Former BYU football player Crew Wakley was one of two former Cougars mentioned in a recent Salt Lake Tribune article about the 2024 season. Despite the team finishing with an 11-2 record and just missing a spot in the Big 12 Championship, not all players were satisfied.
Wakley and his teammate Isaiah Bagnah allege that NIL commitments were not fulfilled, as the school’s collective reportedly adjusted its payment structure before the season began.
Early last January, the new leader of the Royal Blue Collective — the officially endorsed Name, Image and Likeness arm of BYU athletics — stood in front of the team ready to set a new tone…
“I’m not here to pay your rent or bills. I’m not here for any of that,” Min Kim said, according to BYU defensive end Isaiah Bagnah. “You guys are entitled, greedy, asking me for money.”
The pair claimed that NIL payments were drastically reduced during the offseason before the 2024 season. Bagnah stated that payouts for starters were cut by more than 50%, while most walk-ons received nothing. The collective allegedly gave players an ultimatum—either sign immediately or forfeit any compensation.
Wakley also pointed out a non-compete clause in the agreement, which restricted players from “building their own brands” if it didn’t align with “Royal Blue.” He recalled teammates being dismissed for signing independent endorsement deals.
According to the players, these issues began before NIL negotiations even started. The report mentions that in December 2023, payments were delayed until after the transfer window closed, a decision that, according to Bagnah, was not communicated to the team.
In a typical pay cycle, players would receive checks around the 15th of each month. But when the team dispersed from Provo at the end of the 2023 season, the payments didn’t hit their accounts…
The collective made the December payments only after the transfer portal window closed at the end of the month, Bagnah said. Some players speculated the delay was purposeful, to incentivize players to stay on the roster rather than leave and miss part of their NIL compensation.
A month after the postponed payments, the renegotiations were announced. The reasoning behind the cuts? BYU’s 5-7 record from the year prior.
“I’m here to win. And you guys didn’t win last year,” Bagnah recalled [Royal Blue Collective leader Min] Kim saying.
BYU signed top basketball recruit AJ Dybantsa a year after the NIL cuts.
The No. 1 player committed to the Cougars in December before signing in February. The potential one-and-done deal is reported to be worth more than $4 million.
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Football players were reportedly assured that they could renegotiate in the fall after expressing frustration over the pay cuts in January. However, that promise was never fulfilled.
When players expressed their discomfort, collective leaders promised salaries would be renegotiated after fall camp, Wakley said. The safety said he was told that starters’ pay would be bumped up… that never happened for them.
