Goodbye Baraka Okojie

[Falco]

I thought the collective couldn’t be used on international players?

 

[Patriot8]

I thought the collective couldn’t be used on international players?

International players can’t earn money on NIL deals in the US. Baraka was back home in Brampton, ON for his interview.

 

[Pablo]

International players can’t earn money on NIL deals in the US. Baraka was back home in Brampton, ON for his interview.

To be permitted for international student-athletes, it must be considered passive NIL engagement - https://www.si.com/fannation/name-i...sion-remains-for-international-athletes-noah9

"There are two types of NIL engagements: active and passive. Active engagements run afoul of F-1 visa guidelines on the employment of international students –– passive engagements do not.

Active NIL engagements require the labor of athletes. This can be any form of service or work by the athlete in the engagement—things such as posting on social media, appearing at an event, or signing an autograph. Unfortunately, these NIL activations are the most common in the industry, as brands and collectives have increasingly turned student-athletes towards participation in the influencer economy.

While less common, passive NIL engagements leverage the influence of the athlete without requiring any labor on the athlete’s end. The group licensing payments for the upcoming EA Sports NCAA Football video game can best illustrate this type of engagement. In exchange for financial considerations, student-athletes give EA Sports a license to use their name, image, likeness, voice, and jersey number in the game. No labor comes from the student-athlete, and therefore, no violation of their student visa has occurred.

Some of the nation’s most sophisticated collective management companies have been able to bypass the restrictions of F-1 student visas. One Penn State collective was able to passively license Canadian athletes’ NIL for billboards in their home country. While these endorsements require additional care and financial investment to ensure compliance with passive licensing principles, they can be helpful tools for collectives to attract and retain elite international talent."

 

[Old Man]

To be permitted for international student-athletes, it must be considered passive NIL engagement - https://www.si.com/fannation/name-i...sion-remains-for-international-athletes-noah9

"There are two types of NIL engagements: active and passive. Active engagements run afoul of F-1 visa guidelines on the employment of international students –– passive engagements do not.

Active NIL engagements require the labor of athletes. This can be any form of service or work by the athlete in the engagement—things such as posting on social media, appearing at an event, or signing an autograph. Unfortunately, these NIL activations are the most common in the industry, as brands and collectives have increasingly turned student-athletes towards participation in the influencer economy.

While less common, passive NIL engagements leverage the influence of the athlete without requiring any labor on the athlete’s end. The group licensing payments for the upcoming EA Sports NCAA Football video game can best illustrate this type of engagement. In exchange for financial considerations, student-athletes give EA Sports a license to use their name, image, likeness, voice, and jersey number in the game. No labor comes from the student-athlete, and therefore, no violation of their student visa has occurred.

Some of the nation’s most sophisticated collective management companies have been able to bypass the restrictions of F-1 student visas. One Penn State collective was able to passively license Canadian athletes’ NIL for billboards in their home country. While these endorsements require additional care and financial investment to ensure compliance with passive licensing principles, they can be helpful tools for collectives to attract and retain elite international talent."

Whew! So glad the lawyers got this under control.

 

[gmubrian]

International players can’t earn money on NIL deals in the US. Baraka was back home in Brampton, ON for his interview.

Whew! So glad the lawyers got this under control.

I'll take this opportunity to point out some things related to our collective, the Mason Players Club:
1. Our NIL collective is almost 100% volunteer run. These volunteers are doing all of the fundraising, working out legal issues(see discussion about students on visas above), filing tax forms, negotiating with and playing players, and all other management.

2. There are some people on here and in the Mason fanbase that have some sort of objection to NIL in general. Whether you have some issue with NIL or not, it is the reality of college basketball at this point. If our fans don't support our NIL collective, regardless of the reason, Mason, will not be able to get the players needed to compete in the A10. If a fanbase/school/etc. isn't bought in to provide proper NIL support for their team, they might as well leave D1 basketball unless you enjoy being a perrenial bottom feeder in the league. That is the reality.

3. We wouldn't have most of the players currently on our roster without the efforts of our NIL collective. At least one would be playing for one of our most hated opponents instead.

Please support our NIL collective in any way you can:
Click Here

 

[GMU1983]

How come the photo has not been updated? Singleton and Peter Oduro on there?

 

[thebiasedannouncer]

I'll take this opportunity to point out some things related to our collective, the Mason Players Club:
1. Our NIL collective is almost 100% volunteer run. These volunteers are doing all of the fundraising, working out legal issues(see discussion about students on visas above), filing tax forms, negotiating with and playing players, and all other management.

2. There are some people on here and in the Mason fanbase that have some sort of objection to NIL in general. Whether you have some issue with NIL or not, it is the reality of college basketball at this point. If our fans don't support our NIL collective, regardless of the reason, Mason, will not be able to get the players needed to compete in the A10. If a fanbase/school/etc. isn't bought in to provide proper NIL support for their team, they might as well leave D1 basketball unless you enjoy being a perrenial bottom feeder in the league. That is the reality.

3. We wouldn't have most of the players currently on our roster without the efforts of our NIL collective. At least one would be playing for one of our most hated opponents instead.

Please support our NIL collective in any way you can:
Click Here

Folks there are one off 25, 50 and 100 dollar options available- I have given using those options and so should you.

 

[gmubrian]

How come the photo has not been updated? Singleton and Peter Oduro on there?

See item 1 in my post.

 

[tblack33]

I'll take this opportunity to point out some things related to our collective, the Mason Players Club:
1. Our NIL collective is almost 100% volunteer run. These volunteers are doing all of the fundraising, working out legal issues(see discussion about students on visas above), filing tax forms, negotiating with and playing players, and all other management.

2. There are some people on here and in the Mason fanbase that have some sort of objection to NIL in general. Whether you have some issue with NIL or not, it is the reality of college basketball at this point. If our fans don't support our NIL collective, regardless of the reason, Mason, will not be able to get the players needed to compete in the A10. If a fanbase/school/etc. isn't bought in to provide proper NIL support for their team, they might as well leave D1 basketball unless you enjoy being a perrenial bottom feeder in the league. That is the reality.

3. We wouldn't have most of the players currently on our roster without the efforts of our NIL collective. At least one would be playing for one of our most hated opponents instead.

Please support our NIL collective in any way you can:
Click Here

I’ve started to do a bit more reading on NIL recently and everything Brian said here is spot on. This is the future unless there’s significant rule changes, if you are serious about wanting Mason to compete I’d seriously consider paying into the collective. I know I’m personally thinking about making a more even contribution to both the collective instead of a vast majority of the donation going to the program.

Other than showing up to games and making noise, this is one of the most direct ways you can impact the success of the program IMO.

 

[Patriot8]

I’ve started to do a bit more reading on NIL recently and everything Brian said here is spot on. This is the future unless there’s significant rule changes, if you are serious about wanting Mason to compete I’d seriously consider paying into the collective. I know I’m personally thinking about making a more even contribution to both the collective instead of a vast majority of the donation going to the program.

Other than showing up to games and making noise, this is one of the most direct ways you can impact the success of the program IMO.

Indeed and Amen.

 

[Earl the Squirrel]

Folks there are one off 25, 50 and 100 dollar options available- I have given using those options and so should you.

Done!

 

[bravesfan]

I’ve started to do a bit more reading on NIL recently and everything Brian said here is spot on. This is the future unless there’s significant rule changes, if you are serious about wanting Mason to compete I’d seriously consider paying into the collective. I know I’m personally thinking about making a more even contribution to both the collective instead of a vast majority of the donation going to the program.

Other than showing up to games and making noise, this is one of the most direct ways you can impact the success of the program IMO.

Look no further than FSU football today:

"Seminoles landed four-star QB transfer DJ Uiagalelei, and then TBE announced retention of All-ACC First Team OL Darius Washington, and All-ACC HMs Patrick Payton and Maurice Smith."

TBE is their NIL arm. That's right; "announced retention" of current players.

 

[MasonFanatic]

However you feel about whether this is the model that college athletics should be using, NIL is the model we have right now, and unless/until that changes, we need to fully support the collective to be competitive in the A10.

 

[bravesfan]

At least one would be playing for one of our most hated opponents instead.

I do think it's pretty awesome that we were able to beat out vcu's offer of free Happy Meals, FWIW.

 

[mkaufman1]

I do think it's pretty awesome that we were able to beat out vcu's offer of free Happy Meals, FWIW.

Hey that offer is very lucrative, a happy meal with a toy? Those toys will be worth more than what the alums make in 20 years.

 

[GMUgemini]

Hey that offer is very lucrative, a happy meal with a toy? Those toys will be worth more than what the alums make in 20 years.

You never know when the next Szechuan Sauce will blow up…

 

[Jack Strop]

You never know when the next Szechuan Sauce will blow up…

...or, how much a fossilized McRib will fetch at auction.

 

[hoopsjunkie75]

...or, how much a fossilized McRib will fetch at auction.

Aren't they fossilized at the time of purchase? So confused now.

 

[Verdad]

Aren't they fossilized at the time of purchase? So confused now.

Have you never seen Jurassic Park?

 

[JC_FoodcourtBandit]

Okojie could draw a foul against a ghost, I love it!