SMU Mustangs student-athletes to get $36K annually

The names, images, and likeness of SMU student-athletes have changed throughout their existence. In the past year, various donors have shown a willingness to get involved with the program.

The Boulevard Collective, which is not directly associated with SMU, was launched over the weekend. It is led by Chris Schoemann, a compliance expert, who intends to pay the football and men's basketball players around $3,000 a month, or $36,000 annually. Three school officials who know the deal said it is expected to cost the university around $3.5 million annually.

SMU's student-athletes to compete at higher level

According to Schoemann, the deal will allow SMU's student-athletes to compete at a higher level than their Power Five counterparts. He did not go into detail about the terms of the agreement, but he said that it puts the program on par with other universities. He also stated that the Collective does not plan on stopping at SMU's men's basketball and football programs.

"Our plans here are more expansive than that," Schoemaann said.

According to a statement released by the company, Kyle Miller and Chris Kleinert, two Dallas business people, were instrumental in creating the Boulevard Collective.

In his statement, Kleinert said that the goal of the Boulevard Collective is to provide opportunities for SMU's student-athletes to enhance their athletic careers while preparing them for their future professional careers. The company also stated that it aims to become the gold standard for the non-profit organization that focuses on providing opportunities for student-athletes.

Boulevard Collective will be SMU's second NIL collective. In the past year, the organization known as Pony Sports DTX has given out over $1 million in deals to student-athletes.

Boulevard Collective-Opendorse's partnership as largest organization

Through its partnership with Opendorse, the Boulevard Collective will be able to operate as one of the largest organizations in the NIL marketplace.

According to Blake Lawrence, Opendorse's CEO, the partnership with the Boulevard Collective will allow the organization to operate as one of the most sustainable organizations in the NIL marketplace. He also stated that the company's insight into the industry and the transactions of the Collective will allow it to provide the best possible service to its student-athletes.

SMU isn't the first program to have a consistent deal with its student-athletes in the NIL. In the past month, the Texas Tech football program's Collective, known as the Matador Program, was able to give out multiple multi-year contracts worth $25,000 annually.

According to Cody Campbell, a member of the Matador Club, the group's deal with Texas Tech allowed the organization to provide its student-athletes with long-term stability.

SMU's student-athletes were first informed about the partnership with the Boulevard Collective during a launch party on Saturday. They were able to help assemble 400 backpacks full of school supplies for the Dallas Independent School District's student-athletes.

According to Schoemann, the organization will additionally be able to involve the Dallas community in its operations. In addition to the products and services that the Boulevard Collective provides, the company will also be able to create other programs geared toward student-athletes.

The partnership comes when the program is amid a major fundraising campaign for its football stadium, which is expected to cost around $100 million. As part of its ongoing realignment, the SMU is interested in joining a Power Five conference.