Things continue to plod along overall. In reality, the NIL for much of the Texas efforts is being successfully funded via 4 routes: 1) corporate, 2) CFC and their 2 main benefactors plus a 3rd for hoops, 3) HornsWithHeart and the grass roots mid-level booster raising it's successfully doing, and 4) Surly for TEs and several other groups for other smaller dollars per player in non-football.
What that means is that everyone putting in here into such things is appreciated and continued support is needed.
What that also means is that the big money outside of CFC, so far, is on the sidelines and doesn't want to participate because they haven't gotten a legitimate firm nudge from the AD. CDC is talking a good game, but if he really wanted NIL funded, endowed, and supported, the big money wouldn't be completely reluctant to even talk.
People get frustrated, but I've raised a lot of money over the years. More than $100million through this kind of effort since the mid-2000's. It's quite simply a hell of a thing. Then it either falls apart or the dam breaks and you can't even slow down the influx of capital. It depends upon the business' outlook and market conditions.
I have a high amount of confidence that everything will keep falling in place. Basketball has a big supporter through the BMDs and CFC already, which is terrific.
Everyone is aiming to have stacks high and ready to support the program before the Dec 2022 portal period and coincidentally around SD1.
Some of my cadre tend to speak very angrily and passionately about the reticence from the top levels to this point and I understand it. Y'all on here will too. But for me, this is how it goes. Change either happens like water over a rock or a lightning bolt through a tree. We've had plenty of both, but endowing shit was always going to be the slow kind of change until a levee breaks somewhere.
FWIW, I've put in and committed annually for the future a decent chunk relative to normal person earnings, and if something I'm dealing with finishes a successful exit in early 2023, I'll substantially add to it. But that is money I won't be sending to things like Children's Advocates, or one of the smaller cancer support firms in Texas, and myriad other places. It's tough in some ways, because I can rationalize decisions in any direction. I'm happy to support a charity that helps other charities though, and that's where I land. I get where the bigger money has some level of struggle though, because it's not just about where it's going for UT, by any stretch.