Fan Q&A - The Pride of ODU w/ Jay Haeseker

The Monarchists

In this episode of The Monarchists, Mike and Aaron are joined by Jay from The Pride of ODU, Old Dominion University’s official NIL collective. The conversation offers a comprehensive update on the collective’s goals, progress, and challenges. Jay answers fan-submitted questions, delving into membership growth strategies, revenue distribution among sports, NIL-related regulations, and the evolving impact of revenue sharing (rev share). He also sheds light on ODU’s strategic approach in the competitive NIL landscape, touches on collaboration with university groups like ODAF and the Alumni Association, and previews upcoming events to build community engagement and support. The episode blends transparency, strategic insight, and a call to action for Monarch Nation to get involved and support ODU Athletics.

For more Old Dominion athletics content, visit https://theprideofodu.com/pages/the-monarchist-podcast

To learn more about The Pride of ODU collective, how to support NIL, and how to become a member, please visit our website at: https://theprideofodu.com/ and https://theprideofodu.com/pages/memberships

Conversation Timeline:

[00:00] – Intro to the episode and welcome to Jay

[01:00] – Purpose of the episode: answering fan questions about the collective

[02:00] – Current membership numbers and goals for 2024

[05:00] – Spring campaign incentives and upcoming membership push

[06:00] – Marketing efforts and digital outreach strategy

[08:00] – In-game promotion and working with ODU’s MMR partners

[10:00] – ODU’s learning curve and comparisons to other schools’ collective setups

[11:30] – Coordination with ODAF and Alumni Association

[13:00] – How funds are distributed across sports

[15:00] – Budget comparisons with rivals (JMU, ECU, VCU, etc.)

[17:00] – Challenges with revenue numbers and market inflation

[19:00] – Competitive concerns around sharing financial plans

[21:00] – Strategic budgeting and the need for more support

[23:00] – Who makes the financial decisions: collective or coaches?

[24:30] – How revenue sharing may change the collective's role

[27:00] – Rev share vs. NIL and potential benefits of regulated incentives

[28:00] – Have any sports met their NIL goals?

[30:00] – Market value inflation and sustainability challenges

[32:00] – Evolution of The Pride’s internal structure and strategy

[34:00] – Merging the collective with the university – a possibility?

[37:00] – Retention rates of top NIL earners

[39:00] – Portal vs. internal retention and cost/value comparison

[42:00] – Rise of NIL agents and regulatory issues

[45:00] – What are Sun Belt competitors paying? Market overview

[48:00] – Playing time as the new NIL value driver

[50:00] – Strategic, sustainable budget planning in NIL spending

[52:00] – Upcoming events: Spring Game, Mane Event, Watch Parties

[53:00] – Summer plans: alumni events, VIP events, beer festival

[56:00] – Women’s Basketball Golf Tournament promotion

[59:00] – Final thoughts: supporting ODU through collective membership

[01:01:00] – Wrap-up and call to action