Iowa Fans Raise $100,000 For NIL Collective Just Hours After Local 5-Star Alabama OL Enters Portal

University of Iowa fans rallied to raise more than $100,000 for its NIL collective on Wednesday. Their efforts came together in less than 24 hours, not long after one of the best players in the country became available through the transfer portal. He just so happens to be a native of the Hawkeye State.

Kadyn Proctor, the top-ranked offensive lineman in the recruiting Class of 2023, started every game for Alabama as a true freshman last season. The 6-foot-8, 365-pound tackle earned Freshman All-American status during his lone year in Tuscaloosa and then announced his decision to enter the transfer portal shortly after Nick Saban retired.

Proctor is from Des Moines, Iowa and ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over the Hawkeyes during his first recruitment just over one year ago. Now that he is leaving the former, it is expected that he will return home to continue his college football career with the latter.

Iowa raised NIL money for Kadyn Proctor!

Iowa fans do not want to take any chances. They believe that their prodigal son is set to return and made sure that there is enough money to compensate him accordingly.

The SWARM Collective is the top NIL arm for the Hawkeyes. It “supports athletes in all 22 of Iowa’s athletic teams by creating opportunities for student-athletes to build and enhance their personal brand while also serving local charities and nonprofits.”

Although it seems inevitable that Proctor is going to join Iowa’s offensive line regardless of finances, the fanbase rallied hard for SWARM over the last 24 hours. Bradley Heinrichs, CEO of the collective, announced contributions of more than $100,000 on the day that Alabama’s five-star tackle hit the portal.

We have crossed the $100,000 mark in one day!! Thank you Hawk fans! It is clear that people are starting to understand that the Swarm is vital to the success of Iowa athletics. I’m hopeful that we can carry this momentum into the next few days and march towards $1 million!

— Bradley Heinrichs (@HeinrichsBrad) January 18, 2024

This is not a coincidence. This is a direct representation of the modern era.

One of the top players in the country entered the transfer portal. A fanbase that believes it has a real shot of landing his commitment raised $100,000+ in response. That money will be used to help pay for Proctor while in Iowa City, should his commitment come to fruition as anticipated.