It’s unfortunate that many of the headlines surrounding the NCAA’s new Name Image and Likeness (NIL) laws are about student-athletes asking for more money, transferring to schools with a higher NIL payout, and generally paint a picture of student-athletes being greedy for wanting a (still very small) piece of the revenue generated by high level college athletics in this country.
For the most part, student-athletes are taking advantage of opportunities to make money in creative ways, and many in the Gonzaga community are raising money for charity rather than going out and trying to collect as much cash as they can (although, there is nothing wrong with that either).
The latest charitable endeavor by the Gonzaga men’s basketball student-athletes is an autograph session taking place on Saturday, July 30 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Attendees must have a ticket to The Showcase golf event in order to interact with the players and get an autograph. The proceeds from the event go toward the Community Cancer Fund, a non-profit organization in Spokane dedicated to helping cancer patients all across the Inland Northwest.
Friends of Spike is an NIL collective started by former Gonzaga players Matt Santangelo and Shaniqua Nilles. They help GU student-athletes find ways to make money off their name image likeness, while also connecting them to opportunities like this one, where they can raise money for charitable organizations.
So for fans local to the Spokane/North Idaho area who want to support cancer research, get a round of golf in, and/or meet some Gonzaga stars – this event is the one for you.
Andy hosts the Locked on Zags and Locked on College Basketball podcasts, and serves Locked On in a marketing/digital content creator role as well. He lives just outside Portland with his wife Jenna and dog, Tillie.