If NICO went pro right now... how much would his contract be worth?

Don’t forget that aside from his times, Nico has a large fanbase, probably one of the biggest of any runner, and a decently sized social media presence (30k+ followers with an average of about 12-13k likes on Instagram). I’m willing to bet that a lot of his fans will be willing to buy products that he promotes.

Hmm... track medals? Last 50 years? Want to wake up? 2016 Matthew Centrowitz, Gold 1500m Paul Chelimo, Silver 5000m Evan Jager, Silver 3000m Steeplechase Clayton Murphy, Bronze 800m Jenny Simpson, Bronze 1500m Emma Coburn, Bronze 3000m Steeplechase Galen Rupp, Bronze Marathon 2012 Leo Manzano, Silver 1500m Galen Rupp, Silver 10,000m 2008 Shalane Flanagan, Silver 10,000m 2004 Meb Keflezighi, Silver Marathon Deena Kastor, Bronze Marathon

learn the facts wrote:

We have 1 track medal in like 50 years and it went to a guy whose coach was banned.

First, Nico should pay Adidas for false advertising

He would have a hard time getting a short term contract. He probably could get a 10 year, $100k per year deal though.

Lotta people think he is not in demand. Here is what I can tell you, Nike is always willing to reach deep for individuals like Nico. Tons of proven talent, is coachable, and has a cool name/good looks. In my opinion, in terms of running ability and skill he is a spitting image of Rupp. Rupp doesn't have an insane kick either, which is why he was good at distance. Same with Nico, IMO. After watching Nico, it sure feels like all roads eventually lead to the marathon.

God of Wine wrote:

Hmm... track medals? Last 50 years? Want to wake up?

2016

Matthew Centrowitz, Gold 1500m

Paul Chelimo, Silver 5000m

Evan Jager, Silver 3000m Steeplechase

Clayton Murphy, Bronze 800m

Jenny Simpson, Bronze 1500m

Emma Coburn, Bronze 3000m Steeplechase

Galen Rupp, Bronze Marathon

2012

Leo Manzano, Silver 1500m

Galen Rupp, Silver 10,000m

2008

Shalane Flanagan, Silver 10,000m

2004

Meb Keflezighi, Silver Marathon

Deena Kastor, Bronze Marathon

I guess I wasn't clear enough. I mean we have one 5k/10k medal earned by a white American male. What Flanagan, Chelimo and Centro did doesn't apply. It's tough for the genetically inferior white dudes. Those are facts that I accept as a white guy.

Idiotic post. The US dominated Olympic distance running in 2016. Americans are Americans and distance is distance. The best runners don't all do one event. What is your silly excuse for Jager medalling in an event dominated by East Africans?

He's not even an NCAA champ, and probably won't be for next year unless Hocker and some other guys go pro.

Most NCAA champs get less than $100k per year contracts. Only if you're completely dominant will you maybe get more than that.

If Hunter really is getting $1M per year then adidas has a bunch of idiots running the show. I'm still convinced all of the roomers are wrong and he's making less than $100k per year but it's guaranteed for basically his whole career and that's why people say his contract is a million dollars, even though it's not a million in one year. People are dumb. A high schooler running 3:57 mile is no way a guarantee they will keep improving at a good rate, and 3:57 gets you nothing on the world level. Meanwhile there are people who are actually on the world level making less than $100k.

Again, I know people who have made multiple USA teams who are making well under $100k contract, so someone either someone thinking Drew is making $1M per year is an idiot, or Adidas is full of idiots. And Nico Young is also not a guarantee he'll ever be running 13:05 or better and making US teams. Remember German Fernandez? He is basically Nico Young today (except better because German actually won an NCAA title), German didn't pan out too well.

Anyway, if Nico went pro after this year I'd think he would get a roughly $70k contract per year. If he wins an outdoor NCAA title this spring I'll bump that up to $100k. If he sticks around for another year in NCAA and somehow runs 13:12/7:39 3k next year I'd give him above $100k, but still nowhere near $1M

I agree with the marathon. But his value isn't there yet. What if lifetime PRs end up at 13:05-27:15-2:08? Fernandez was a sure thing.

I don't know what contract he could receive, but as a fan of distance running, I hope he stays with NAU. The pros rarely race which includes skipping XC and I'm not convinced at all that he would be faster as a pro.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

I don't know what contract he could receive, but as a fan of distance running, I hope he stays with NAU. The pros rarely race which includes skipping XC and I'm not convinced at all that he would be faster as a pro.

Agreed, there's no guarantee anyone will ever run faster than they already have. Especially when they're running decent times already.

There are so many examples of top NCAA guys who don't keep an upward trajectory, or at least for very long. Cheserek and Jenkins were running in the 13:15-13:20 range six-seven YEARS ago, they both have sub 13:10 PRs now but if they stepped on the track today I wouldn't bet much that they run faster than what their college PR was. Tyler Day ran sub 13:20 last year indoors, we haven't seen anything like that since then. Meanwhile you've got people who weren't anything too special in college and now they've got olympic standards for 5k/10k. I wouldn't bet on anyone putting up big times until they actually do it, and 13:20's isn't good enough for a massive contract. If Nico goes out and runs 13:05 then go ahead and give him a massive contract, but even then he still has a hundred meters to makeup to be one of the top in the world. If 13:20 is worth a big contract of hundreds of thousands of dollars, then how about you give 10 of the 13:30's guys a livable contract. If 10 13:30 guys each have a 10% chance to prosper and be like Grant Fisher and a 13:24 Nico Young has a 90% chance to prosper, you're better off betting on the 10 13:30 guys as a group.

$45k/yr, making him one of the best paid distance runners in the US.

And you'll get a sub par group of Pro's

Exactly free Alberto ASAP

10 years 100 million dollars plus a signing bonus of 10 million dollars.

The 1 mil was completely inaccurate by a long shot. He received 5 million over 10 years. This was pretty common knowledge.

Jager/Centro/Symmonds/Murphy all medaled recently.

$1M for10 years plus school. Some of you are crazy to think an unknown runner is worth $5M. The biggest names don't make that.

DwideSchrude wrote:

The 1 mil was completely inaccurate by a long shot. He received 5 million over 10 years. This was pretty common knowledge.

The Drew hunter contract talk is infuriating. All kinds of people claim “common knowledge” and yet the claims go from 1mil over 10 years to 1 mil FOR ten years.

Now I think the people claiming the latter are off their rockers, as is adidas if that was the deal.

At the same time I doubt he would have gone pro for 100k a year for 10 years, with no reductions only for the first 5.

How much will Hobbs Kessler be offered after this outdoor season?