The University of Maine’s decision to establish a fund designed to pay its student-athletes has been applauded by some of the school’s coaches.
The Black Bear Student-Athlete Experience Fund will allow fans to financially support a particular team or student-athlete. It has been established in conjunction with the University of Maine Foundation.
The $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement, approved last June, allows Division I schools to directly share revenue with student-athletes up to $20.5 million annually per school.
“It’s not really a choice that we have. It’s something we have to do to stay competitive in this new landscape,” UMaine men’s hockey coach Ben Barr said. “It allows the coaches and the programs to go out and work hard towards raising money. And if we do that, it will go directly to our student-athletes in one form or another, whatever that is.”
Barr said UMaine Vice President and Athletic Director Jude Killy has worked hard with university administration “to get this figured out.”
Student-athletes began earning “name, image and likeness” money on July 1, 2021, through athletic sponsorship packages and it has now escalated to the point where schools can pay their student-athletes directly.
Barr has been working for a couple of years with Bear Down Collective, an NIL vehicle under the leadership of concert promoter Alex Gray and First National Bank Vice President Kristen McAlpine, so he has been involved in fundraising along with Seth Woodcock, the UMaine senior associate athletic for development and capital planning.
UMaine men’s basketball coach Chris Markwood said the college sports landscape is ever-changing and has been moving in a direction “that nobody could understand or fathom” a couple years ago.
“I am grateful to Jude and his leadership to stay up with the times and give us a chance across the board to compete at a high level,” Markwood said.
Barr said UMaine has a lot to attract a potential student-athlete in addition to financial resources and a scholarship, including a $50 million renovation to the Alfond Arena, the unique energized game night experience at Alfond Arena and a “great league” in Hockey East.
“We have to thrive in this and we should be able to in hockey. We have to absolutely hammer this,” Barr said. “We have so many good things going for us. We weren’t good enough to make the NCAA Tournament this year, but that’s on me and I firmly believe we will fix that.”
UMaine had earned NCAA tournament berths the previous two seasons in men’s hockey but fell short in a disappointing campaign this past season. The Black Bears have won two national championships in program history and been to 20 NCAA tournaments.
“We should be a destination in college hockey,” Barr said. “We may not be in downtown Boston with all that glamor, but if we’re not chasing that to the best of our ability, shame on us.”
