. 

How can MOGL help? MOGL believes in NIL for all. As DII and DIII schools start thinking about standing up or expanding their NIL programs, MOGL is excited and ready to provide the technology your Athletic Department needs. We connect student-athletes with a network of 2,000+ brands to monetize their NIL and provide department-wide NIL deals across all divisions. 

2. Universities and collectives want to collaborate to identify the best solution for both parties going forward

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One significant trend we witnessed at NACDA this year was the increased desire amongst universities and collectives to collaborate in order to support their student-athletes. Tiiger Impact summed it up perfectly in the NIL Education Seminar, explaining how collectives increasingly have a louder voice in these conversations.

As IRS scrutiny and potential auditing of 5013C collectives becomes more prevalent, it’s more important than ever for collective’s software solutions to integrate with university compliance and automate disclosures for all parties involved. However, based on our analysis on the industry, this isn’t something that is currently being offered everywhere. 

How can MOGL help? Collectives and universities can rely on MOGL's innovative technology to manage their NIL programs with confidence, knowing that they are meeting compliance requirements through automated disclosure and monitoring capabilities in one integrated solution. 

3. Education continues to remain a gap for student athletes, coaches, and local businesses in particular

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There is still a substantial need for student athletes, coaches, and local businesses to learn  how to succeed in NIL. While most have a baseline understanding of NIL and its opportunities, the increasing complexity of state laws pertaining to NIL forces a need for continuing education.

This has resulted in more and more universities turning to third party service providers, like MOGL, to find solutions and guidance in order to effectively and efficiently educate its student-athletes and broader network. These partner resources enable universities to upskill their athletes in brand building, financial literacy, tax ramifications, and contracts; and they educate coaches on what’s allowable in NIL and how to effectively manage these programs at their universities. We were excited to see panels on the importance of education at NACDA, including the NIL Educational Seminar: Student-Athlete Education Programs and NIL Educational Seminar: Taking a Holistic Campus-Wide Approach.

MOGL’s CEO Ayden Syal spoke on the NIL Educational Seminar: Educating the Community, Local Businesses and Donors at NACDA on how best to activate and engage local businesses who are looking to connect with student-athletes but don’t know where to start or how to derive value from it. Ayden specifically highlighted the need for local businesses to drive their return on investment from marketing campaigns with student athletes, the qualitative value of local advertisement campaigns, different ways to track their campaign performance, and the importance of compliance when engaging with student athletes. 

How can MOGL help? At MOGL we pride ourselves on having education resources for all parties involved in NIL, and all in one place. Most notably, our MOGL Master™ NIL Course helps prepare current and future student-athletes for NIL monetization by covering key topics including financial literacy, taxes, contract and legal review, and brand building.

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4. Collectives will become increasingly prevalent beyond just Power 5 schools, though their structure will change

Since the inception of NIL, collectives have been concentrated in Power Five and D1 schools, and more recently are expanding into Division 2 and Division 3 schools and universities. At NACDA, we listened to a variety of conversations centered around collectives, including the NIL Education Seminar: Working with Collectives and the NAAC Hot Topic Session: NIL Track-Recruiting/Collectives.

We anticipate after speaking with our collective partners that in response to recent IRS announcements, the majority of collectives will be structured as for-profit entities, or LLCs, that will operate in a similar manner to local marketing agencies. We will likely see them dedicated to sourcing sponsorships and taking advantage of other NIL monetization opportunities for student athletes, including unique fan- and community-based partnerships.

The IRS rulings are likely to impact the source, volume, and valuation of donations collectives receive; however, we still anticipate the emergence of more collectives to branch beyond Power Five and D1 schools.

How can MOGL help? MOGL’s software powers collective operations, making athlete communications and payment seamless, while automating the disclosure and fulfillment verification processes.

5. Schools are looking for a holistic solution 

Our final, and key takeaway from attending NACDA was just how many athletic departments are still actively looking for help. 

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After speaking with hundreds of reps from universities and listening to multiple panel discussions, it’s clear that student athletes are increasingly frustrated and irritated about the solutions being made available to them. 

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Given the flurry of questions centering on topics like monetization, working with a collective, managing taxes, ongoing educating, and compliance - schools are looking for a one-stop solution to streamline and simplify the process for their athletes, and MOGL is here to help.

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How can MOGL help?  MOGL is the solution to quiet the storm of confusion and inquiries around NIL. From connecting athletes with brands and fans, automating disclosures and taxes;  to providing software solutions to power collective operations, MOGL does it all and is here to enable seamless interaction for all parties in the NIL industry.

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We’re thrilled to see interest in NIL increase at such a rapid pace, and we look forward to the growth the industry will experience because of it. We are grateful for the opportunity to attend and learn from the NACDA conference, and we feel we have gained a comprehensive understanding of the challenges inherent in NIL. We are excited to continue to deliver increasingly positive outcomes for all parties in this burgeoning industry.

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