Santa Ono talks NIL, Warde Manuel in interview with The Michigan Daily
Michigan president Santa Ono has made it abundantly clear that he cares about every aspect of the university, with a particular fondness for the sports programs the school has to offer.
Ono recently sat down with The Michigan Daily to discuss a variety of campus issues with athletics being part of the discussion.
He was asked about the perception of U-M lacking when it comes to NIL, something that he doesn't agree with and stated his case for why it should be considered the opposite.
"I’m not sure it’s actually true that we lag behind those schools," Ono said when asked about Texas A&M, Alabama and Ohio State. "There is a perception among some that that’s the case, but if you actually look at the Jersey Licensing Program, the University of Michigan was at the forefront of that program, which is a big part of NIL. We’re very fortunate that there have been three or four collectives that have been involved, and we’re very grateful for the passionate support of individuals who are donating to those collectives to support our student-athletes.
Adding:
"I’m not sure that we’re lagging — the support and donations of people who care about our student-athletes and the Wolverine teams has been very generous. You may have heard that the athletic director, Warde Manuel, sent out a communication to supporters of Wolverine Athletics, encouraging them to support student-athletes through those collectives, and that had an immediate impact. There has already been an uptick in support of our programs through those collectors and those individuals leading those collectives are already speaking with each other."
Ono would then go on to discuss how he would be involved in the progression of NIL, as well as giving a vote of confidence in athletic director Warde Manuel.
"How will I personally be involved? I will be there to listen to and then to provide advice that might be helpful to (the athletic director) as they stand up those initiatives," Ono said. "It’s very important to the University that we do things right and we remain in compliance with the NCAA and the law. I’ll play that advisory role as they stand things up, but this is really in the domain of the athletic director, and Warde Manuel is doing a great job interfacing with the leadership of those collectives. He has my full support.
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