Temple holds first-of-its-kind NIL event, hosted by Kevin Negandhi and Adrian Wojnarowski

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Temple University’s Mitten Hall, ESPN anchor and Temple alum Kevin Neghandi and former ESPN NBA insider and St. Bonaventure Men’s Basketball general manager Adrian Wojnarowski hosted a first-of-its-kind event. The event aimed to educate students and alumni on the importance of and evolution of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) funding in college athletics.

The intimate evening was sponsored by the TUFF Fund, a stand-alone, third-party organization created to work with Temple student-athletes, and Team Unfurl, a collective that provides support for St. Bonaventure Men’s basketball players seeking to monetize their NIL. Both groups are not affiliated with the respective universities but work closely with the schools to ensure they are aligned with NCAA guidance regarding NIL.

Neghandi and Wojnarowski started the night, regaling the start of their friendship. Being coworkers was a start, but they would regularly speak about their passions for Atlantic-10 (A-10) basketball, the conference both schools were a part of at the time.

Sharing stories of legendary Temple coaches John Chaney and Fran Dunphy and reminiscing about classic contests between the schools – the former colleagues were engaging. The passion for A-10 games and their schools was fueled by shown through in their conversations at their desks and was displayed Tuesday night.

One of the important themes of the night was understanding how NIL has changed the athletics landscape. Wojnarowski said during the evening’s Q&A session, “I came into this, Kevin, with the mindset of ‘I have a lot to learn.'” He added that it is still the schools’ responsibility to the student-athletes to create a supportive, nurturing environment that doesn’t change now that they have the opportunity to earn money through NIL.

Schools in mid-major conferences, like Temple and St. Bonaventure, typically need more support from their fans to succeed in recruiting highly-rated student-athletes because they don’t have the financial resources to compete with top programs that have donors with deep pockets. Neghandi and Wojnarowski talked about the way to be successful is about creating a culture with both fans and coaches, alike.

“That’s what we’re talking about – giving student-athletes the ability to kind of come back and have this as a resource at Temple University,” Neghandi said. “We came back because we’re connected to our alma maters and we want to make sure that student-athletes feel that way. That this is not just a transaction, that there’s a family here.”

Building a supporting development environment with passionate fans goes a long way to add to the NIL dollars that can be found at every university. Wojnarowski reminded those in attendance that student-athletes may attend 2-3 schools with ease during their collegiate careers now, and the most successful mid-majors have created an environment that makes the athletes feel like they always have a home to associate with, even when they move on from the smaller school.

“What I try to control is the experience and the value we’re giving to our student-athletes,” Wojnarowski said. “If you can show them value, you can help them become better as players and hopefully you can win. You’re helping them move toward a degree and you’re helping them to meet some people outside the basketball road that can be impactful in their life. There’s a lot of ways that we can impact players and for as long as they’re with you, that’s our job.”

When donations were made directly to schools in the past, that money could be used by the university any way they saw fit – facilities, travel, or a litany of other finances. Donating to the NIL funds is not only above board, but you know exactly where your money goes – to paying the student-athletes who play for your school’s team.

After the Q&A session, Neghandi and Wojnarowski – along with the administrators of each collective – moved to ‘The Peabody,’ a new restaurant/bar on the edge of Temple’s campus, for the VIP portion of the evening. There were food, drinks, and, more importantly – one-on-one time with the two sports personalities and the other leaders who made these NIL collectives possible. Speaking with Wo, he described how deals come together and what it means to plan for the future in today’s landscape.

“Before, you would plan a three-four years team – (Fran) Dunphy used to recruit a kid with the intent of having him for three or four years. Now, you are really planning one-two year teams and re-evaluating each season”

Deals can come in all shapes and sizes. Endorsements and supporting the student-athlete in adding more, a salary, and single or multiple years. Most players, especially highly rated prospects, lean toward doing deals one year at a time. Wojnarowski told me that mid-majors are almost copying the old JUCO model – bring a player in with promises of playing time and exposure, showcasing them for the major university they may move to next. As a result, many of the deals signed with student-athletes are one year at a time.

With in-person support from fans, Temple, St. Bonaventure, and schools of similar standing hope that the student-athletes’ time at their university can give them memories that last beyond their time there, leading to deeper ties to the school and encouraging future recruits to come, and maybe even stay – despite them not being outside the Major four conferences. Money is important, but coaching and development are more important than ever to entice a young player to come there and forego what might be a backup role at a larger school.

College athletics’ landscape is ever-changing, especially when it comes to the money involved and the growth in calls to pay the student-athletes for the revenue they help bring to their schools.

If you want to know more information or want to donate to either fund, you can find more information at www.tuff-fund.com or www.teamunfurl.com.