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The Idea: “Winning” in the NIL Era of NCAA Sports

Note: This was not our original plan for the newsletter this week. But we thought it was so significant that we wanted to highlight it this week.

We saw something incredible this past weekend.

Northern Illinois, a “Group of Five” (G5) school that Vegas picked as a four-touchdown underdog, defeated #5 ranked Notre Dame on Saturday by a score of 16-14.

(To our Notre Dame readers - we’ve worked with leaders in Athletic Departments. We’ve been with them in the weeks following a loss like this. We know it can feel devastating to years of work and that it stings. This is less about ND and more about NIU and what we feel every school can learn from them).

There are plenty of reasons why this is notable. Here are a few:

• Notre Dame allegedly paid Northern Illinois a game fee of $1.4 Million (if you’re new to this - this is commonplace in NCAA Football)

• The entire NIL budget of NIU (rumored to be between $500,000 and $1 Million) is smaller than what most P4 Conference teams pay a single-player

• The highest-paid NIU player is making in a year what some Notre Dame players are likely making in a month ($30,000-$50,000)

NIL and the current transfer rules have supposedly widened the gap between P4 and G5 schools in recruiting. We aren’t here to claim that’s not true. We believe it is. So, how is it that when at more of a disadvantage than ever, games like this one can still happen?

But more notable than all of that, in our opinion, is what the NIU coach, Thomas Hammock, is claiming as how this happened: the “secret sauce.”

We think this is a powerful example of how to set yourself apart as a brand, a program, and a department, regardless of the size of your budget, in a world that appears to have moved further from transformational relationships to transactional contracts.

Anecdote: The Secret Sauce

In our experience, successful coaches have difficulty identifying and communicating what makes them successful.

In this fantastic article about NIU’s win and the current state of the dynamics between G5 and P4 schools, NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock explains how he thinks this happened.

Also, from the article.

“The Huskies returned about 15 starters and have 35 seniors. A whopping 21 of those seniors have been on the roster since their freshman year — a figure that school administrators believe to be the third-highest such number of any program in the country (behind only Stanford and Navy).

In this age of increased player movement, maybe there should be a new statistic for such a figure: the Retainment Number.”

How has Hammock retained so many players when so many G5 or similar programs are struggling to hold onto them?

We believe part of the answer is also stated in the article.

“We’ve had kids in the portal and they are in other places right now and they are kicking themselves,” said Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier. “They hate it. It’s the NFL model.”

And it’s true. Love can only go so far. As the article states, “Love can’t pay rent or buy mom a new car.”

But, having a purity of vision, creating a genuine culture, and being fully yourself with your players is now a massive competitive advantage in the NIL and Portal Era of NCAA Sports.

Coach Hammock says it well.

Note: This isn’t just for underdogs.

This week, we are skipping our “research” section to make some extra comments before "putting it all together” in our how-to section.

First, NIU and similar schools have an advantage over P4 schools in building this the “right” way.

• They can’t even afford (literally) to think transactional because they don’t have the budget for it. They’re forced to think outside the box. They’re forced to think differently.

• They’re less busy copying what the P4 school down the road is doing to be their brand and build their own culture.

• So many P4 schools are so focused on fundraising and providing NIL opportunities that it’s turned many of their eyes blind to the impact and competitive advantage that a positive culture built around connection can generate.

Second, that doesn’t mean this only applies to G5 schools.

• It’s no secret that we work directly with P4 schools and their leaders and coaches. We don’t hide that. We are very proud of our work. Imagine schools with NIL budgets that build a culture of connection with their players focused on relationships.

• We counted last week, and this newsletter has readers from 34 P4 schools, both coaches and ADs.

• If NIU can get players to turn down six and seven-figure deals because they feel like they belong, they love their coaches and teammates, so can you, and you’ve got the NIL to bring with it.

Third, most programs and departments doing this well are smaller because they’ve been forced to think this way.

• We call it a 10X versus 2X mindset. There are many ways for P4 schools to win and build teams or success. So, it can cloud your decision-making when there are a lot of paths to get there.

• Smaller schools have only 1-2 ways to build teams capable of retaining players and creating something special like NIU, so their focus is clearer.

• Their ADs hire with this in mind. Coaches recruit with it in mind. Said differently, they’re more aligned.

• If you’d like to know of some programs or departments (that might not be as immediately obvious) to watch closely, talk to their leaders, or learn from, contact us. We’d love to be the connection.

Putting it all together:

So, how do coaches, ADs, programs, and departments use their culture as a competitive advantage in the portal era? This is not an exhaustive list (we’re serious about our five takeaways 😁). But here are some things to consider.

1. 100% Retention is impossible.

   You’re going to lose kids. Almost no one is immune to this. But, you can be the program or department that is very hard to leave. It being hard for a player to say yes to a significantly “better” financial package can be a sign you’re doing things the right way. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. But it’s a sign you’re on the right track.

2. Connection is the way.

   Excellent facilities don’t keep players. These things are flashy on recruiting visits. But ask any Senior who’s been around. Listen to their interviews. Nearly everyone talks about how they’d make decisions differently and how they have a clearer sense of what to value by the time they're a Senior. And the answer is nearly always about how connected they feel to their coaches or teammates.

3. Create an Environment where Players and Staff Feel They Belong.

   We cannot stress this enough. Creating a culture isn’t just about what you do. It’s about the environment you create for players, teammates, and staff to create those meaningful relationships with each other.

4. Be genuine.

   One of the most significant ways to stand out in this era is always to be yourself. People, especially players, have heard many pitches from leaders. They know how to suss out when people aren’t being genuine. Because of this, those people that are genuine will stand out. You can convince folks in recruiting. But they’ll figure you out quickly if the coach/leader they saw in recruiting differs from the person coaching them once they’re on campus (see clip below)

5. Be consistent.

   This, along with number 4, is an absolute must for any leader trying to build culture. People need to know what to expect from you each day. Your presence in their lives should be comfort—not because it’s never hard but because they know what to expect. Someone they believe in, who believes in them, and who is consistently themselves is hard to turn away.

Conclusion:

The NIL and Portal Era may have transformed college sports, but at its core, success still hinges on culture and connection. As a coach or athletic director, you can build a program that players not only want to be a part of but find hard to leave. Focus on creating genuine relationships, fostering a sense of belonging, and being consistent in your leadership. No budget or NIL deal can replace the lasting impact of loyalty and love within a team, and that’s a competitive advantage every program can cultivate.

BETTER This Week

• We have had an exciting few months, and opportunities for us in golf have opened up. This has been a golf-filled week. We’ve worked with PGA Tour Golfers and College Golf Programs and even started serving a couple of Junior Golfers. Stay tuned for more news on this in the coming months!

The Culture Playbook + Cohorts

Coaches have access to a lot of coaching content. What they lack are systems.

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Culture Playbook Cohorts

We are offering Culture Playbook Cohorts if you’re interested in exploring the Culture Playbook on a deeper level.

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