Nadeshot & 100 Thieves recruit college athletes after NCAA policy change

Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and 100 Thieves seem primed to tap into a whole new vein of content and talent — college athletes — following the NCAA’s landmark player policy decision coming into effect.

On July 1st 2020, the governing body for college sports in the United States — the NCAA — ruled that college athletes could start making money off of their name, image, or likeness with sponsorship deals; Something they controversially unable to do before.

Besides paving the way for the first new EA college football title since 2013, it also means athletes can sign to esports and streaming orgs, like 100 Thieves. Based on a recent tweet, this might be just what CEO Nadeshot has in mind.

“Who are the best gamers out of all the college athletes? We’re tryna work, let’s get it,” Nade tweeted, which definitely seems to indicate the Thieves might be tossing out a sponsorship or two to some big names.

So, who’s in the running to be the next member of 100 Thieves? Well, there are literally thousands of NCAA athletes in the U.S. but knowing how social media works, 100T will probably be most interested in those with an already-established following online.

• Read More: 100 Thieves’ Yassuo reveals fans have gambled millions of dollars using his referral code

Clemson Defensive End and avid gamer Xavier Thomas was quick to respond to Nade’s Tweet, and a big name from football or basketball would probably be the obvious choice. One thing’s for sure, though, 100T probably won’t have a shortage of interested athletes.

That’s because the esports and gaming org is one of the most well-established brands in the scene, and while some college athletes might have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of followers on social media, they’re still college students. This means any who play games online will have probably grown up seeing the Thieves brand somewhere or somehow on the internet, just like anyone else.

But it might not be the traditional big-name sports that get all the attention. For instance, the most-followed college athlete on Instagram doesn’t play football or basketball at all, instead it’s LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, who has over 1.1 million followers on the site.

Based on Nade’s tweet, it’s a good bet the Thieves will be signing a college athlete in the future. Exactly who it is though, might just have to wait for signing day.