BREAKING NEWS:Clay Swinney announced his departure and decommit from Clemson tigers…

BREAKING NEWS:Clay Swinney announced his departure and decommit from Clemson tigers…

CLEMSON — At this moment, C.D. Davies is integral to Clemson’s success.

 

As general manager of the booster-funded collective 110 Society, Davies assisted Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in retaining most of his roster ahead of the 2025 season. He put forward “competitive” name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals that staved off poachers from deep-pocketed schools.

But it’s entirely possible an offseason of uncommon success — with only a handful of athletes transferring out of Clemson, and a rare trio on the way in — could be something of a grand finale for Davies.

The football team’s offseason of retention speaks to that.

 

Clemson football’s general manager, Jordan Sorrells, came into December with a blueprint of how much to pay which players, not only in NIL from 110 Society but in revenue-sharing deals with the university that are being signed ahead of the House settlement’s expected approval.

There are separate NIL and rev-share contracts, but they are presented to athletes as a total package. There were even clauses built into the 110 Society’s deals, Davies said, which say the collective will pay athletes additional dollars if the settlement falls apart and revenue-sharing doesn’t start in July.

It was a “hectic” week, Davies said, after Clemson was bounced from the College Football Playoff on Dec. 21, just a week before the transfer portal closed. Deals were hammered out during ChrDavies, however, is a “worrier.” He knows there is no guarantee the NCAA’s settlement of antitrust lawsuits will be approved, in full, by Judge Claudia Wilken in April. The deal includes a much-scrutinized provision for a clearinghouse to vet third-party deals and assure they are “fair market value.”

There is a chance 110 Society exists in July, to help Clemson keep up with the NIL collective Joneses, and Davies can’t retire.

 

“You’ve got to have all your irons in the fire so you can be nimble,” Davies said.

There isn’t 100 percent clarity on what’s next, but Davies thinks Clemson has a clearer picture of how to maneuver in the NIL space for as long as it conti

Because if revenue-sharing between universities and athletes begins in July, and pay-for-play NIL deals are stamped out, 110 Society will cease operations.

 

Davies, a longtime banking executive who has spent his pre-retirement years boosting his alma mater’s NIL efforts, would gladly not spend his days assessing players’ market value.

“Itℵ’d be nice to be a football fan again and not have to run through calculations in my head every time I see somebody score a touchdown,” Davies said.The hope for Clemson is the next few months are just the “back 20 percent of insanity,” as Swinney put it.