Still, Miami, which hosted the Florida law signing ceremony last year, was among the schools that were most publicly advocating for name, image and likeness changes. In December, the school said it signed an agreement with INFLCR, which works with many schools to help students understand the opportunities ahead. At the time, football coach Manny Diaz praised the deal as a way for players to “build your brand in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities.”
Prior to this week’s opening, King attended personal finance classes offered by the university on Wednesdays to tackle numerous problems. He enlisted his mother and brother to help evaluate incoming proposals, outlined his goals for a podcast, and evaluated the activities that attracted the most attention. He suggested that autographs and speeches are his favorite thing.
With summer football obligations at lunchtime, he said, there are still plenty of hours during the day to get the kind of concerts athletes have never had before.
As she looks at life after her final season in Miami, she said she plans to save most of her earnings and perhaps send it back home to Texas. He said he doesn’t plan to trade his Jeep Wrangler right away for one of the glittery imports that fills South Florida’s highways.
But as Thursday approaches, he says he’s eager to finally win some of what he sees as rightfully so. He and other players said the system has worked for many for a very long time – but not always for them.
“In a sense, you could say we benefited,” he said. “I think a lot of people only see us on Saturdays and that’s the problem. If they had seen what we do every day, every day, then they would understand why getting paid is so important to us.”