Kent State University launches funds to directly pay Golden Flashes athletes for NIL
Kent State University athletic director Randale L. Richmond conceded he didn’t spend nearly as much time last year engaging with Golden Flashes student-athletes and coaches as he would have liked.
Richmond explained he had been busy working behind the scenes to figure out how Kent State would handle yet another seismic change to the college sports landscape. He had prepared for several scenarios connected to colleges throughout the nation receiving approval to share revenue with their athletes.
“You're trying to kick a field goal with a moving goal post, and it's not moving left and right. It's moving 360 degrees, so it was really, really a large undertaking,” Richmond told the Beacon Journal during a recent interview.
Kent State University will pay Golden Flashes athletes
The outcome?
With the House vs. NCAA settlement approved last month by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, colleges were permitted to start directly paying athletes July 1 for the rights to use their name, image and likeness.
Kent State has opted in to compensate its athletes for NIL, announcing July 21 the launch of the Kent State Athletics Excellence Funds.
What are the Kent State Athletics Excellence Funds?
In a news release, Kent State described the funds as “sport-specific giving opportunities designed to directly support the recruitment and retention of top-tier student-athletes.”
In addition to a general “KSU student-athlete excellence fund,” Kent State has formed funds for five sports (baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling) and stated in its announcement it “will create Excellence Funds for additional teams based on programmatic needs and interest from donors.”
Although donations can be directed to a specific team, they cannot be directed to a specific student-athlete. Head coaches and Richmond "will determine how best to use these funds for the success of the program," according to Kent State's release.
Kent State men's basketball coach Rob Senderoff gestures to his players during a game against Akron on Feb. 28, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
How much money can colleges play NCAA athletes for NIL?
The terms of the House vs. NCAA settlement include approval for each Division I school to share as much as $20.5 million (the figure being used, at least for now) with athletes during the next year.
Neither Kent State nor its Mid-American Conference archrival, the University of Akron, have publicly identified a dollar amount they intend to use. Akron unveiled its Competitive Excellence Fund on July 1.
Kent State's Cian Medley, left, and Western Michigan's Chansey Willis Jr. battle for a loose ball during a Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal March 13, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Richmond told the Beacon Journal he is hopeful Kent State’s ability to directly pay its athletes will “slow down” the losses the Golden Flashes suffer when members of their teams leave KSU through the transfer portal.
“This is a critical moment in the future of Kent State Athletics and the ongoing success of our programs,” Richmond added in KSU’s news release. “The Excellence Funds will serve as a way for the fans and supporters of the Golden Flashes to give to the teams and coaches they care most about to help us maintain a competitive program by supporting the recruitment and retention of the best student-athletes. As always, we will focus on a first-class experience for our students in the classroom and in competition.”
The Blue and Gold Collective previously facilitated the payment of Kent State athletes through NIL deals. KSU announced the Blue and Gold Collective will continue to operate independently and will complement the newly formed funds.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On social media: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kent State University launches funds to directly pay Golden Flashes athletes for NIL
