Troy Robertson has learned in the past year that the business of name, image and likeness fundraising is an inexact science, one might say an imprecise math equation.
When Robertson attempts to compare funding for the Billiken Victory Fund to other NIL collectives in the Atlantic 10, he can only speak in general terms because he’s not sure where the numbers really stand.
“I don’t know anyone else’s numbers. I just know what people tell me,†Robertson said. “And the rule of thumb, I’ve been told, is to take whatever someone tells you and take off 30%.â€
The president of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ University collective won’t divulge the fund’s assets, but he confidently said this week the money available to put toward players for new men’s basketball coach Josh Schertz will be among the highest in the conference.
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The collective was formed a year ago, and there were definite growing pains, in large part due to a poor season by the Billikens. With renewed energy in the program, there has been greater activity.
“One thing we’ve definitely learned is if you’re going to do NIL, you have to do it from a position of strength,†Robertson said. “I don’t think Coach Schertz would be here and donors would make those commitments unless we were in a position of strength. So saying we’ll be in the top two or three in the A-10 is accurate.
“Our goal is to get to a spot where if a player wanted to come to SLU, we would not lose out because of a financial aspect. We’re trying to get there.â€
SLU is down to two players remaining from the 2023-24 roster after two exhausted eligibility and eight entered the transfer portal. Schertz’s top priority is recruiting, and he said campus visits are scheduled to start Friday. Meanwhile, fans have their eyes on five Indiana State players who entered the portal after Schertz left that school for SLU.
In the NIL era, those players will expect a financial benefit wherever they go, as will SLU players who will transfer or negotiate a deal to return.
Without being specific about how much it would take to rebuild the roster, Robertson put the number at “several hundred thousand†dollars for the 2024-25 season.
“You can’t build a championship-level program if you can’t recruit and retain high-level players,†Schertz said. “When I started at Indiana State, (NIL) had just been announced, and we didn’t know what it was going to do. We thought maybe a player would do a commercial for the local car dealership. No one thought it would be what it turned into.â€
Among the players SLU is in strong position to sign is center Robbie Avila, the leading scorer at Indiana State who helped get Schertz and the Sycamores to the NIT championship game.
Avila, who is in the portal with a do-not-contact tag, is listed at No. 78 in On3’s list of the top 100 college athletes in anticipated NIL value. One source said he could be worth $600,000 to $700,000 and would have to be willing to be compensated below his value to play at SLU.
Others from Indiana State will command large amounts, with guard Ryan Conwell reportedly being able to match Avila. Campus visits by any of the Indiana State players are expected to come after this weekend at some point.
Gibson Jimerson would likely require an increase over whatever he received last season to return to the Billikens for his final year — a prospect that is increasingly likely.
“This requires total buy-in from everybody, from big donors to fans that come to 10 games or fans that come twice a year and corporations,†Robertson said. “They all have a say now in the success of getting and retaining players. They don’t have a say in the outcome of games, but you can’t get the players here without total buy-in.â€
He said most of what the collective expects to be able to use toward players is in the form of commitments, not cash in hand.
Robertson and the fund board are devising a plan for the offseason to capitalize on the momentum generated by the hiring of Schertz.
One plan would include possible behind-the-scenes interaction with Schertz and merchandise — still being developed — that would incentivize donor involvement. Robertson would like to arrange a meet-and-greet with Schertz where he could discuss his vision for the program.
Robertson remains a volunteer as the collective overseer, and he would like to hire one or two people who would work to build relationships in the business community and help match players with sponsors.
Deals with athletes remain year-to-year arrangements, with payouts being made as of August. That will allow more time to accumulate funds. However, in the current environment, the fund is not equipped to guarantee players a deal beyond the 2024-25 season, meaning some will have to be re-recruited, in a sense.
“What I’ve learned is this is a new business and no different than any other startup,†Robertson said. “There’s a collective at every school, and we’re all trying to figure it out.â€