Report: Mizzou Spent $30M in NIL Compensation Ahead of House Settlement Rules

The University of Missouri spent over $31 million in NIL compensation to student-athletes during the past year, according to financial records. 

Mizzou spent them money in service of bolstering its football and basketball programs, with nearly two-thirds of the money going to football players and about a fourth to men’s basketball. The remainder was split among baseball, women’s basketball and lower-profile programs.

According to the Columbia Missourian, the school distributed $10.3 million of the $31 million in just the last month ahead of the House settlement taking effect July 1. 

The funds are funneled through the Every True Tiger entity, which describes itself as a “marketing and branding agency” tethered to Mizzou. The funds are listed in the invoices as “talent fees.”

The number of Mizzou athletes receiving NIL benefits varied month to month, ranging from 155 to 65, with an average of 125, and the amount reported by the Missourian does not take into account the amount paid to athletes by third parties. 

Mizzou's system for doling out NIL money will likely not stand once the House settlement rules take effect, and schools are held to the distribution of just $18 million in NIL money to student athletes. Mizzou has not yet said how it will distribute those funds. 

Athletic director Laird Veatch was transparent about the TIgers' distribution of funds ahead of the House settlement going into effect. 

“As we were all anticipating this coming, we all recognize that we needed to best position ourselves,” Veatch said of the front-loading practice. “Like you can see, we were aggressive in that approach. I don’t feel like it’s necessarily inconsistent with a lot of those schools out there.”

Here is a breakdown of the school's spending by month as reported by the Missourian: