WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
The System Is Broken —
Athletes Are Paying the Price
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⚠️ A REAL WORLD EXAMPLE
Georgia sought nearly $400,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson after he transferred — enforcing a liquidated damages clause even though he reportedly received only a fraction of that amount.
This is not a Power 4 problem. The same terms appear at Group of 5, FCS, and Division II programs. Athletes at smaller programs often have even less access to representation.
Meanwhile coaches move freely — leaving for new jobs with few penalties. The contrast could not be more stark.
Georgia sought nearly $400,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson after he transferred — enforcing a liquidated damages clause even though he reportedly received only a fraction of that amount.
This is not a Power 4 problem. The same terms appear at Group of 5, FCS, and Division II programs. Athletes at smaller programs often have even less access to representation.
Meanwhile coaches move freely — leaving for new jobs with few penalties. The contrast could not be more stark.
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😟 COACHES MOVE FREELY
Leaving for new jobs with few penalties or consequences |
💸 ATHLETES PAY THE PRICE
Six-figure penalties for the same transfer decision |
📋 CONTRACTS ARRIVE LATE
Presented after commitment when leverage is gone |
CONTRACT ANALYSIS
Eight Problem Clauses We Identify and Address
These are terms no professional athlete would accept. College athletes should not have to accept them either.
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Most of these contracts are presented after commitment — when your leverage is gone.
RecruitU ensures you see them before you decide.
RecruitU ensures you see them before you decide.
HOW IT WORKS
Our Five Step Process
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① CONTRACT RECEIPT
You share the NIL deal, revenue share agreement, or roster contract with us. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ② REVIEW AND ANALYSIS We read every provision and flag problematic terms. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ③ CONSULTATION We walk you through our findings in plain English. No legal jargon. No confusion. Just a clear honest guidance. |
④ NEGOTIATION STRATEGY
We advise which terms to push back on and how to approach the conversation with the school or collective to negotiate effectively. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⑤ DECISION SUPPORT If a school refuses fair terms, we will tell you directly — and help you evaluate your other options. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Important: RecruitU provides strategic advisory. For formal legal advice, consult a qualified sports attorney. We are happy to refer families to licensed legal counsel. |
IS THIS FOR YOU?
Who This Service Is For
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🏃 RECRUITED ATHLETES
Received an offer and need it reviewed before signing. Schools often pressure athletes to sign quickly. Don't sign under pressure. |
📋 CURRENT ATHLETES
Already enrolled and want to understand your existing agreement . It is never too late to know what your contract actually says. |
⚖️ COMPARING OFFERS
Evaluating multiple schools and want to understand the contractual differences between programs. Not all offers are equal — especially the contract terms. |
🚪 CONSIDERING TRANSFER
Need to understand your current contractual obligations before making any decisions about leaving your program. Know your obligations before you move. |
OUR COMMITMENT
Our Policy on Athlete Protection
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🛡️ WHAT WE STAND FOR
We refuse to let families walk blindly into one-sided agreements. Our policy is simple: If a college or collective refuses to agree to fair and balanced contract terms — we recommend the athlete go elsewhere. We will not compromise on athlete protection or long-term welfare. → Contracts before commitment — not after → Plain English on every term → Push back on unfair clauses → Walk away if terms are unacceptable |
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"No professional athlete would ever agree to play for a team without seeing the contract first. College athletes should receive draft contracts during the recruiting process — before making any decisions." — George White Founder & CEO RecruitU |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
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❓What is NIL and how does it affect college recruiting?
NIL stands for Name Image and Likeness. Since 2021 college athletes have been permitted to earn compensation based on their personal brand. During recruiting many schools offer NIL deals or revenue share agreements as part of their offer packages. These are legally binding contracts that must be reviewed carefully before signing.
NIL stands for Name Image and Likeness. Since 2021 college athletes have been permitted to earn compensation based on their personal brand. During recruiting many schools offer NIL deals or revenue share agreements as part of their offer packages. These are legally binding contracts that must be reviewed carefully before signing.
❓What is revenue sharing in college sports?
The House v. NCAA settlement established a framework for schools to directly share revenue with their athletes — up to approximately $20 million per school annually. Athletes in revenue sharing programs receive payments as part of their athletic agreements subject to terms that vary significantly by institution. These agreements carry the same contract risks as NIL deals and must be reviewed before signing.
The House v. NCAA settlement established a framework for schools to directly share revenue with their athletes — up to approximately $20 million per school annually. Athletes in revenue sharing programs receive payments as part of their athletic agreements subject to terms that vary significantly by institution. These agreements carry the same contract risks as NIL deals and must be reviewed before signing.
❓Do I need a lawyer to review my NIL contract?
For formal legal advice a licensed sports attorney is recommended. RecruitU provides strategic advisory — explaining terms flagging problems and advising on negotiations. Many families use both together for complete protection. We refer families to qualified counsel.
For formal legal advice a licensed sports attorney is recommended. RecruitU provides strategic advisory — explaining terms flagging problems and advising on negotiations. Many families use both together for complete protection. We refer families to qualified counsel.
❓What happens if I sign a bad NIL contract and then want to transfer?
You may face significant financial penalties including liquidated damages clauses demanding repayment of funds you never fully received. The Damon Wilson case is a real example of this. Review before signing is the only protection.
You may face significant financial penalties including liquidated damages clauses demanding repayment of funds you never fully received. The Damon Wilson case is a real example of this. Review before signing is the only protection.
❓Is NIL contract advising available even if I am not a RecruitU recruiting client?
Yes. NIL and revenue share contract advising is available as a standalone service. You do not need to be a full recruiting client. Contact us to discuss your situation.
Yes. NIL and revenue share contract advising is available as a standalone service. You do not need to be a full recruiting client. Contact us to discuss your situation.
GET STARTED
Before You Sign Anything — Talk to Us
RecruitU's college coaches have seen these contracts from both sides of the table. We know exactly what to look for — and we will tell you directly if a school's terms are unacceptable.
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✓ Available as standalone service — no full recruiting package required
✓ Plain English explanation of every contract term
✓ We recommend walking away if terms are unacceptable
✓ Plain English explanation of every contract term
✓ We recommend walking away if terms are unacceptable
