Alright so yesterday I was scrolling through sports news like always and man, that headline about JJ McCarthy and NIL just jumped out at me. “Big for college sports money”? Honestly, I kinda snorted. Another article hyping up a college kid signing some car deal? Felt like just noise at first.
But then, over coffee this morning, it bugged me again. Why would his deal be such a big money deal? I mean, NIL deals are everywhere now, right? So I sat down at my kitchen table, laptop open, determined to actually trace why this one felt different. Not just read the hype, but dig into it myself.
First thing I did was look up the basic facts of McCarthy’s NIL stuff. Big school quarterback, playing for Michigan, national spotlight, leading the team… yeah, cool. Definitely gets attention. But honestly, tons of QBs in big programs get that shine. What made his money stuff tick the “big for the system” box?
Started digging deeper. Read a bunch of reports comparing his NIL valuation to other top guys right now. Saw a number thrown out – a big number, seriously big, bigger than a lot of NFL backups even. Okay, that got my eyebrow up. Then I remembered reading last year about collectives – those fan groups pooling money for players. That’s when it clicked.
See, McCarthy wasn’t just signing local ads for pizza places. His main bag seemed tied directly back to big-money Michigan fan groups, the collectives specifically built to back players. I read whispers, nothing official confirmed, but strong hints that his deals tied directly into major collective funds.
And that’s when the picture got clearer.
- McCarthy became the face of the team during the season.
- His performance directly drove wins (and more eyeballs, more hype).
- Big wins meant more buzz for the school.
- More buzz meant fans felt stronger, more willing to pay up.
- Pay up where? To the collectives! The very groups promising to use that cash to get and keep stars like him.
So it wasn’t just him making money. It was showing everyone – from other schools to potential big donors to the TV networks – how powerful this could be. How an on-field leader becoming the NIL cash kingpin tied directly back to team success and, crucially, fan money flooding in through collectives.
That whole cycle! That’s what hit me. It wasn’t just the size of his deal alone. It was how that deal happened – linked so directly to the collective system fueled by wins he helped produce. Proof positive that a star player could become a major financial engine for the whole money-making machine around a top program. He wasn’t just getting paid; he was showing the blueprints others will follow, proving how this NIL thing connects on-field glory directly to massive, organized fan cash.
Man, sitting there after piecing that together? Felt like actually understanding a shift. It wasn’t just news about a player payday. It was seeing how one high-profile guy becomes a clear signpost pointing directly to where all this chaotic NIL money is really starting to pool and how it could shape everything else down the line. That’s why it matters big for college sports money. Suddenly that headline made perfect sense.