Game changer
How Ollie’s new gig at Overtime Elite may alter the college game
Three years removed from the coaching game, Kevin Ollie’s return to basketball seemed to land in a peculiar spot.
Ollie, the former UConn coach once seen as a future NBA leader, was unveiled earlier this month as head coach and director of basketball operations with Overtime Elite.The fledgling basketball program, set to debut in September, will pay elite teenagers to compete against each other and against international teams over an eighth-month season.
The players — ages 16 to 18 — will be paid $100,000, according to league officials. The league will provide academic support and will fund college tuition for players who don’t pursue a professional career.
Does this sound like a logical career shift for Ollie, a former NCAA title winner?
Fact is, Ollie may be on the edge of a wave that will significantly shake college basketball. Between name, image, and likeness legislation and a flood of transfers as players attempt to seize control of their careers, the earth is already moving under the NCAA.
Now, programs such as Overtime Elite are poised to offer the very best players a different path to a professional career.
“There’s no question, this could change college basketball and the
NCAA,” said Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis.
How quickly will it change? Overtime Elite is growing, evidenced by those investing in the enterprise: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, entertainer Drake, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, NBA players Klay Thompson, Kyle Lowry, Trae Young and Devin Booker, and WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike. They were the
bold-face names in an $80 million fundraising round announced early this week.
Previous investors include NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. The list of NBA investors is long, from Pau Gasol and Isaiah Thomas to Lonzo Ball and Andrew Wiggins.
Ollie, a UConn guard from 1991 to 1995, played for 12 NBA franchises in 13 seasons. He earned roster spots and emerged as a leader, mentoring young stars such as Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden late in his career.
There are few who know more about the arduous road to a professional career than Ollie.
“In basketball circles, there has been a lot of talk over the years about revamping a broken system,” Ollie said in an essay upon joining Overtime Elite on April 12. “Today, high school prospects bounce from school to school. Parents pay big money so their kids are able to travel and participate in high-level competition. Education is often not a priority. Prospects enter the pros without the necessary professional skills-training needed for successful careers at the next level. And they lack the business literacy to know how to maintain and deal with the things that come with money.”
The one-and-done collegiate model for top players will no longer be the only option if Overtime Elite (OTE) and other such leagues succeed. OTE is not alone in this space: The Professional Collegiate League’s eightteam league is set to begin in August or September, while the NBA’s G-League created a team in 2018 for high school and college age players.
The Professional Collegiate League is led by former NBA player David West as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Basketball. The league says it will pay players between $50,000 and $150,000 and games will be played in the Washington DC area.
The league announced a media rights deal this week, signing a contract with the Next Level network to broadcast games on TV and streaming platforms. West said in a statement that players and their families need to “know where our games would be airs” as they evaluate the league.
That’s an area where OTE is settled — the league will begin with a vibrant digital presence and audience. The league is an offshoot of Overtime, a sports media company founded in 2016. Overtime gained notice with high school-level highlight videos shared on social media platforms. The content on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat generated buzz, turning high school players such as Zion Williamson and Paige Bueckers into Internet celebrities.
The next wave of high school celebrities will bring
their growing brand to college. That’s why name, image, and likeness rules could be important in enabling athletes to generate revenue.
Is it enough to prevent the best of the best from skipping school?
“These leagues are created to give some of these young people an opportunity to make more money than they are currently allowed to in the NCAA model,” Rishe said. “If name, image, and likeness is approved, then this is at least one stream of income that the highest profile athletes can start making income from that they currently cannot while competing in college athletics.”
Overtime is valued at $250 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company’s growth beyond viral videos took hold when it began staging events and selling merchandise. Early investors flocked, including former NBA commissioner David Stern.
The company announced last fall plans to create a league for elite talent. In March, NBA commissioner Adam Silver endorsed Overtime Elite and the overall model of professional leagues for high school-age players.
“To me, options are a good thing,” Silver said during All-Star weekend. “I think for the younger high school player, if they can see an opportunity to play basketball and make money and get educated at the same time … I think it’s generally good for the community to have optionality, especially when very solid people, which appears to be the case in this league that’s just been announced, are backing it and behind it. That’s one thing we will pay a lot of attention to because those young players are potentially the future of our league.
“We want to make sure that both on the court and off the court they’re getting the right mentoring and guidance. But overall, I think it’s good for the game. It’s more focus on the game. Especially all that’s happening now in digital media, social media, new streaming services, there’s definitely interest in this content. So we’re paying attention to that.”
Overtime was founded by Dan Porter and Zack Weiner, former executives on the digital team at talent agency William Morris Endeavor. OTE commissioner and president is former NBA league executive Aaron Ryan, and former NBA player and
front office executive Brandon Williams is head of basketball operations.
Ollie is the on-court leader. “We want (players) to be elite in every facet; academically, athletically, and professionally,” Ollie said. “I think that’s what makes OTE the right league for the elite athlete. And it’s exciting for me, too. I can’t wait to get back to my sanctuary: the gym.”
Overtime Elite, similar to European soccer academies, plans to bring 30 high school juniors and seniors to a yet to be announced city. Besides the $100,000 salary, players can earn revenue through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games, and more. Players will also have the right to sign sponsorships with sneaker companies.
Also offered: full health care coverage, disability insurance, guaranteed payment of up to $100,000 for college tuition to players not pursuing professional basketball, and education that includes financial literacy, media training, and social justice advocacy. Ollie said players will have the opportunity to receive a high school diploma.
And the basketball? OTE claims it will attract the best prospects from around the world, providing a platform for the athletes to built their brand.
Williamson became famous via Overtime videos before he donned a Duke uniform en route to the NBA. Rishe, the sports business professor, argues there still could be great value in playing in college. The NCAA Tournament is a billiondollar enterprise and the top programs in the country are regularly on ESPN.
“It’s all about magnitude,” Rishe said. “Some of these young people will have to ask themselves: Will I be able to build my brand as effectively, playing in one of these upstart leagues?
“Because people follow Duke basketball, it really helped to pronounce (Williamson’s) image, his brand. I don’t know if that same amplifier of brand effect takes place if you’re playing in a league that isn’t as wellknown. But at the end of the day, these leagues do certainly create a concern for the NCAA because some of these kids are coming from backgrounds where their focus is more short-term from a financial perspective. It’s going to be interesting.”