Reading the other NIL threads and comments from others regarding NIL, it would appear that there is a lot of confusion regarding what NIL is and is not, and what is in the power of the THE university and athletic department to control. It would be great if 11W (or any other Buckeye coverage team) provide a series regarding NIL and the various Ohio State based foundations, and how things (are supposed to?) work  

NIL simply means that a student athlete is allowed to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (just like any other human being on the planet).  So, they are free to sign sponsorship contracts, etc.  Ohio State CANNOT simply pay a player. 

Now, I don’t know what other things Ohio State can do- are they able to help facilitate those connections and help them promote their brand?  Can they use their influence to ensure Nike makes a “Stroud” Jersey so CJ gets paid?  Can they donate athletic department dollars to one of the foundations or another 3rd party to facilitate this? 

The various foundations you can donate to are not (directly) affiliated with the university, they are 501(c)(3) charities and donations are tax deductible. I don’t think most fans and commenters understand this, either. YOU get a tax write off for donating. They pay the athletes to do charitable appearances, etc  

Please 11W, do a series on these foundations, the current state of NIL and how things (are suppose to?) work.

Instead of complaining on message boards, take the time to actually understand NIL and make some tax deductible donations.  I do believe Ohio State can do more and get creative, and the big contracts need to come from area businesses (e.g Express?) but we can all help and get a write off as well.  We all have weird game day superstitions we think will help our favorite team, but when there is something we can directly impact for some reason some folks don’t.  Your lucky game day underwear ain’t helping the team, but your $30 a month, tax deductible donation just might.