Navigating Change: How College Athletics’ Evolving Landscape is Impacting Sports Boosters – The State News

The world of college sports is changing fast. New trends like Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and student-athlete collectives are reshaping how support for sports programs works. Traditional sports boosters, once a staple in college athletics, are starting to fade away.

Many universities are moving away from these boosters, and some have even completely shut them down.

Despite this shift, Michigan State University’s football booster group, The Downtown Coaches Club, continues to adapt and thrive.

Understanding Collectives and Sports Boosters

NIL collectives showed up in 2021. These groups collect donations from fans and alumni to pay student-athletes for endorsements and events. Some are run as nonprofits, while others operate as for-profit businesses.

For example, groups like This is Sparta!, East Lansing NIL Club, and Spartan Nation NIL raise funds for MSU athletes directly. Unlike traditional sports boosters, which support the entire athletic program, collectives focus on individual players.

MSU once had several boosters for specific sports, but now only a few remain. The Downtown Coaches Club, which supports MSU football, has been around since 1946 and is still active today.

The Downtown Coaches Club

This club was started by MSU Athletic Director Clarence “Biggie” Munn. They met downtown, which explains the club name, as last year’s president Gary Mugnolo shared.

In the 1990s, the club contributed to various team needs, like funding a 50/50 raffle and supporting the marching band. However, their financial support has decreased in recent years.

Mark Hollis, who was athletic director from 2008 to 2018, decided to streamline fundraising and cut down on booster clubs, but The Downtown Coaches Club kept going. As college football finances have exploded, their membership has dwindled.

They still receive donations from local businesses and pay athletes for attending events. While head coaches used to appear regularly, now appearances from athletes like Nate Carter and Jonathan Kim focus on building relationships with fans.

As financial contributions to college sports rise, traditional boosters find it hard to keep pace. Fans are more inclined to give directly to collectives, making it necessary for organizations like The Downtown Coaches Club to evolve in this fast-changing environment.