Dave Portnoy, a die-hard Wolverines supporter and founder and president of Barstool Sports and University of Michigan alum, has promised to donate up to $3 million annually if he can reliably find the Michigan football team a quarterback ranked in the top 10 via the transfer portal.
Portnoy, along with athletes like Tom Brady and Derek Jeter, has become a symbol of the Michigan fan base through his constant and sometimes irrational support of the Wolverines on social media.
Speaking on the Barstool Pick Em show on Thursday, September 26, Portnoy revealed that he would be ready to pay $3 million a year to keep the Wolverines from having to deal with the situation of not having a reliable starting quarterback.
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The Wolverines have alternated between two (especially bad) quarterbacks thus far this season, Alex Orji and Davis Warren, primarily depending on the team’s running prowess to win at the conclusion of four quarters every game.
It appears that Portnoy is prepared to use his own hard-earned money to fix the quarterback situation at his previous school since he has had enough of the difficulties.
Because money can go directly into the players’ pockets, NIL arrangements have altered the dynamic between collegiate athletes and their sponsors. Athletes that are already a part of the company’s NIL partnerships are Barstool and Portnoy.
Michigan’s quarterbacks have only thrown four touchdowns and an ugly six interceptions so far this season. Warren is the source of all six of the team’s interceptions, while Orji and Warren both have two touchdowns.
To put Portnoy’s vow into perspective, the salary from NIL deals varies greatly among quarterbacks; Shedeur Sanders, for example, makes over $5 million, while Nico Iamaleava makes over $2 million.
Although Michigan’s head coach Sherrone Moore has acknowledged that there are many unanswered questions around the quarterback position, perhaps Portnoy’s approach can offer at least some clarification.