An inside look at Nebraska’s NIL operation

At first, Sean Padden watched from afar.

During the end of Padden’s time working for Matt Rhule at Baylor to his role with the Carolina Panthers, Padden watched and waited as NIL legislation crept its way through the court system. When the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness in June 2021, Padden and Rhule were still far away in the NFL ranks.

Eighteen months later and Padden was in the thick of it as Nebraska’s general manager. In his role, Padden oversees Nebraska’s recruiting setup and also serves as the football program’s liaison to its NIL collective, the 1890 Initiative.

Wearing a white, 1890-branded fleece pullover, Padden explained on Thursday how he helps Nebraska football and 1890 co-exist.

“I work with them on a daily basis and they keep me up to speed on everything that’s happening on their end,” Padden said of the 1890 Initiative.

Several conversations took place recently when the NCAA’s transfer portal opened at the end of spring practice. Echoing comments that Rhule made several weeks ago, Padden said that NU coaches had open, honest conversations with players at the end of spring practice.

After sitting down with their position coach, then with Rhule, to discuss their standing on the roster next season, it’s at that point that players can visit with Padden about NIL figures.

“After they have those conversations, then they’ll come and have conversations with me about their approach with their next contract,” Padden said. “I’m allowed to talk to them about it, and they can go and request what they sign next but ultimately the numbers come from them.”

With a background in business, Padden is a natural fit for his role. His belief in furthering a player’s well-being reflects that of Rhule and the entire Nebraska staff — and it impacts the way NU’s NIL business is conducted.

After all, Padden thinks back to some of the mismanaged situations he’d observed at other schools when NIL benefits became permissible in 2021. For example, four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada’s recruitment became national news when he flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida after signing an NIL deal reportedly worth $13.8 million.

It was soon clear that the NIL collective that orchestrated the deal, the Gator Collective, did not have the funding needed to honor the terms of the contract. Within the month, Rashada had been released from his letter of intent and the Gator Collective soon folded.

In another Florida-based misstep, defensive lineman Gervon Dexter had to seek legal action to overturn a predatory NIL contract that granted him a one-time payment in exchange for 15% of his pre-tax NFL earnings over the ensuing 25 years.

“I kept thinking to myself, ‘Who’s going to advise these guys? There’s going to be a line outside of my door of guys getting screwed out of deals, like how’s that going to work?’” Padden said.

At Nebraska, Padden is working to make sure nothing of that sort occurs under his watch — and he has the legal basis needed to make it happen. The Nebraska Legislature recently passed LB 1393, which Gov. Jim Pillen signed into law in mid-April, a bill that grants universities the legal right to guide players through the NIL process.

“I’m glad that the governor and the state legislature passed a new law that allows us to be more hands-on, to sort of help us advise and facilitate and be more involved in it,” Padden said.

The NIL landscape that Rhule and Padden joined in November 2022 is not the same as what exists now, and more future changes could be on the horizon.

In Padden, Nebraska football has a staff member who it can count on to help the Huskers navigate a fluid period in collegiate athletics.

“It’s the conditions that keep changing, and that’s a challenge, but I’m excited about it,” Padden said. “That’s why I’m here.”