Texas Tech just changed NIL deals, and maybe for the better. For the first time, the whole team will be signing NIL contracts. Eighty-five scholarship players and the top 15 walk-ons are eligible to receive a one-year $25,000 NIL deal.

This is the first NIL deal of its kind. It opens new paths in the world of NIL as a “base salary” for college teams.

This deal is listed as “NIL done the right way.” The deal entails that these athletes will complete community service and other charity work around Lubbock, Texas, and eventually the West Texas area. This deal allows the student-athletes to become a bigger part of their community and potentially find other NIL opportunities.

The contracts were offered by the Matador Club, a non-profit organization composed of Texas Tech alumni. All deals are renewable for the following years if the players wishes to continue.

The deals are expected the be signed when the players report for summer camp July, 19-22.

One of the founding members of the non-profit is Cody Campbell, who played for the Red Raiders from 2001-2004.

“Collectives have done things in a number of different ways,” Campbell said. “You see some of them paying large amounts to individual players. You see others doing different things. But what we want to do, really, is support the entire program. This is kind of a base salary for the guys. They’re not going to be restricted from doing any other NIL stuff with anybody else. In fact, we’re going to encourage and help them to do that. But this is just something that’s going to make sure that guys feel supported by the Texas Tech community, that they are comfortable and, in a position, where they can stay in the program and develop themselves, because we really believe in what coach (Joey) McGuire and his staff are doing in terms of being focused on long-term player development. We think that’s the key to Texas Tech, in particular, having success.”

This deal is the first to dish out “base salaries” to their players, but definitely not the last. Other teams might use the same idea to keep the team together, but it does seem like this is NIL done the right way.