A&M players to get $10K for fan site interview

That was nearly 10 years ago. I'm sure his numbers are much now. But basically an advertiser is footing the bill for this exclusive content.

 

Your response reminds so much of what is wrong with journalism today. Everybody is a journalist these days, not just people who work for traditional news gathering companies. The reading or clicking audience determines who is practicing journalism by who they read. I've known Lucci for years and competed against him and he loves getting information out first. That's why subscriptions are through the roof. Trust me this is a threat, especially if kids decide to stop talking unless they are paid.

 

Not all Rivals or other school-focused sites can fairly be called "fan sites." Some have excellent beat reporters, break news and provide impartial coverage. I know nothing about this particular site, so I can't say whether the "fan site" label is fair in this case.

 

This is why I referred to myself and people like me as "media." Journalism is a discipline-specific field with mores, theory, and standards to be met.

 

I'm conflicted.

As a journalist, I don't like this.

As a fan and content consumer, I love it.

Professional journalists continue to produce the best written content about sports. However, on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and other places where video is the top medium, fan accounts and dreaming-they-make-it-big amateurs are making engaging and very high-quality content. Look at Hayes Fawcett, for example, an excellent graphic designer who obviously connects with the top players in college football. If he were to pay Spencer Rattler $20,000 to spend the day with him, shooting video and asking questions the whole time — chances are, it'd benefit both parties. More credibility for Fawcett, more money for Rattler, more exposure for both parties, and more content for fans. I understand that in a perfect world no money would need to be exchanged for this sort of content, but the whole landscape is changing.

 

1. It's *Liucci
2. I think even he'll tell you he's not a traditional journalist
3. I'll start getting concerned when athletes who are off-limits to traditional media start speaking exclusively to TexAgs.
4. Access is already so bad at places like A&M that TA becoming the middleman for bagmen isn't going to have a massive impact on traditional outlets.

 

I think you are overblowing this. All of the athletes may want to get paid for media appearances, but not all of them will. There will always be someone available to talk. I would also bet that a bunch of "exclusive" media deals would conflict with the branding done by the university and other NIL deals that these athletes have. Even the athletes with media deals in the pros still show up to chat with the tradition outlets.

 

I've never read a full scholarship agreement. Is there a clause in there, similar to the pros, requiring them to do media interviews?

 

To specifically do interviews? Nah. But to do what the program asks of you? I could see there being some kind of language like that in there (but I don't know). I can't imagine that most of the athletes have been doing media availabilities and post-loss press conferences over the years because they wanted to.

 

That's why I figured there might be something in the agreement. Some sort of language requiring them to "promote the program" or something along those lines, that can cover a lot of ground.

 

Not even close. There are big-name players who will go their entire time in school without ever doing one presser. School officials will sometimes say they've pleaded for some players to do interviews but I don't buy that for a single second.