Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan On Leading Utes Into Big 12, NIL Landscape
The Big 12 Landscape
The University of Utah is set to join the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023. This move will be a major step for the Utes, who have been a member of the Pac-12 Conference since 2011. The Big 12 is a Power Five conference, and it will provide Utah with a more competitive environment and a更大的 national footprint.
Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan is excited about the move to the Big 12. He believes that it will be a great opportunity for the Utes to compete at the highest level and to build a national brand.
“The Big 12 is a great conference, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” Harlan said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for our student-athletes, and it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to build our brand on a national level.”
The Big 12 is home to some of the top college football programs in the country, including Oklahoma, Texas, and TCU. Utah will have to compete with these schools on a weekly basis, but Harlan believes that the Utes are up to the challenge.
“We’re confident that we can compete with the best teams in the Big 12,” Harlan said. “We’ve got a great coaching staff, and we’ve got a lot of talented student-athletes. We’re excited to see what we can accomplish in the Big 12.”
The move to the Big 12 will also provide Utah with a financial boost. The conference’s television contract with ESPN is worth over $2 billion, and Utah will receive a share of that revenue.
“The financial benefits of joining the Big 12 are significant,” Harlan said. “It’s going to allow us to invest more in our student-athletes and in our facilities. It’s going to help us to build a championship-caliber athletic program.”
The NIL Landscape
The NCAA’s decision to allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) has changed the landscape of college athletics. Student-athletes can now sign endorsement deals with companies, and they can also earn money through social media and other ventures.
Harlan believes that the NIL landscape is a positive development for college athletics. He believes that it will allow student-athletes to be compensated for their hard work and dedication.
“I think NIL is a great thing for student-athletes,” Harlan said. “It allows them to earn money for their name, image, and likeness, and it gives them more control over their own careers.
Utah has been a leader in the NIL space. The school has created a program called the Utah NIL Exchange, which helps student-athletes connect with businesses and brands.
“We’re committed to helping our student-athletes succeed in the NIL space,” Harlan said. “We’ve created the Utah NIL Exchange to help them connect with businesses and brands, and we’re providing them with the resources they need to build their own brands.”
The NIL landscape is still evolving, but it is clear that it is having a major impact on college athletics. Utah is well-positioned to succeed in the NIL era, and Harlan is confident that the Utes will continue to be a major player in the college athletics landscape for years to come.
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