by By McKenna Schinderle
Schools with Power5 programs are more competitive than ever in recruiting for success on a national scale. The implementation of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) allows athletes to profit from their personal brand through sponsorships and partnerships. So, what does this mean for the Pac-12?
Well, that’s not good…
In June 2022, UCLA and USC announced plans to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 10 in 2024. The news shook the college sports world and brought a storm of questions surrounding the future of the Pac-12 conference. Will power schools like Oregon and Washington look for ways to get out? Will the Pac-12 fill this massive hole with regional schools like SDSU or Boise State? With a combined 253 national championships across sports, USC and UCLA are both major competitors contributing to a strong conference. Their absence affects everything from strength of schedule to potential TV deals for the conference, and recruiting top athletes.
The bright side
Athletes need two things for maximum success in NIL. They need to be recognized within their sport and have a large social media following. The social media aspect is not to be overlooked, and schools like CU Boulder and Oregon are realizing it. Deion Sanders’ arrival to the Buffs coaching squad means national exposure for a football program that went 1-11 last season. The Prime Time effect was on full display at Colorado’s recent spring game, where tickets for the annual event sold out for the first time in program history. Media members and fans alike embraced Coach Prime’s electric personality in his opening act as head coach. It will be interesting to see if the power of social media can charge Boulder athletics in the coming years. Boulder isn’t the only glimmer of hope though. Nike and the University of Oregon aren’t going down without a fight.
The Ducks
The University of Oregon is known for its athletics and instantly recognizable brand. With the help of Phil Knight and Nike, Oregon offers athletes an established brand. Athletes such as Sedona Prince and Bo Nix exemplify what the Ducks bring to the table in terms of media exposure and NIL deals. Sedona has over 2.8 million followers on Tikok and started going viral during her time with the Oregon women’s basketball team. She brings fans behind the scenes through “Day in the life videos” like the one below. Bo Nix is one of the trailblazers for NIL deals dating back to his time at Auburn. Since then, he’s become a top 10 NIL earner in the nation and is en route to being another all-time Oregon quarterback.
The chaos of college sports never ceases, and UCLA and USC’s grand exit is sure to make some waves in the coming years. The star power of some of the Pac-12 programs could be enough to keep the conference alive. Schools need to invest in the power of social media or simply put, they will lose relevance.
I have been aware of the Pac 12 breaking apart for a while but I never looked at it like this. I liked the approach you brought to this situation. I think you did a great job of exploring the idea of Oregon and Washington leaving the PAC-12.
I think this an exciting topic. In my opinion, USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 might be good for the football programs. Still, I could see potentially many student-athletes suffering from this transition due to longer travel times for competitions and therefore tightly packed schedules that leave students at the hands of their sport— not their academics. Excited (and nervous) to see this change.
I think that you make an interesting point. Most of the influencers that I follow are athletes, or at least related to sports entertainment somehow. I think that money has a lot to do with it, and I might even argue that it has a greater influence than social media. The social media presence comes with the established university and therefore money. However, social media is a cheap investment. It’d be smart for universities to put some time into establishing their athletes on social medias because that too will expand their opportunities after college.
This is an interesting way to look at. As we know, money has been the main reason for programs such as UCLA and USC leaving conferences. The brand that a school like Oregon has involves social media as a heavy influence. On top of that, we’ve seen correlations between NIL deals and a large social media following. Those are very likely the two leading aspects for this shift of the Pac 12. It’ll be interesting to see if schools like Oregon, Washington and others follow UCLA and USC’s lead.