While other universities and booster clubs have embraced and committed to Name, Image and Likeness loopholes — which allow the most talented collegiate athletes to receive hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, from entities that aren’t technically affiliated with a University — Gopher athletes receive next to nothing.

NIL hesitancy ending at the University of Minnesota

Part of the NIL hesitancy in the Twin Cities has to do with the men’s basketball cheating scandal that rocked campus back in the late-90’s, early-00’s. But tight booster pockets have proven to be a problem, as well.

But that could be changing. According Charley Walters (Pioneer Press), there’s a push from big money supporters of the men’s and women’s basketball programs, to raise $1 million by 2027. The individual donations will be $25,000 per donor, per year. The collection is expected to equal $250,000 total per year and will start immediately.

Pssst: A group of Gophers men’s and women’s basketball boosters are seeking $25,000 per member through Dec. 31 this year, with a goal of at least $250,000, to assist in a name, image and likeness (NIL) collective to promote the programs.

Another $25,000 per member will be sought toward a goal of $500,000 from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2024, and yet another $25,000 per member to raise at least $1 million between Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

Welcome to the NIL thunderdome

The Minnesota Gophers have an NIL Collective called “Dinkytown Athletes” that raises small amounts of money for popular athletes who have already earned their due. Most of the funds raised come via small membership fees, t-shirt sales and player appearances. So far, the return on investment has been minimal.

What basketball boosters are doing, however, seems different and looks much closer to what other booster clubs and collectives at major universities are doing across the country. It marks the first real push to be competitive in the NIL era of college athletics and, hopefully, it’s just the first push of many.

History of a competitive disadvantage

The University of Minnesota has been at a competitive disadvantage in football and basketball since the 70’s, when southern schools started more widely accepting people of color into their athletic programs. Suddenly, it was much more difficult to convince the Bobby Bells and Carl Ellers of the world to head north after high school

The long winters make it difficult to get athletes from warmer climates to even consider a college career in Minnesota. And by the time local high schools started producing more NBA and NFL quality talent (late 2000’s), the hometown Gophers found it impossible to recruit against blue blood schools.

But if NIL money doesn’t start flowing in ASAP, the University of Minnesota will find it impossible to build competitive teams in football or basketball.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Because the other guy with 58 games under his Gopher pigskin coaching belt, Jerry Kill, will also roam the sidelines of Minnesota’s next game, Thursday, September 1. He’ll coach from the visitor’s side of Huntington Bank Stadium, leading the New Mexico State Aggies.

Redemption Games vs Redemption Booster Club Speeches

Sports teams, at all levels, may find themselves competing vs former coaches. “Redemption game” narratives (and there are plenty for this matchup) make for fun pregame storylines. But Jerry Kill’s return to Dinkytown, in a few weeks, is far from out of the ordinary.

What Kill is scheduled to do earlier that day, however, seems beyond strange. According Justin Gaard (KFAN, Gophers FB sideline reporter), Jerry Kill will be the featured keynote speaker for the TC Dunkers Booster Club the same day he’ll face the Gophers.

From the “Only in Minnesota” department: Jerry Kill is the featured speaker at Twin Cities Dunkers (group of community business leaders for those of you under 45) the morning Gopher football opens the season against Kill’s New Mexico State team. Only here.

— Justin Gaard (@jgkfan) August 8, 2022

The “Golden Dunkers” are one of the bigger booster clubs in the Gophers sports world. Why they would entertain an opponent’s coach, on the day of a game, is mind-numbing. Especially when Kill has done nothing but talk down to the University and PJ Fleck, since the school moved on from Jerry’s predecessor, Tracy Clayes, and hired Fleck.

Kill vs Fleck

Jerry Kill, while coaching here, did a lot to help raise money for all of the amenities that University of Minnesota athletes enjoy today. Still, that doesn’t designate him a special privilege to run down future coaches and spit on the University every time he’s handed a mic.

What’s Jerry going to talk about, anyway? How PJ Fleck is 35-23 (.603) in his 58 games as Minnesota Gophers head coach, compared to his .500, 29-29 mark? Maybe ole Jer Bear wants to tell Gopher boosters how much better Minnesota has been in bowl games under Fleck (3-0 vs 0-3). Or, how many times Minnesota has beaten Wisconsin with Fleck (TWICE) vs Kill (ZERO) at the helm.

Maybe, Jerry Kill will talk to the TC Dunkers about how much better PJ Fleck has been vs Wisconsin, than what he and his mentee ever were… #Gophers

Kill (0-4):????
Claeys (0-2):????
Fleck (2-3):???? pic.twitter.com/ZXqwydrRKK

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 8, 2022

There are other program improvements Kill could speak on. Like the 11-2 season from 2019, when PJ lead the Gophers to more wins than the program had mustered in over a century. Kill never hit more than nine wins in a season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan