Nebraska football: Troy Dannen working close to NIL initiative

Now that the Nebraska football program is under new management, it’s natural to wonder just how Troy Dannen and Jeffrey Gold will help the Huskers become a bigger contender in the NIL world. By all accounts, the former Washington Huskies AD is quite a bit more willing to embrace working with name, image, and likeness organizations than his predecessor.

According to KLKN, the people running some of the NIL collectives that work closely with the university are encouraged by what they’ve heard from the new man in charge. “In our early talks, it sounds like we’re going to have a great partnership,” Matt Davison, the president of the 1890 Initiative, told the television station. And we’re really excited about it moving forward.”

During his official introductory press conference, Dannen said UNL will have a better chance at bringing in high-profile athletes with NIL partnerships on the table.

“If we’re going to compete, if we’re going to recruit and retain, everybody in this department has to support what lies ahead for student-athletes to be a part of the economic model of this,” he said.

Nebraska football will have closer cooperation with the top NIL organizations around the program

“I’m anxious to see Troy Dannen’s ideas and the things that he brings to the table,” Davison said about the comments. “We’re looking to grow; we’re always looking for new ideas.”

It's hard to know just how much money is spent on NIL. There isn’t any governing body that tracks spending, and the money can come from all kinds of sources and be doled out in all kinds of different ways. 

However, some NIL experts believe the Nebraska football team is among the Top 10 in NIL deals.Others believe they are lagging behind the SEC significantly. Should the Nebraska football team start making some bigger deals, it could be a sign that Dannen and the 1890 Initiative among others are stepping up their game.