Washington football is coming up with a unique NIL idea, joining several other programs. The Huskies are partnering with the famous game World of Warcraft for a NIL partnership, per Bleacher Report. The collaboration includes the Washington football program unveiling a special logo for the occasion.
Washington football players are expected to run out onto the field Friday with characters from the World of Warcraft game. Students will also receive special T-shirts. The Huskies are playing the final home game Friday of the season.
“We are thrilled to unite interactive entertainment with the sports industry to celebrate 20 incredible years of World of Warcraft delighting millions of players worldwide,” Blizzard Entertainment head of marketing Monica Austin said, per Bleacher Report.
“Our teams have been working together to create incredible in-person and broadcast experiences for fans, and we hope Husky Nation and World of Warcraft players alike are excited to WoW down to Washington.”
Washington football also released a video promoting Friday's game collaboration.
Washington football is playing UCLA in Friday's contest. The Huskies are 5-5 on the year, and 3-4 in the Big Ten.
Schools are coming up with new ideas to fund NIL collectives
New NCAA regulations allow student athletes to receive compensation for use of their name, image and likeness. Schools are using collectives to help the athletes get paid. But there's little to no regulation of how the collectives can work, and some schools are paying more than others for a player's services.
Due to this new NIL environment, schools are trying new ideas to raise money. Michigan football is using a bourbon manufactured by alum Charles Woodson to sell at games. Oklahoma State flirted with the idea of putting bar codes on players' helmets to connect with NIL. Other schools like West Virginia University are teaming up with local restaurants to help fund NIL collectives.
There's been increased frustration about NIL, from schools who are struggling to keep up with raising money to pay players. The NCAA has stepped in to try and put up more guardrails, but nothing has been set in stone yet. The NCAA's ideas include allowing schools to directly negotiate NIL deals with players, sidestepping the use of a collective.
It seems that no matter what takes place, the college sports world is moving in the direction of paying players more, and not less. Washington football's NIL partnership is just the latest in the shifting world of college athletics.
Washington football needs one more win this season to become bowl eligible. The Huskies have to beat either UCLA Friday, or Oregon on November 30.
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