After a false start over the summer, The Varsity Collective team went back to the huddle and emerged three months later with a bulked-up roster and some answers.
Touchdown, Badgers? It’s too early to say, but at least now there’s a game plan. And a thorough one at that.
The collective’s launch — well, re-launch — was billed as the “definitive playbook on how (University of) Wisconsin student-athletes deserve to be supported” in the Name, Image and Likeness era and it was impressive.
The group’s leadership team clearly has spent a lot of time putting a plan in place and the presentation Thursday inside a Madison hotel ballroom included details on a four-pillar approach designed to last, not be some short-term fix.
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“I think there’s a lot of smoke out there and a lot of people that are getting involved in these (collectives) that maybe aren’t sustainable,” UW volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I think one of the things that makes this really unique and special is you have people who have played on these fields and these courts and people who have this university in their blood. They are passionate about this place. It’s people that are involved for the right reasons and I think that’s a huge selling point.”
Naturally, fans are going to wonder if this will help UW keep up in the fast-moving world of NIL. That depends how you look at it.
This isn’t a way to funnel money to recruits to entice them to become Badgers. While plenty of rules are being bent and broken around the country, there was a promise delivered that his group won’t step out of bounds.
“We’re going to work with the athletic department’s internal NIL staff to maintain compliance within the text and the spirit of NCAA guidelines,” said Rob Master, the collective’s executive chair. “Above all, we’ll ensure that we’re acting in the best interest of our Badger student-athletes.”
So, no, your $100 contribution isn’t going to go directly into the pocket of some four-star running back, shooting guard or outside hitter.
But UW coaches — six of them attended the news conference Thursday — have an even more appealing sales pitch when they step inside the living rooms on the recruiting trail.
NIL opportunities once they step on campus? Training on how to develop their personal brand and build a profile for life after UW? A platform in which they can learn from a group of former UW athletes and other alumni in the professional world? Check, check and check.
“I think this is going to be transformational because it’s bigger and much more impactful than just a financial deposit,” UW men’s basketball coach Greg Gard said. “Those are very temporary. What they’re going to be able to do with this, from watching it from the outside, it’s exactly what we talk about the impact that this university can have.”
Former UW football standout Joe Thomas once sat through those recruiting pitches. He’s now a parent and maybe, just maybe, he’ll be going through the same thing from a different perspective sometime down the road.
What would he want to hear? That the program will be a good fit for his child and, just as importantly, that the experience will set them up for life after college.
“I would think that if you’re looking outside of who can give me the most dollars from NIL, something like this could have a huge impact in bringing recruits into Wisconsin,” Thomas said.
Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas discusses why he wants to help current Badgers athletes take advantage of NIL and find mentors d…
“I’ve got a lot of friends from my NFL days that went to some of the bigger universities — Alabama, Texas — and the amount of money that they can throw at a problem is almost sickening. They have a lot of boosters with (billions of dollars) in front of their names and their priority with donating in life is to the football team. ‘It doesn't matter how much it costs, I want to buy a winner.’ For Wisconsin to compete solely on who can raise the most money, you’re not going to win that battle. But what I think we do better than anybody else in the country is that alumni network and the passion and the pride, not only for the revenue sports but our non-revenue sports.”
One of the best things I heard Thursday came from Lauren Cochlin, a former UW women’s soccer player. Cochlin drove home the point that The Varsity Collective is not just about NIL deals and got a little nostalgic near the end of her prepared remarks.
“Wisconsin has always been about 23 sports but one team,” she said. “The team is really what truly makes this place special. I’m reminded of that as I walk around here. To me, The Varsity Collective is truly an extension of that. It’s us walking that walk.”
Contact Jim Polzin at jpolzin@madison.com.