The Hoosiers’ athletic department rose to the occasion when NIL went into effect.
Indiana does not hire Curt Cignetti if there isn’t a robust NIL operation.
There was always going to be NIL, it was going to happen at some point one way or another. People across the landscape from athletes to prospective agents and athletic departments as a whole saw this coming. Indiana was one of them.
Indiana partnered with the Opendorse Ready program in 2020 after working with the organization on athlete brand building for multiple years, formed a specialized task force within the athletics department months later and released its official NIL policies in the days leading up to NIL policy taking effect.
The department spent years helping athletes build their brand on social media in the leadup to NIL. That work ended up paying off when the policy took effect in 2021, with Indiana’s athletes quickly capitalizing on their earning potential.
Teams need to partner with robust, reliable NIL operations to be competitive in 2024. That’s just the environment college sports finds itself in right now. Play that game or get left behind, and Indiana isn’t getting left behind.
It was a commitment to NIL resources that helped land Cignetti during the coaching search. He was perfectly fine staying at JMU, having said it multiple times. But the opportunity to win at a Big Ten program that gave him the support to do so proved too appealing.
Mike Woodson and the men’s basketball staff were able to approach the offseason with a boost in NIL funding in an effort to avoid a repeat of the 2023-24 season, ultimately landing one of the top transfer classes in the country.
Women’s basketball players like Mackenzie Holmes, Sydney Parrish and others have spoken at events and used their platforms on social media as well. When Sara Scalia went off against Iowa this past season, she was able to post photos and video not long afterward.
The department enjoys a close, positive working relationship with its official NIL collectives, Hoosiers Connect and Hoosiers for Good. One example of this is the reworking of an annual donors event held in the summer at Huber’s Orchard and Winery.
Tucked away in Southern Indiana, where Hoosier cream and crimson can be found on the sides of barns, on t-shirts and all around the Ohio River, the event has for decades offered a chance for coaches and administrators to interact with the department’s donor base.
It’s not just for athletic department donations anymore though, with Hoosiers Connect playing a role between fundraising, programming, athlete appearances and more.
The department spent years readying itself for athletes being able to earn money from their name, image and likeness and only continues to find new ways to leverage those opportunities. As a result, it’s better positioned than most.