Georgia Tech is proud of its status as one of the top public schools in the country. The school also loves its football program. Its history goes back to one of the early innovators of the game, John Heisman. The Yellow Jackets have won three national championships recognized by the NCAA and claim a fourth.
As college football became big business, Tech, like many schools, experienced an increased tension between its academic mission and gridiron aspirations. Tech was among the educational institutions that poured more and more money into the profitable enterprise of football. Name, image and likeness rights for athletes has added another layer to the academic-athletics tension.
“I don’t think that change is any different than any other academic institution,” said Brian Davis of Power Up Sports, which represents Georgia Tech recruit Josh Petty of Fellowship Christian School in Roswell. “It’s an existential question: ‘Who are we and what are we for?’”
There have long been headlines about coaches who sign multimillion-dollar contracts because of their ability to recruit talented players and win games. Now there are reports about players agreeing to NIL deals worth as much as seven figures annually. Tech recently got some of that attention when it agreed with Petty on an NIL deal that reportedly will pay him $800,000 annually once he enrolls.
It was a signal that Tech is all-in on NIL for football.
Said Davis: “As NIL becomes more normalized with professionals in the space and becomes less of a ‘wild west’ that it was in the first year, I think schools like Georgia Tech, Stanford, Vanderbilt — the top elite academic institutions that also have (major) football — (NIL) is something that trustees and presidents are going to get more comfortable with.”
For Tech, that turning point may have come when Athletics Director J Batt publicly endorsed the affiliated Tech Way NIL collective. In a letter to Jackets supporters in January 2022, Batt wrote that “a robust NIL program is imperative” for the success of the school’s sports programs. That’s the reality in big-time college sports since the Supreme Court in 2021 rejected the NCAA’s appeal of an antitrust lawsuit.
That decision led to the NCAA allowing NIL deals for athletes, though it stipulates they can’t be offered as recruiting inducements. It took a couple of years for Tech to officially embrace NIL. Jason Belzer, who operates collectives for Tech and several other schools via Student Athlete NIL, said every Jackets football player now is part of The Tech Way.
“We’re very proud of the work we’ve done with Georgia Tech,” Belzer said. “Last year they had a good season that went above expectations, and the start of this season has been great. The athletes are happy. (Tech) is being very competitive in recruiting.
“Obviously, there are challenges as with any collective these days. But we’re really happy with the results so far. We haven’t even touched the surface with Georgia Tech.”
Belzer said the average NIL expenditure for ACC football programs is about $5 million. Tech’s NIL spending is “middle of the pack” for the league, Belzer said. But he noted that the Jackets recently beat two teams that spend a lot more on NIL — Miami and Florida State. “(Tech) is getting a big return on investment,” Belzer said.
The Tech Way initially received good support from major donors, Belzer said, but long-term sustainability requires participation from small donors. Fans and businesses can purchase monthly memberships that include perks such as meeting with members of teams. The Tech Way’s membership base is “middle to lower end” among similar institutions, Belzer said.
“It’s definitely an area that can be improved, and hopefully it will with the performance of the team,” he said. “It usually does.”
Belzer said Tech’s collective saw a bump in support as the football team enjoyed more success with coach Brent Key last season. There was another spike in memberships when Tech upset 10th-ranked Florida State in this season’s opening game. After the Jackets beat Georgia State on Saturday, they earned their first ranking in the AP poll since 2015.
The No. 23 Jackets hope Petty, a 2025 recruit, will help them continue winning. They beat out dozens of programs to land Petty, their highest-rated recruit since Calvin Johnson. After his commitment ceremony three weeks ago, Petty said NIL played a factor in his decision and that he “needed that number to be fair.”
Davis, citing the confidentiality of marketing agreements, declined to comment on whether the figures in On3′s report on Petty’s NIL deal are accurate. However, the amount lines up with data that The New Yok Times acquired from the NIL platform Opendorse.
The Times reported that offensive linemen for SEC teams can expect to earn an average of $780,000 annually. Several SEC programs, including Georgia, were among the dozens that offered Petty a scholarship. Petty projects to play tackle, considered to be the most valuable position on the offensive line. The 247Sports composite ranks Petty as the No. 5 tackle recruit in the country, so it appears Tech paid market rate for his NIL deal.
Fellowship Christian coach John Thompson said Key and his staff put in a lot of work to sell Petty on Tech. Thompson said a “catalyst” for Petty’s interest in Tech was Key’s hiring of Tim McFarlin as director of high school relations. McFarlin was a successful coach for several high schools in the state, including FCS.
As for NIL, Thompson said “it was a factor” in Petty’s decision but not the main consideration.
“I think people get the impression it’s all about the money,” he said “I didn’t feel that way with any of the recruiting at all. It still comes down to people. It is about relationships. I think Josh really believes in those (Tech) guys.”
In college football’s NIL era, it’s the money that gets most of the attention. The sport has a long history of handshake deals with players. The difference is that NIL has pushed what used to be a black market out into the open. The deals aren’t supposed to be used for recruiting inducements, but how can they not be part of the draw for players?
Davis said media reporting on NIL has fueled negative attention on the issue.
“Unfortunately, the newsworthy stories you hear about are the outliers, the kids driving around in Lamborghinis or driving too fast,” Davis said. “There’s been that element in college and pro sports forever. What you don’t hear is, a lot of times kids just want to take care of their mom. ... A lot of times they do work with charities. We encourage our athletes to set up youth camps.”
If anything, NIL deals have highlighted the value of top college football players is much higher than the cost of their scholarships. There’s a reason why the top programs pour so much money into recruiting and facilities. Now more money is flowing to players who can make a big difference on the field and drive revenue off it.
Davis offers the hypothetical example of an elite quarterback who is paid $1 million for NIL, then helps the team improve by three games. That drives ticket sales. It makes the player’s program more attractive for TV and sponsorships. Proud alumni donate more money to the school.
“How is that not fair market value?” Davis said.
Georgia Tech football has decided to pay the cost. The Jackets hope that attracting more players like Petty and winning more games, will be part of the payoff.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Georgia Tech at Syracuse, noon, ACC, 680 AM, 93.7 FM
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