Satterfield tells players U of L's success will net NIL chances

“I told the guys, if you put a good product on the field and you’re a good ambassador out in the community and you’re doing a lot of great things, those are people companies want to partner up with,” Satterfield said during a media teleconference Monday afternoon. “I think our guys realize that, if (they) go out and make plays and do a good job in the community, then (they’re) going to have more opportunities.

“So I think our guys are focused on going out and performing at a high level, playing very, very well. Just because you put something out on a social media platform saying, ‘Hey, I’m available, come get me,’ that’s not the way it works. You’re going to have to have a good product and play well in order to have earning potential.”

So far, several U of L football players have announced that they already have deals.

Quarterback Malik Cunningham is partnered with an online service called Dreamfield.co that allows athletes to set appearance fees for autograph sessions and other appearances. Cunningham was originally listed on the website with a $275 per hour fee, but quickly increased it to $300. Defensive lineman Dezmond Tell is also on Dreamfield.co and has posted a fee of $70 per hour.

Jordan Watkins, a freshman wide receiver from Butler High School, has partnered with CardinalSports.com, the local Rivals site, apparently answering questions from fans. No details of the deal have been announced.

Although coaches are discouraged from using potential money-making opportunities in recruiting pitches, Satterfield acknowledged that questions about that subject are bound to come up and he believes Louisville will be attractive to recruits.

“Once we get into this thing six months or a year, I think we’ll have a better idea of how it’s gonna work and the opportunities guys are gonna have,” he said. “We know we’re in a great city and there should be a lot of opportunities for our guys with the amount of businesses we have here. It will be real interesting to see how we maneuver through this. We’re in a learning mode, to see exactly how much and where and when these guys are gonna be able to make any money.”

Satterfield also said the players are being educated and offered advice so they can avoid scams and to ensure that they don’t get involved in something that could cause problems with compliance.

“For us, it’s all about the compliance piece of it, not doing anything that would hinder them from playing,” he said. “This is all new territory for everybody across the country, including our compliance people. So we’ve got to make sure guys are being safe with the decisions they’re going to be making concerning NIL and going through our compliance.

“I do think it’s a good thing for guys to have the opportunity to make some extra money with their likeness. I worry about somebody approaches you, you don’t know who it is and all of a sudden you’re giving out a Social Security number, a bank number or something. We’re going to try to have a lot of precautions with it and be smart so they’re not doing anything that they could get swindled out of money.”