Awesome podcast. Each one makes me yearn for more!
In thinking about NIL (and maybe this is already happening but it doesn't seem like it here) we need to focus more on getting players actual deals and endorsements through alumni connections. Get beastmode to "sign" someone, for example. Or create endowments with clever connections, like if an alumnus owned (Guardian securities) or something like that, you could have them sponsor every steal a player makes, and give him $1,000 each, and advertise it during the game.
Asking randos like us to throw money into a pot without a plan does not create a win-win and is why it's not working as well as it could, imo. La Burrita for Nando was a great idea, and that was for charity! How about local car dealers? Any alumni with business who want to endorse? Donated NIL money could/should also fund essentially a brokerage/agency that finds and thinks up marketing ideas that create win/wins for the player/donor, and all of this would be easier and more obvious if we had actual wealthy alumni FANS, but we have few because they never became fans, because Christ and Knowlton and our marketing team never gave them a reason to come to games while at, or when living by, Cal. That needs to change first, it seems.