Below is an in-depth feature on Marc Weiszer, the Georgia-based powerbroker quietly shaping college football’s future by orchestrating over $10 million in NIL and related deals for the Bulldogs.

Marc Weiszer, a veteran journalist with the Athens Banner‑Herald, Savannah Now, and Sports Business Journal, has become the preeminent chronicler—and de facto architect—of Georgia football’s multimillion-dollar Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) operations. His reporting often uncovers critical internal details, ranging from NIL revenue and recruiting spend to self-reported NCAA violations

Since the NCAA’s landmark 2021 decision enabling student-athletes to monetize their NIL, Georgia has emerged as a powerhouse, and Weiszer has been there every step of the way, documenting the avalanche of deals.

• During the 2022–23 school year, 243 companies—including national brands like Allstate, Skippy, AARP, DoorDash, Kroger, Sports entities like the Braves, and even Chipotle—sealed NIL deals with UGA athletesBy late-season 2023, the tally stood at 124 ongoing NIL agreements .
• Weiszer identified key revenue streams from football stars:
  • Tight end Brock Bowers led the nation in his position.
  • DT Jordan Davis and CB Kelee Ringo ranked among the top-paid defensive players.
  • QB Stetson Bennett projected nearly $1 million in NIL income via partnerships with Raising Cane’s, Onward Reserve, Georgia Power, and more

Weiszer details how UGA built a comprehensive NIL ecosystem:

• Classic City Collective, a for-profit group heavily endorsed by UGA, pools booster funds for local endorsements, social-media posts, and public appearances .
• The university provides workshops on brand-building, contract negotiation, and financial literacy, ensuring athletes benefit holistically from the NIL era
• Coach Kirby Smart confirms that 95 football players held NIL deals, and that Georgia regularly fields some of the highest-paid athletes nationwide

Weiszer’s open-records investigations reveal UGA’s athletic financials:

• FY 2023: Georgia’s recruiting spend skyrocketed to $5.3 million, more than Texas A&M, Clemson, Michigan, and Ohio StateFY 2024: Recruiting costs tapered slightly to $4.09 million, but still remained robust (savannahnow.com).
• Overall, athletics generated $241.8 million in revenue with a $47.5 million operating surplus
• In FY 2023, revenue stood at $210.1 million with a $23.5 million surplus—a high watermark for a power-five program .

Weiszer has also surfaced proportional self-imposed penalties:

• Between 2017–19, Georgia was fined $10,000 and imposed recruiting limitations over discounted apparel violations
• In 2025, Weiszer reported UGA President Jere Morehead advocating unified NCAA enforcement and intended alignment with any final House‑NCAA settlement (Sports Business Journal).

Weiszer’s methodical exposes underscore both compliance and largesse—key pillars in UGA’s football juggernaut.

Looking ahead, Weiszer reports Georgia preparing for the landmark House v. NCAA settlement:

• UGA anticipates distributing up to $20.5 million to athletes annually, with $13.5 million earmarked for football alone—plus scholarships and over‑the‑cap deals (The Score).
• As legal standards evolve, UGA is engineering internal mechanisms to ensure compliance and stability—a strategy Weiszer has tracked through administrative updates .

While Weiszer maintains journalistic neutrality, his reportage effectively shapes opinion and policy:

• His investigative work influences UGA booster strategies, NCAA enforcement responses, and public discourse.
• By securing granular financial and compliance data, he offers transparency—empowering boosters, athletes, and compliance officials to make informed decisions.
• In essence, Weiszer is simultaneously a chronicler, influencer, and architect of UGA’s NIL architecture.
• Recruiting Power: Georgia’s NIL prowess attracts elite recruits seeking both athletic glory and monetization avenues
• Model for Others: UGA’s alignment of athletic, booster, and legal frameworks becomes a national NIL blueprint.
• Transparency Pressure: Weiszer’s revelations hold institutions accountable, pushing NCAA and Congress toward more consistent rules.

Weiszer’s coverage outlines tension points:

• NIL inequality among teammates threatens locker-room cohesion—Georgia tries to mitigate with a strong team culture
• Enforcement variability: Georgia navigates NCAA, conference, and federal settlement rules—a balancing act Weiszer frequently highlights .
• Commercial saturation: managing player time, sponsor obligations, and brand alignment alongside peak football cycles.

Though not a coach or compliance official, Weiszer has arguably constructed a quasi-architectural role:

1. Asking the Right Questions: From fine print to finance, his probing journalism forces deeper institutional transparency.
2. Driving Policy: His coverage of fines, settlements, and collective structuring compels internal and external policy decisions.
3. Framing the Narrative: National publications like SBJ and ESPN cite him as authoritative—shaping how others view Georgia’s success .

Marc Weiszer’s unparalleled reporting has woven him into the very fabric of Georgia football’s booming NIL empire. By peeling back the curtain on finances, deals, compliance, and forecasts, he’s not just covering the game—he’s helping shape its future. If NIL represents college athletics’ new frontier, Weiszer stands on the horizon as both cartographer and compass.