Boise State head football coach Spencer Danielson is taking a very unique, old-school approach to NIL. However, in the modern era of the sport, it will only further crater the Broncos program.
Money and success go hand-in-hand!
Danielson took over for Andy Avalos in the middle of last season and went 3-1 as the interim. His LA Bowl win helped to secure him the full-time job. This upcoming fall will be the 35-year-old’s first season as the official, full-time head coach.
While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Danielson revealed that no freshman athlete on the Boise State University football roster will be promised NIL money. There are no guarantees.
NEWS: Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson said today that incoming freshman are not eligible to make NIL money [through the collective] during their first year in the program. He wants players to work to earn it.
— Ron Counts in a since-deleted post on X
Now, there is a caveat to this unusual and presumably detrimental rule.
Danielson cannot control what his athletes make through partnerships on social media, brand endorsements, etc. They can still make money through sponsored posts and things of that nature if they seek it out themselves.
However, if Danielson has his way, the Horseshoe Collective will not facilitate deals for freshmen. It will not pay one single dollar to any first-year player on the team.
He clarified his rule on Thursday morning:
This decision, no matter how it is worded, could be destructive on the recruiting trail.
Let’s imagine for a moment that a top high school football recruit has offers from Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State and Washington State and he is equally excited about all four programs. Why would that athlete go play for free in Idaho when he could go to any of the other three schools and get paid from those collectives?
Perhaps Danielson can promise recruits multi-year agreements with the Horseshoe Collective that will guarantee equivalent compensation on the back end. Even still, many (if not most/all) athletes today want to get paid to play in college right away. Having to wait and “earn” their money may be a deterrent.
Now, with all of this being said, a school like Boise State may not feel the impact of NIL as much as a Power Five program. Danielson might be able to get away with this more than an Ohio State, USC or Auburn.
“Might” is the key word!