FSU football NIL Tracker: Deals, collective signees

Jan 25, 2023 - 10:00 AM

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As Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) paid opportunities become more and more entrenched within the network of college athletics, we’re seeing people and groups start to adjust and figure out best practices for moving forward in the new world.

In Florida, universities are unable to serve as a brokering party in NIL deals, leaving athletes pretty much to their own devices on figuring things out and businesses confused as to how to even go about employing the services of the students.

One of the workarounds we’ve seen emerge has been the NIL Collective, a concept that’s popped up across the country in an effort to encourage fans to take an active part in providing opportunities.

At Florida State, three have emerged: Rising Spear (who absorbed former collective Warpath), Micconope 1851 and The Battles End.

Each represents different intentions and processes for utilizing NIL for FSU athletes. Rising Spear, the first to launch, is the organization most closely associated with the Seminole Boosters, sponsoring athletes in all sports. Micconope 1851 also offers deals for FSU athletes across the board, focusing on “providing developmental opportunities” per the organization’s website. The Battles End, spearheaded by Ingram Smith and enabled by major financial backers, is football-focused and currently prioritizing retaining current Seminoles football players.

Tomahawk Nation user bugzbunny has begun to track the deals of football players, compiling them in a periodically-updated list below.

The two NIL agencies I am tracking as of Jan 2023 are The Battles End (TBE) and Rising Spear (RiSp). The date provided is the first public confirmation of the player associating with the NIL (and the links are provided as available). Also providing twitter handles and merchandising links (whenever available) for the players. RiSp’s role seems to be dipping in the football NIL space, so may discontinue featuring them after a while (keeping them listed for posterity sake)