![]() “For the most part, I think it’s pretty funny. “It doesn’t bother me much at all,” Tebow said during an October teleconference. His jersey, until then, will be available only in blue or white, with all the profits going to his school. Those projections will not come for at least another year - two if he plays out all his college eligibility. You have to be a guy who is going to be drafted in the first two rounds.” ![]() But you need to be projected to be a star in the NFL. “It’s hard to say, because he still has another year,” Sanford said. ![]() The lone question then will be how NFL scouts view his future. His story, including work as a Christian missionary in the Philippines, might make him attractive even to those who aren’t football fans. He already has national name recognition, which will only increase with more championships and individual awards. Once there, he might enter the NFL as one of its most marketable rookies of all time. When Tebow turns pro, though, the restrictions on his off-field earnings will end. “When you’re talking about paying players, it’s a fine line between making them professionals.” “It’s still going to be all through the universities,” said Steve Weinreb, a managing director of Steiner Sports Marketing in New Rochelle, N.Y. Approval could be another step toward players someday earning a share of the revenue. The proposal, put forth by the Agents and Amateurism Subcommittee of the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, will be discussed through the winter and likely go to a vote in April. The players cannot make direct endorsements of the products but can have their name, photograph or video highlights of their play appear in the advertisement. NCAA proposal 2007-26 seeks to amend the NCAA bylaws to allow players to appear in advertisements or promotions for commercial entities. But the association’s Division I Management Council might move this spring to allow players to be used more as marketing tools. ![]() There are no signs the NCAA would change course and allow players to profit from merchandise sales. Later, he added, “But once you do something for one player, you have to do it for everybody.” “That’s a pretty touchy subject,” Tebow said. He had no real opinion on whether athletes should receive checks connected with sales of their jerseys. He said he signed off on the marketing of his jerseys (all UF players do, Spiegler said) and likes that the university is making money. Tebow, though, said he never thinks about the money. But if any UF player deserves a slice of those dollars, Tebow would be the guy. Florida is the two-time defending national champion in men’s basketball, and the success of other players from the 2006 football championship team has helped boost sales. Not all the increase can be traced to Tebow. UF could close the gap soon, though, as the athletic-department budget projects a $1.339 million increase in licensing revenue for 2007-08. That figure puts Florida third in the nation, behind the University of Texas and the University of Notre Dame. The real earnings come through the licensing, an area where UF earned $5,984,768 in 2007, according to a school news release. UF’s athletic department earned $1.4 million from its equipment contracts, including the Nike deal, in 2006-07, according to the department budget. The jerseys, which cost between $60 and $75 retail, are produced by Nike, with which the athletic department has an apparel contract. “Even if Tim didn’t win, we would still make his jersey.” “One of the policies is that if someone is a finalist for the Heisman, we have their jerseys made to honor what they did on the field,” he said. Each school, however, can create merchandise with a player’s number, sell it and keep any revenue. NCAA rules on amateurism prevent him from making a profit from the use of his name, number or likeness as a Florida Gator. Yet for all Tebow’s acclaim, and all the money his school will make from his success, Tebow will not see a dime. ![]() “If I were a little kid, I’d be wearing a Tim Tebow jersey.” “Everywhere I go, somebody has his jersey,” said UF center Drew Miller, Tebow’s teammate the past two years. Those stakes figure to rise considerably next season, when he returns to the Gators and attempts to lead them to a championship. Its sales have helped put the University of Florida among the top 3 in the country for merchandise sold. 15 jersey, in either blue or white, has become a must-have memento for Florida fans around the country. A look around the Citrus Bowl today, when Tebow’s Florida Gators meet the Michigan Wolverines in the Capital One Bowl, could be evidence that he’s the most famous player, too. Tim Tebow’s Heisman Trophy makes him the nation’s most outstanding football player for 2007. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |