Lady Raiders Basketball Team Gets NIL Deal to Match Football Program
The Lady Raiders are getting paid. A few weeks ago, The Matador Club announced that 85 scholarship football players and 15 walk-ons would be earning 25K this season as part of a team-wide NIL deal.
Now, on July 28th, the Level 13 Agency has announced a team-wide deal of their own.
When I heard the deal was coming earlier this week I was a bit skeptical that they could match the 25K brought to the football team. Not because they didn't have the funds or ability. It's just always been a status thing that women's sports are behind men's sports because of the money they provide the Universities.
That's the beauty of NIL deals though. They don't care who makes the University money, it's all about branding and awareness, and female college athletes consistently have bigger brands and platforms on social media. That, in turn, means they'd be more valuable in NIL right?
Level 13 has thrown down that gauntlet because they've signed every Lady Raider to a $ 25,000 deal. Equal to the deal signed by football players earlier this month.
Again, just like the football team's NIL deal, this isn't an exclusive deal but merely a baseline to make sure every single athlete at Texas Tech is covered. It will take some time to get there, but I believe that baseball, track and field, soccer, and the rest area are all in line to get in on the NIL love that Red Raider boosters are showing right now.
The Level 13 Agency is not a NIL collective like the Matador Club, rather it's an agency created for the sole purpose of connecting athletes to NIL deals. Made up of former Red Raiders in Kirk Noles, Marc McDougal, Keith McNeese, and Ross Rushing, the Level 13 Agency provides yet another opportunity for Texas Tech to prove that they are a force in the NIL space.
“We are proud to announce that Level 13 Agency has committed $25,000.00 per Lady Raider in the Women's Basketball Locker Room! We see you, we hear you, and we support you, ladies! #LΞVΞLUPLADIΞS” Level 13 said in a statement.
They also added that this deal is, "One of, if not the biggest team-wide locker room deals for a women's sport in the country!" Not just in women's basketball, but in all women's collegiate sports.
To put it in perspective, WNBA Rookies make $50,000. With the Womble facilities, nutrition program, and everything else Texas Tech offers its players, I bet some Lady Raiders out-earn WNBA rookies this season.
Remarkable.