Six IU Football Players Ink NIL Deal with Hoosiers for Good

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The new Name, Image and Likeness rules in collegiate athletics have created a new market for schools and athletes across the country. Much of the efforts surrounding Indiana University have focused on the basketball program and a few players have been quite profitable. A relatively new group has spread the impact to the football program. Hoosiers For Good announced their first group of student-athletes they have inked to deals. The 2022 Hoosiers For Good spring class consists of 14 individuals that will use their platform to raise awareness for eight different Indiana charity partners. Among those 14 individuals are six football players: Jack Tuttle, Matthew Bedford, Shaun Shivers, AJ Barner, D.J. Matthews Jr. and Tiawan Mullen.

“We are excited to announce our first class of Hoosiers For Good student athletes” Hoosiers For Good Executive Director Tyler Harris said in a press release. “From the outset, we have been intentional in identifying student athletes who have a platform and the ambition to positively impact communities in Indiana through charitable participation. We believe this first class will drive real value for our charitable partners.”

While we do not know how much each student athlete is going to be compensated, we do know the total amount distributed to the group of 14 is $470,000. This initial payout for the Hoosiers For Good group was funded by supporters and boosters. Tight end AJ Barner and running back Shaun Shivers have partnered with RecycleForce, D.J. Matthews and Tiawan Mullen are partnering with Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington and Matthew Bedford and Jack Tuttle will assist the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross. The agreements with Hoosiers For Good require each student athlete to provide “a variety of NIL services to their paired charities including a number of in-person appearances as well as social media posts promoting their charity.”

While Indiana University still has a long way to go to compete with the Big Ten powerhouses on the new NIL battleground, Hoosiers for Good Inc (which is pursuing 501(c)3 status that would allow donations to be tax-deductible) is another step in the right direction. For more information on the organization, go to http://hoosiersforgood.org/.