Ohio State Buckeyes football star Jeremiah Smith had an NIL valuation of $4.2 million on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, things changed -- he became Adidas's new headline star just half a year removed from helping win a College Football Playoff National Championship as a freshman.
As Cleveland.com's Stefan Krajisnik points out, Smith's deal is one that was up to Deloitte's standards.
Deloitte's “NIL Go" clearing house, as Krajisnik explained, is the new gatekeeper for all NIL payments.
"Third-party NIL deals, meaning payments not coming directly from schools through revenue sharing, of more than $600 must be approved by a Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed 'NIL Go,'" Krajisnik explained.
"Smith’s agreement should have little uncertainty surrounding it. The goal of the clearinghouse is to eliminate boosters and collectives paying large sums of money for athletes to attend their schools.
"Smith will take part in marketing campaigns and things of that nature for Adidas, proving a legitimate business purpose for the NIL deal."
College football has reached the point of having a Big 4 accounting firm involved with sponsorship deals that used to be exclusively reserved for internationally known pro athletes.
It's come a long way. To say the least.
The evolution of the sport is perfectly proven with OSU's $20.5 million title-winning roster last season. Smith becoming one of the main faces of Adidas drives that point home.
The most famous players in the sport are barely removed from removing their black stripe.
Smith made that point in his Adidas deal's press release.
“One of the most memorable moments from last season was losing my black stripe and officially becoming a Buckeye. Fast forward a year and I’m blessed to be adding three, joining the fastest brand in football. It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet," Smith said.
The truth about Smith's deal?
It means the future is here.
For better, like Columbus having a certified killer for at least two more seasons after winning a title and helping Will Howard become an NFL draft pick, or for worse, like Deloitte being involved in a news story about NIL.