Aggie Edge Collective will help UC Davis athletes navigate Name, Image and Likeness

Opportunities exist for fans, alumni, boosters and businesses to participate in the Collective

Photo by Vikram TKV on Unsplash

For UC Davis athletics, the future is now.

In order to not only survive, but to thrive, the Aggies will now have their own "collective" to help athletes monetize their name, image and likeness opportunities that have only recently been allowed after the scrapping of the old "amateur" model that long dominated college sports.

Allowing athletes to be compensated at whatever rate the market will bear may be frowned upon by purists who remember the good old days when collegiate athletes were strictly amateurs, but NIL compensation has become a complete necessity for schools to keep up with their neighbors. At this point in the discussion, there's no turning back. The amateur model is dead and buried and is never coming back. 

Besides, as many knowledgeable folks will point out, some of the "big time" schools have always managed to compensate star athletes and recruits under the table.

As celebrated running back Eric Dickerson once wryly noted when he took his considerable skills from college to the NFL, he had to take a pay cut.

In what has been variously described by some coaches and administrators as the Wild, Wild West and a no-holds-barred environment, gone are the days when so much as providing an extra pair of shoelaces could cost an athlete his eligibility and result in his school being put on probation.

With the handwriting on the wall now using indelible ink, it's either time to join the crowd or get left in the dust.

UC Davis has wisely decided to put together a collective that will help attract high school recruits and aid those currently on UCD rosters in a variety of men's and women's sports. This, combined with UC Davis' reputation as one of the premier academic institutions in the world, should favorably position Aggie athletics at whatever level they wish to compete.

As such, the UCD Athletics Department has announced Aggie Edge, powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), which is the official NIL Collective for Aggie student-athletes to leverage their name, image and likeness.

"UC Davis Athletics is pleased to announce the launch of the Aggie Edge Collective, an initiative designed to support our student-athletes," said Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca.

"The Aggie Edge Collective will provide opportunities for our athletes to maximize their NIL potential, build their personal brands and engage with the UC Davis community.

“With the support of our alumni and fans, the Aggie Edge Collective will help us retain our talented student-athletes and enhance one of the top student-athlete experiences on the West Coast. We appreciate the early investors in this initiative and look forward to seeing our student-athletes succeed both on and off the field."

Aggie Edge will provide unique opportunities, collaborations and partnerships for fans and businesses to contribute to the proud and long-standing traditions of UC Davis sports programs.

When he took the head football coaching job after Dan Hawkins stepped down at the end of the 2023 season, Tim Plough talked about the support necessary to continue to build the program and compete successfully in the Big Sky Conference, one of the toughest football leagues nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision. Plough welcomed the potential for a dramatic increase in support that the new collective can provide.

Said Plough, “This is an exciting and joyful day for all Aggies across the globe. UC Davis has always been a place that can thrive in any situation. This is tremendous leadership from our donors and administration to understand the importance of helping our student-athletes in the new world of collegiate sports. We have student-athletes here that are hardworking, talented and unselfish. It's important to have an avenue like Aggie Edge to reward these gifted individuals for their loyalty and hard work”.

Added longtime head men's basketball coach Jim Les, “The landscape of college athletics is changing. This initiative allows our student-athletes to navigate opportunities while pursuing their academic and athletic goals. Thank you to our partners with Aggie Edge for assisting UC Davis Athletics as we continue our championship aspirations.”

As is required in this new environment, SANIL is not officially affiliated with UC Davis Athletics, but is acknowledged by the athletics department and will operate within NCAA, Big Sky and California state parameters to market and manage NIL opportunities for every athlete who wears the Blue and Gold. 

SANIL and Aggie Edge will work in unison with various UC Davis supporters to create marketing opportunities that maximize athlete earnings while ensuring that the University's best interests remain protected throughout.

Aggie Edge’s membership program allows all UC Davis fans to directly support Aggie student-athletes.

Aggie Edge also offers comprehensive business partnership opportunities at the local, regional and national level. However, the University does not receive any financial benefit from the organization.

Currently, UC Davis supports 25 Division I varsity sports and is home to over 650 student-athletes. It has one of the most comprehensive athletics offerings of any college or university in the country, at any level.

Since the announcement, I've had the chance to speak with a number of former athletes who proudly competed in a variety of sports at UC Davis and they are nearly unanimous in their support of this new initiative.

To a person, however, they only wish the university would make it retroactive to their playing days, so they too could benefit from the brave new world of name, image and likeness.

You can reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com