Inside the New Game Plan

In 2021, the NCAA reversed its long-standing policy that prohibited student-athletes from earning compensation. The organization introduced new guidelines around name, image, and likeness (NIL), giving college athletes the opportunity to sign endorsement deals, receive appearance fees, monetize their social media presence, and sell merchandise.

The emergence of NIL combined with the college transfer portal created an unprecedented “Wild West” scenario of unregulated free agency in college athletics. Powerhouse Division I programs formed collectives, groups consisting of program donors and alumni that were permitted to strike lucrative NIL deals with student-athletes. Collectives could target blue-chip recruits and student-athletes competing at rival, mid-major, and low-major institutions. The pay-for-play culture widened the gap of competitive balance between the Power 5 conferences and the rest of the Division I playing field.

This past June, the NCAA adopted the House v. NCAA settlement to address myriad legal, financial, and fairness pressures related to NIL. Schools can now opt in to a model allowing them to share a capped amount of revenue ($20.5 million) directly with athletes outside of third-party NIL deals. The newly formed College Sports Commission is tasked with enforcing settlement rules and monitoring NIL deals above $600 that must be reported and assessed for fair market value.

So, what does this mean for Monmouth University? We spoke with Director of Athletics Jennifer Sansevero, J.D., about the profound impact of NIL on college athletics and Monmouth.

Why did the NCAA need to adopt new rules for NIL?

The reality was that NIL deals shifted in a direction they were not intended to go. Name, image, and likeness, in its purest form, was adopted to compensate student-athletes fairly through endorsements and business ventures. But it transformed into what could seem like a pay-for-play scenario. Collectives were popping up at Power 5 programs and providing alleged recruiting inducements and pay-for-play opportunities. You were not seeing student-athletes doing commercials and leveraging their name. They were receiving payments that far exceeded market value, and there was no regulation. It just went off the rails.

The House settlement has adapted it to a revenue-sharing model, and institutions are now permitted to provide direct benefits to student-athletes. It provides greater flexibility for institutions and increases opportunities for student-athletes to receive benefits.

Are there challenges for mid-majors in this new landscape?

There are challenges for mid-majors, but there are also tremendous opportunities for student-athletes that never existed before. Look, when a player at a mid-major school has a breakout season, they might not return. The high-major institutions are in a position to recruit those athletes and offer lucrative deals. Mid- and low-major program rosters can be negatively impacted by this; however, it can be an exciting opportunity for the athlete.

It has happened here at Monmouth. A men’s basketball player had an incredible season last year and received over a million-dollar deal from a Big 12 school. That is life-changing for that young man, and that is fantastic! Monmouth helped give him a great opportunity, and he will always be grateful for us taking a chance on him and developing him into a player who received an opportunity of a lifetime.

Monmouth recently launched the Hawk Excellence Fund. What is its purpose?

We formed the Hawk Excellence Fund strategically and to make the statement, “Monmouth is in the game!” We have designated this fund to directly support our student-athletes in this new landscape of college athletics. We are not mixing our operational dollars with providing benefits to our student-athletes. We are focusing on producing new revenue streams—not using our operational dollars—to provide benefits to our student-athletes. We’ll continue to rely on contributions from our alumni and donors to compete in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and nationally.

A difference with the Hawk Excellence Fund is that contributions are tax deductible. This fund provides benefits directly to our student-athletes, particularly in our marquee sports.

Are there student-athletes at Monmouth who have signed NIL deals?

We do have student-athletes across several sports who have NIL deals. A track athlete last year [who recently turned professional] had a deal with Under Armour. She wore Under Armour and did some advertising in exchange for compensation. We have athletes engaged with social media platforms who are compensated for promoting companies and their products. We also have local businesses and restaurants who pay athletes to make appearances at events.

These are literally name, image, and likeness deals that provide additional benefits to our student-athletes and engage Monmouth athletics with the community.

Does the athletics department assist athletes in understanding how to navigate this new landscape?

Part of our original purpose is to discover and develop champions in life. We now have a greater responsibility to educate and support our student-athletes in different ways.

We have instituted financial literacy requirements for any student-athlete who is participating in revenue sharing or receiving additional benefits. We are providing them with an NIL education—how to understand their personal brand, understand accounting and finance, and what the tax consequences are to earning money. I think Monmouth has risen to the challenge in providing a holistic, educational experience for students.

You reference Monmouth being “in the game.” What if you decided to opt out?

I don’t want to think about what would happen. We would have a really hard time recruiting competitive student-athletes who would allow us to be successful in the CAA. Monmouth would struggle to compete, no question.

But we are all in, and we’re going to do everything we can to continue to be competitive and build championship programs.

Between NIL and the transfer portal, how have Monmouth coaches had to modify their recruiting practices?

Coaches are no longer in a living room talking to parents and the recruit. They are talking to agents and a variety of individuals associated with prospects who may have a financial interest in prospects going to a specific school or signing for a specific amount. So, our coaches are adapting their recruiting practices and learning as we go forward.

They are also doubling down on building relationships with the recruits and their current roster. Our coaches have authentic and holistic relationships, and that is how Monmouth student-athletes buy into our culture. The transfer portal is a component that presents challenges, so the coaches now dedicate time to re-recruiting their own kids to retain their roster.

Part of our original purpose is to discover and develop champions in life. We now have a greater responsibility to educate and support our student-athletes in different ways.

You earned a Juris Doctor degree and practiced as a law clerk for five years. How has that degree and experience served you in your role as athletic director?

I use it now more than ever. It helps with understanding legislation, negotiating, and working through some challenging conversations with coaches who are in contact with agents and families. The role of athletic director has essentially morphed into operating like a GM [general manager].

I cannot say enough about the collaborative efforts of our general counsel’s office and senior administrative teams. Given the legal complexities involved and partnering with our accounting and finance offices, along with the president’s office, we would not be able to compete in this new world without those entities supporting athletics. It’s a true team effort at Monmouth.

How does the House v. NCAA settlement impact your general fundraising?

We are exploring additional corporate sponsorships to generate new and different sources of revenue. We are scrutinizing our spending within the athletics department and reallocating resources where we can. It is a combination of reallocating resources and new streams of revenue. And then it’s asking our alumni, our community, and our donors to continue to contribute to support the endeavor.

Alumni have also been fantastic in helping provide education. We have former student-athletes in the accounting and finance fields who have been willing to give in the form of education. It’s important to steward and cultivate resources from our alumni and our community, because providing direct benefits to athletes is a new bucket to fill.

This new model is having a profound impact on college athletics. What do you see on the horizon?

For the near future, with regulations and some guardrails in place, I think the market is going to settle. Now that providing direct benefits to student-athletes is permissible, Division I programs have greater flexibility in navigating this new landscape to stay competitive.

With that, I do think there is going to be some collateral damage. Institutions may decide to cut programs or drop to Division III. Between mandatory reductions in roster size, enrollment challenges, and the current state of economics, operating a Division I program and staying competitive may be tough for some schools. In the next year or two, I do think there will be some collateral damage.

Do you have a message you would like to share with the Monmouth athletics family?

I just want to say thank you. I am grateful for the support from our alumni base, our fan base, and our community. And always feel free to come back to meet our teams, attend games, and visit our enhanced facilities. Monmouth is truly a special place.

College athletics has changed, and as long as we remain true to who we are, lead with integrity, and operate with high character, I think Monmouth has a really bright future.