Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack found a new home in Miami. However, a new team is not all he is getting.
The 6-foot guard is getting a two-year, $800,000 deal with LifeWallet as part of a name, image and likeness (NIL) agreement. To top it all off, Pack was also promised a car as part of the deal. While this is hardly the first NIL deal to accompany a signing in college basketball, it’s rare for the terms of the deal to be released at the time of signing.
Kansas State had a 14-17 overall record through the 2021-22 season and lost to West Virginia in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Pack is now heading to a program that went 26-11 and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He entered the transfer portal after Bruce Weber was replaced as head coach by former Baylor associate head coach Jerome Tang. Pack chose the Hurricanes over his two other finalists, Ohio State and Purdue.
His large paycheck makes sense as he was a sought-after transfer. Pack ranked No. 2 in the CBS Sports transfer portal rankings and was considered one of the best shooters available. As a sophomore last season, Pack led the Wildcats with 17.4 points per game, a scoring average that was third best in the conference. He made 45.5% of his shots, including 43.6% from beyond the arc, while also contributing with 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Unsurprisingly, Pack earned All-Big 12 First-Team honors.
His freshman season was a preview of what was to come, as he averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting at 40.5% from 3-point range. Pack is the fifth newcomer for the 2022-23 Miami roster, which includes four solid high school recruits in Favour Aire, AJ Casey, Danilo Jovanovich and Christian Watson.
“Nijel is a tremendous addition to our team,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said in a statement. “He is truly one of the finest players in the country, as well as an excellent young man with an elite work ethic who loves basketball. Nijel is not only a high-level scorer with elite shooting abilities, but also a superb playmaker and defender. We’re thrilled to welcome Nijel and his family into the Miami basketball program.”
Even though NIL deals are still relatively new, they are already making an impact with roster movement and players decisions. Pack is just one example of college athletes being able to profit big from their talents. Kentucky star and National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe decided to return next season — uncommon for a reigning POTY — and is expected to earn $2 million in NIL deals.