NIL and the Age of Collectivismizing Part 2

By Guest | Published 08/07/2022 | USF Bulls Athletics

A new NIL collective stumbled out of the gate. Apparently it was revealed early. I wrote a stack about my personal opinions about NIL as a whole and what this new entrant to the USF athletics space COULD mean. I’ve re-read the first stack twice since then, and I can say I still believe in every word I of it. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so for the context. 

Since then two things have happened. I’ve heard a ton of opinions from the #USFTwitterHerd and had some direct communication with Dreamfield. The company behind The Fowler Collective. I have a better grasp of what they’re doing in this space now. 

For starters I don’t like using the word “collective” in the name. I think it conveys are different purpose than what Dreamfield is doing. To me - and I think most of CFB - a “collective” is a group of donors big and small working in the proverbial shadows offering money for recruits and transfers. We know this happens. 

That isn’t Dreamfield/TFC. Their game is twofold. Link up players with sponsorship opportunities - think car dealerships etc… and doing so in an above board legal way. Helping players navigate this space and these deals according to them this where more of the $ is made on their end. Flat out I’m 100 percent fine with all that. If Publix wants to sponsor the O-line to market pub subs - win win. If TFC is the connection that helps that flourish rock on. 

The second part is what raises my eyebrow. Essentially a subscription service for fans to exchange money for fan club style perks (meet ups etc…). This is where the Herd and I split I think. My take, which was laid out in my first stack, is that I have limited dollars. I give what I can to Bulls club when I can. And I don’t have a ton of interest in chatting with the O-line or giving them my money to hang out on Zoom. I am sure they’re great people and I wish them all the best. But I have kids to feed and this blog isn’t monetized. HOWEVER just because I don’t have interest in that - doesn’t mean the interest isn’t there. Very clearly some of you are chomping at the bit at a way to give these players money and invest in them. Connect with the team more. Etc… Here again Dreamfield has arrived to fill that role and facilitate. They posted that 85% of these dollars go directly to the athletes - it’s a private company we don’t know but to be honest I believe it. They’ve brought in fan favorite Matt Grothe to sell it and people are buying. Who am I to judge right?

This space is crowded with new players rushing to get a slice. Analytics. Scams. Sweatshirts, bad logos to name a few. MOGL, NIL Network, Elite Empire Athletics, and even a company called AthLiance which has a name that immediately brings to mind Jim Helpert’s brain child ATHLEAD. A lot of us don’t know up from down in the NIL landscape below the surface. So forgive me for having reservations about Dreamfield/TFC. And to their defense and mine they probably had a better roll out planned than a twitter leak. From what I know - Dreamfield is here for the right reasons.

So to that I say… as long as we all know what we’re doing in this space the more power to everyone. I’m sure Dreamfield has plans to lay out their model a lot better than I just probably barely scratched the surface of. The players have value/a product, this company provides a service, and the fans want it. I say let it ride. And who knows… if in some time The Fowler Collective is part of the lure to come to USF - and I don’t have to pay for daycare anymore - maybe I’ll sign up for a membership. 

And lastly, and most importantly Bulls fans… This blog and every twitter account out there isn’t always going to see eye to eye (Hell some of you like the chrome helmet ) but can we all remember that everyone who reads this and all of our little twitter-scape family are top 5 percent fans who really care. We need to #BullsUnite a little bit more. 

Alright Amazon… pay up !

Feel free to subscribe to the stack

https://pubchair.substack.com/p/nil-and-collectivismizing-part-2?r=1nrdrp&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct