Dawson Garcia Gave Minnesota Gophers a Massive 50% Off NIL Discount to Stay Home
Dawson Garcia is a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, and he looked every part of that label in the Minnesota Gophers 2024-25 season opening win vs the Oral Roberts Eagles on Wednesday.
The 5th-year senior was hot right from the tip and never cooled off — going 7-of-8 from the field in the 1st half (3-of-3 from 3PT) and finishing 11-of-14 (4-of-5 from 3PT). Oral Roberts doesn’t have any way to slow down a guy like Garcia when he’s on.
Minnesota point forward Dawson Garcia had 30 points 8 rebs vs Oral Roberts
— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) November 7, 2024
11/14 FG and 4/5 from long range pic.twitter.com/Si6ZadxPGh
When the dust settled, the Golden Gophers won 80-57 on the back of Dawson’s 30 points on 79% shooting (80% from 3PT) and 8 rebounds. If there were any questions surrounding how dominant the 6-11, 230 lb kid from Prior Lake can be in his final collegiate season, they were answered earlier this week.
Dawson Garcia turned down huge NIL offers to play for Minnesota Gophers
But don’t get it twisted, other programs in the Big Ten and around the country knew the season Dawson Garcia was sitting on, this summer. And much like they did with his 2023-24 teammates, big money NIL programs tried their best to lure the hometown hero away from the University of Minnesota.
Unlike Elijah Hawkins and Pharrel Payne, though, Garcia has already been around the national block a time or two. He started his college career at Marquette, before transferring to the University of North Carolina. And Dawson saw early success at both stops, but decided to come home before his first season as a Tar Heel really got going.
According to Pioneer Press Andy Greder’s sources, Garcia is getting $500,000 this season in NIL deals, from his hometown Minnesota Gophers and Dinkytown Athletes. That may seem like a lot, until you find out he was offered double ($1 million) from other schools.
Sources told the Pioneer Press that Garcia turned down a couple of NIL paydays from other schools worth roughly $1 million — including from some traditional powerhouse programs — to remain at Minnesota for approximately $500,000.
Andy Greder – Pioneer Press
Related: Minnesota Gophers HC Ben Johnson Makes Dreaded MBB Hot Seat List
First, I’d like to note that it doesn’t really matter all the reasoning behind Dawson’s decision to remain a Gopher. Ben Johnson, myself and the rest of Gopher nation are all eternally grateful that he did. Without him, Minnesota would not stand a chance in the Big Ten this year.
NIL should not be this big of a problem for Ben Johnson
What frustrates me, and what should bother Dawson Garcia deep down, is that he should not have to take a 50% discount to stay at the University of Minnesota. The basketball program, combined with the efforts of Dinkytown Athletes, should have been able to provide him, and others who decided to take the money and leave, near equal NIL deals to stay.
Entering his fifth collegiate season, Garcia, an all-Big Ten performer, had other suitors for this year but remained loyal to Minnesota. He wasn’t swayed by big dollar signs.
Andy Greder – Pioneer Press
Unfortunately, while other programs were building up their NIL bank accounts the past couple of years, Ben Johnson mostly ignored NIL for far too long, which set the Gopher men’s basketball team way back. Now, Minnesota is a feeder program for those that have money.
Don’t blame the kids. We are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Money most of us would up and leave Minnesota for, in an instant. Hometown heroes like Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne shouldn’t have to choose money over the Gophers.
Related: Minnesota Gophers MBB Lands 3-Star Prospect Out of California
We’ve seen PJ Fleck build up the football program’s NIL funds to the point that they can keep pretty much any player they want. In reality, there’s no reason why basketball should be any different.
If I’m Dawson Garcia, I consider my bank account half as full as it should be, because my head coach wasn’t quick enough to change with the times. If that makes him mad… hopefully he shows it on the basketball court.
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