Tuesday, August 9, 2022

A "group of deep-pocketed USC donors and diehard fans are proceeding with their own NIL operation against the school’s wishes"

LAT:

Within USC, however, the effort to start a collective outside of the university’s reach is being viewed as an existential threat that could invite serious scrutiny if the NCAA opts to enforce its NIL policies.

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[It's lead by a] Florida-based businessman and lifelong USC fan

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The group includes [one man], who was once one of USC’s top athletic donors and whose name still graces the Trojans’ practice field. [His] relationship with USC soured nearly a decade ago

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[Another NIL collective that is supported by USC] hosted two Zoom meetings last month outlining the organization’s goals. One slide from their presentation, which was viewed by The Times, shows that [it] set a fundraising goal of $75 million during the next five years

An LAT article from 2020 about that booster, who was upset the Trojans let Orgeron go:

“They double-crossed him, and they double-crossed me,” [he] said. “That was a big mistake.”