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Thieneman Brothers Tackle the Challenges and Opportunities of NIL in College Football

By Allie Davis, Kadie O’Bannon, Gracie Paul

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024) — 

Brothers Jake and Dillon Thieneman have been playing football for as long as they can remember. Little did they know that their passion for the game could turn into a revenue-earning career.

This revenue is known as something called NIL, or name, image and likeness.

Jake Thieneman is a former Purdue safety and 2018 graduate, while Dillon Thieneman is a current sophomore safety at Purdue. Jake Thieneman began his journey at Purdue as a walk-on in 2014, and by his fifth year, he had climbed his way to team captain and starter. Dillon Thieneman had a different experience; he graduated high school after his first trimester senior year to begin playing for Purdue in the spring semester. Dillon Thieneman quickly earned his starting position as a true freshman safety. During his first year, Dillon Thieneman was named Third-team All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Second-team All-Big Ten.

The Thieneman brothers: Brennan, Dillon and Jake posing after Brennan and Jake beat Indiana University in the Oaken Bucket battle in 2017

NIL has been a recurring topic over the past decade. One pivotal event reshaped the discussion: the House v. NCAA settlement. Filed in 2020, this lawsuit was brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and former TCU and Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince, who sued the NCAA for its past ban on athletes getting compensated for their name, image and likeness before 2021. They argued that the ban violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by restricting athletes’ ability to receive fair earnings. As of May 2024, the NCAA is facing a $2.78 billion settlement, potentially allowing Division I athletes to receive back pay for missed NIL opportunities and aiming to establish a more equitable system for current and future athletes. 

The NCAA is expected to grant $1.2 billion, with Power Five Conference schools covering 24% of future withheld revenues. Over the next decade, money will be distributed to athletes who played between 2016 and 2021. If approved, universities would begin payments in July 2025. At the press conference, sports media expert Galen Clavio noted the potential discontent among former players. “A lot of college athletes are going to be arguing that we are in the mid-2000s,” Clavio said, emphasizing that athletes who played before 2016 may question why they aren’t receiving compensation. This sentiment highlights the ongoing uncertainty around the proposal. 

Galen Clavio, Associate Professor in the IU Media School held a mock press conference to discuss NIL with Storylab students. Photo taken by Kenzie Vitale

Further insight was given in an interview with the Thieneman brothers. Jake Thieneman had an overall positive perspective on the topic, citing the many opportunities NIL creates for players. Though he’s now a graduate, he wishes he’d had this opportunity when he played and believes past players should be compensated for their contributions to their programs. “I think it was unethical to prevent them from being compensated given the value they were providing to the schools and how much revenue they were generating,” he said.

Dillon Thieneman had a different perspective. While he acknowledged the positive effects of NIL, he also pointed out potential downsides. “Athletes are now able to get paid and receive other benefits from their play on the field and presence they have off the field,” he said. However, he added, “people do want to follow the money, and that leads to more people entering the transfer portal to find money for what they think they are worth.” Dillon Thieneman emphasized the growing divide between schools with established NIL programs and those with smaller budgets, resulting in a recruitment imbalance as top players gravitate toward wealthier schools. He also disagrees with the ruling that past players should receive compensation.

Purdue defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during an NCAA football game, Sept. 2, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler, File)

Dillon Thieneman shared his experience with securing an NIL deal, noting that the process can be somewhat stressful but rewarding. “The process can be a little stressful, but I enjoy it — getting to try new things like going to the INDY 500 track and recently doing a meal plan deal to receive frequent meals,” he said.

Jake Thieneman, who helped Dillon Thieneman negotiate his NIL deal, provided additional insight into the process. “For the deals between the player and the collective, the player or a representative for the player negotiates with the collective and comes to an agreement on how much they’ll be compensated annually based on the player’s position, their skill level, and their contribution to the team.”

Jake Thienman (41)  during NCAA game Sept. 8, 2018. Photo taken by Purdue Photographer

The Thieneman brothers stand on different sides of the NIL discussion.

The debate over NIL continues to evolve daily. With college sports having a constantly growing media presence, this topic isn’t going away anytime soon. While the future remains uncertain, the opportunities for college athletes are only expanding.

https://youtu.be/yHGH3D6HfC4?feature=shared

Voxpop interviews with three strangers on their opinions of the House v. NCAA settlement

 

Public Relations Story

Tim Cook Introduces the New Personalized Apple Device

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tim Cook Introduces the New Personalized Apple Device

Media Contacts
Georgia White
Gracie Paul
Addie Parker

 

CUPERTINO, California – Today, CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, announced the release of the very first Apple watch. Cook showed a captivating video of the new watch and its close up features which immediately got the audience engaged with the product. 

Cook was dressed in business casual attire, and had a very poised ambience. He showed noticeable passion about the launching, and explained this new product in immense detail. He began by speaking specifically about the dial on the watch, the crown, and how it is the feature that is able to transfer movement into data. As he explained this feature, it was being illustrated for the audience on the screen.

Cook highlighted the fact that the watch is not solely for technology but also is about style and taste. He explained that it can be worn everyday and for all occasions. “We thought not only of the function, but of the way it looked,” Cook said. 

Lauren is using her Apple Watch to track her activity while studying at the IMU. She likes the fitness insight it provides.

 

 After emphasizing the design of the watch, Cook played a video for the audience that explained how the product is essentially simplifying an entire computer system to a single chip. The clip also went into detail about the watch’s four lenses, and emphasized the accuracy of the watch’s constant calculations. This informative video also indicated the ability for the watch to provide an explicit picture of one’s daily activity, as well as a variety of faces for the watch to choose from.

After the video, Cook introduced a special member of the team, Kevin Lynch, who led their software effort. Lynch provided the very first demo of the watch for the audience, by using a custom watch as it was being displayed on the screen. Lynch efficiently demonstrated how to use the watch by going through many of its different functions. Lynch was extremely knowledgable on each feature, presenting smoothly and with excitement about the new product. 

Mr. Cornwell is grading student’s essays before class in Ballantine Hall. He likes feeling connected while keeping his phone is away.

 

One of the features Lynch brought attention to was the ability to change specific aspects of the watch face, and he showed some different examples of faces to choose from. Lynch specifically talked about the “astronomy face” which was a cover with a picture of the earth. “It shows you where you are in the Earth,” Lynch said. He then demonstrated that by moving the face, the screen can also fly over to a view of the moon, which excited the audience. 

Lynch also went into depth regarding the convenience of viewing notifications on the watch. He explained how the notifications pop up when lifting up the watch, and it even offers prompt responses by  analyzing the text. 

The audience was then shown about how the watch has its own emoji options that are fully animated. This allows the user to fully express an emotion along with their reply. It also has quick functionality of Siri so that any question can efficiently be answered when needed. 

Lynch also demonstrated how the watch holds all of your photos, and displayed how easily you can view them by panning around the entire camera roll. He also showed the straightforward ability to move around the map screen when needing to obtain directions. There is also the option to search for directions to any location. Instead of needing to look down at the maps, the watch has a specific feeling for each different turn, so one can travel with no difficulty.

One of the last features Lynch talked about, is the digital touch feature. He showed how by simply clicking on someone in your friends list, they can be communicated with through call or text, or even directly notified by a tap from the watch.

Cook wrapped up his presentation by explaining how many different benefits the watch can be used for. He states how whether it’s for fitness, communication, health etc, the watch can be of assistance. He explained how there are an immense amount of features the new product has that he could continue to go in depth about. 

 “Apple watch is the most personal device Apple has ever created,” Cook said.

The brand new Apple device being shown through a promotional video at the launch of their new product

Kevin Lynch showcasing the features of the brand new Apple Watch such as changing the display screen

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