I'm launching a company in the golf space, and talked to an NIU athletics rep at the Cure Bowl about lining me up with the correct contact at NIU athletics/golf to facilitate a possible small payment or two to our golf team players later this year. Nothing big, just some walking around $ for a tweet or two so they can ping their Big10 golf team buddies and say they got some NIL action as an NIU golfer. Just trying to be a good alumni.

What I'm being told now, after weeks of discussion, is that "there is no real direct way currently at NIU to easily contact a team/athlete and facilitate a quick and easy NIL deal." - YIKES.

My contact said it 60% a state of Illinois-law issue, but that NIU also has as of yet to get out of its own way on the issue. He said several Illinois schools including NIU were getting their butt kicked on the NIL issue, and other midwest P5 and G5 programs were way ahead on funneling $, even if small payments, to their athletes.

Shame on Illinois for sucking as usual, shame on Sean T. "new infield turf - yay" Frazier for not handling the issue better. My contact said a friend at Loyola athletics found a nice workaround vis-a-vis the state law and admin red tape, he is putting me in touch.

The state of Illinois, and especially the NIU athletics department, need to get the NIL pipeline smoothed out ASAP.

(if someone knows otherwise, please educate me, I'm going off of direct feedback from one NIU (knowledgeable) staffer.)