Now that college football players can use their names, images and likenesses to earn endorsement money, recruits will begin assessing where they’re likely to get the best deals. And one business in Miami wants every current and prospective Hurricanes player to know there’s money to be made.
That business is American Top Team, a South Florida gym best known for training mixed martial arts fighters. The gym announced today that it will offer every Hurricanes player $500 a month to endorse the gym. If all 90 scholarship players accept the deal, that would come out to $540,000 a year -- which American Top Team sees as a solid deal to be the gym that’s endorsed by the entire Miami football team.
“The NIL legislation is an amazing opportunity for businesses and fans to directly impact the lives of these players and the national reputation of our team,” American Top Team founder Dan Lambert told CaneSport.com. “I originally planned to just enter into deals with a few players and then it hit me that there is a way bigger play here. With the right contacts, effort and financial commitment, we can reach every player and get this city firmly behind this team where it should be.”
Huge endorsement deals may be reserved for Heisman Trophy candidates, but it likely won’t be long before every player at every big-time football program has offers like this on the table.