Basketball, football and NIL: Making money as a Memphis Tiger
Memphis center Jacob Likes was on the Tigers football team from 2019 through the 2023 season and experienced how it was to be on the team before NIL started and then he got to experience the growth of NIL during his finals seasons. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
The star quarterback or running back may make six figures in NIL money.
Big bucks, indeed.
The third-string left guard isn’t.
How do coaches keep peace?
The hypothetical above is no easy task. But good news for the Memphis Tigers football team is it hasn’t been problematic for the program so far.
At least not yet.
But, make no mistake: How much individuals have been making with NIL — monetizing one’s name, image and likeness — since the NCAA started permitting it three years ago does come up in many locker rooms, including that of the Tigers football team.
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Memphis Tigers Football Ryan Silverfield NIL Jacob Likes Quindell Johnson Subscriber Only Memphis Tigers Basketball Memphis Tigers AthleticsThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Tim Buckley
Tim is a veteran sportswriter who graduated from CBHS in Memphis and the University of Missouri. He previously covered LSU sports in Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana football and basketball for The Daily Advertiser/USA TODAY Network in Lafayette, the NBA’s Utah Jazz for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, and West Texas State basketball for the Amarillo Globe News in Texas.
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