New platform for player-produced content launches
A name, image and likeness platform to connect fans with University of Houston athletes launched Tuesday.
HOU NIL, a subscription service affiliated with GoCoogs.com, announced plans to offer player-generated content through a “Players’ Platform” that aims to give fans a behindthe-scenes look into daily lives and access through in-person events.
“We struggled with this for a year. We knew we wanted to get into (NIL), knowing that it was unlikely somebody was going to come along with an NIL that really made an impact,” said Ryan Monceaux, the publisher of GoCoogs.com, a website that has covered the Cougars since 2018. “We haven’t seen one with UH to this point. There have been smaller efforts and onetime, one-off events, but nothing sustaining. That’s the point we are trying to convey. This is not a one-time thing. This is years we are making this commitment.”
Marcus Sasser (men’s basketball) and D’Anthony Jones (football) are the first players to sign with HOU NIL, Monceaux said.
Sasser, a preseason All American candidate for a UH program expected to begin the season ranked in the top 5, offered a hint of HOU NIL in a social media post Monday night.
“We’ve got something real big coming up … trust me you’ll want to be a part of it,” Sasser said in a nine-second video.
The NCAA passed legislation in July 2021 that allows college athletes for the first time to profit off their likeness with deals ranging from autograph signings and personal appearances to product endorsements and social media interactions.
Monceaux said what makes HOU NIL different is a “Players’ Platform” that will offer daily, first-person content and storytelling. UH athletes will receive compensation for written, video or audio content and host watch parties and participate in meet-and-greets throughout the year, among other events held exclusively for subscribers.
“It’s the players speaking to the reader or video or audio with the player, whatever the topic may be,” Monceaux said. “The guys we’ve spoken to have loved that. This is their opportunity to directly speak to people and directly connect with fans.” He added: “We want to put players at the forefront of everything we do.”
In addition, athletes will be able to “develop relationships with business owners and the community” and “build their personal brand,” according to the HOU NIL website.
HOU NIL will offer five subscription plans that range from $20-$100 monthly to $240$1,200 annually. An initial offering had raised more than $10,000 as of late Monday. Based on the NIL market, Monceaux said there is potential for HOU NIL to reach “mid-to-high six figures.”
As with all NIL platforms, HOU NIL is independent from the school’s athletic department and has been OK’d through UH’s compliance office. As for building its player roster, HOU NIL plans to enlist athletes from all 17 of the school’s varsity sports.
“We’re going to work with every athlete that wants it,” Monceaux said. “This is a UH thing. Not a UH football or basketball thing. But let’s be honest, that’s going to be 80 percent of it.”
Former UH athletes Galen Robinson Jr. (basketball), Zeke Riser (football) and Brad Towns (baseball) will serve on the advisory board for HOU NIL. “As a UH alum whose heart is still very much involved with the UH community, being a part of the advisory board allows me to do what’s in the best interest of the athletes while helping them benefit from name, image and likeness,” Robinson said.
UH athletes reported 292 individual agreements worth $205,560 during a 13-month period, according to data obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a public records request. The men’s basketball team — coming off Final Four and Elite Eight appearances the past two seasons — accounted for $157,000 of all compensation.