TEMPE, Ariz. — It has been two weeks for the reason that Arizona Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 total decide within the NFL draft, and followers nonetheless can’t purchase Harrison’s jersey or play with him within the online game Madden.
Why? Harrison Jr., son of Corridor of Fame large receiver Marvin Harrison, has not signed the NFLPA group licensing settlement (GLA), which permits partnering corporations corresponding to Nike and EA Sports activities to make use of a participant’s title, picture and likeness. For many gamers, signing the GLA is a formality, sometimes inked on the NFL mix.
The GLA not solely permits the NFLPA to market its gamers, however it additionally helps each participant who indicators to earn extra earnings.
What precisely is the GLA? This is a breakdown of the settlement that has impacted the early days of Harrison’s NFL profession.
What’s the group licensing settlement and why hasn’t Harrison signed?
It is an settlement between a participant and the NFLPA for the gamers affiliation to have unique rights to market a participant’s title, picture, likeness, signature and voice. It is how gamers find yourself in Madden and have jerseys and memorabilia offered by retailers. The NFLPA developed the GLA in 1972 to guard the advertising rights of its gamers as a gaggle and guarantee gamers obtain a share of the income generated.
If an organization desires to make use of six or extra gamers in a promotion, it has to have a GLA with the NFLPA. If an organization has a GLA with the NFLPA, it should pay every of these gamers a minimize of the income. There are exceptions. There could be unique promotions with six or extra gamers during which these gamers get a bigger minimize.
Excessive-profile gamers can earn upward of six figures primarily based on how a lot they generate for merchandise and corporations linked to the GLA.
Final yr, the baseline for gamers’ royalty funds was about $30,000, however the expectation is that may enhance each season. In response to the Division of Labor, there have been 2,125 energetic gamers in 2023.
The NFLPA has agreements with 85 totally different corporations, together with 2K, Digital Arts, 500 LEVEL, Hallmark, Fathead, Beast Mode, Rock ‘Em socks, Beneath Armour, Homage, Social gathering Metropolis, Fanatics, Strideline and The Unique Retro Model, amongst others.
A supply informed ESPN Harrison is making an attempt to make use of not signing the GLA as leverage to renegotiate his Fanatics deal for more cash.
What agreements does Harrison have in place?
Harrison has three recognized offers: A shoe and attire take care of New Steadiness, an endorsement take care of Head and Shoulders and a memorabilia take care of Fanatics, which a supply informed ESPN Harrison signed earlier than his last yr at Ohio State and is value at the least $1 million.
Harrison can also be promoting memorabilia on his web site, The Official Harrison Assortment. A Harrison Ohio State jersey prices $80, however no Cardinals merchandise is being offered on the location.
Throughout his introductory information convention in Arizona, Harrison was requested if he has a timeline to signal the GLA and rent an agent.
“I will proceed to speak to my staff and we’ll do what’s greatest for me shifting ahead,” Harrison mentioned. “We’ll simply take it someday at a time. I simply acquired drafted so I am making an attempt to benefit from the second and be comfortable whereas I can in the mean time.”
How does the NCAA NIL issue into all this?
Straight, not a lot, if in any respect. The GLA is basically NIL for professionals. Nonetheless, not directly, collegiate NIL is a part of the explanation why Harrison is making an attempt to renegotiate his take care of Fanatics. Having NIL in place and legalized gave Fanatics the flexibility to debate an settlement with Harrison whereas he was nonetheless in school, and ultimately have him signal a post-college deal, which sources informed ESPN occurred earlier than his final season at Ohio State.
If Harrison had signed an analogous deal earlier than NIL, it could’ve been a violation of NCAA guidelines. Nonetheless, it could have been extra possible that Harrison signed any kind of deal after declaring for the NFL draft, which, after the season he had in 2023, would’ve possible been valued larger and introduced him more cash.
