'Stache cash can wait: Gonzaga's Drew Timme taking his time with NIL possibilities

Jul. 15—Drew Timme isn't glued to social media, but he certainly recognized the guy in countless posts last season, particularly during Gonzaga's run in the NCAA Tournament.

Looked a lot like a talented, fun-loving forward making crafty post moves that were occasionally punctuated by a 'stache celebration.

"Personally, I was very excited to see how things played out in the tournament," Timme said. "There were a lot of images and likeness of myself. It was kind of OK, I guess, kind of weird. I'm excited now that I have a chance to control that aspect, that I can receive stuff instead of just watching it."

Indeed, the 2021 tournament was back in the old days when college athletes weren't allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). That changed July 1 and college athletes around the country, including a small percentage like Timme who stand to make significant money, are free to make agreements with few restrictions.

"I think it's a big deal for everyone because we're able to make money off being good players and good people," said Timme, a second-team All-American last season after averaging a team-leading 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. "It's really awesome this was able to happen. I'm so thankful for players before us that were vocal about these issues and grateful that the NCAA was able to listen finally and move things along."

Student-athletes quickly began cashing in earlier this month. The Cavinder twins, Fresno State basketball players Haley and Hanna, signed on with Boost Mobile and Six Star Nutrition. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix is promoting Milo's sweet tea.

Alabama softball pitcher Montana Fouts is among numerous athletes on Cameo creating custom videos at the request of fans. Iowa basketball's Jordan Bohannon signed autographs and snapped pictures with fans at a fireworks company. Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Sun has her own clothing line.

Timme is taking a measured approach. He'll probably have numerous opportunities, but he wants to make smart long-term decisions. He's relying on his family to assist him during the process.

"I'm trying to learn all the rules and ins and outs of this thing," he said. "While it seems like the floodgates are open, you don't want to break any rules. I'm taking my time and seeing how others are doing it and when the time comes I'll be ready for it.

"I definitely can't do it by myself. My parents are a huge help. I'm also talking to coaches and (GU's) compliance (office) because there's a lot going on."

Timme has 7,251 Twitter followers, which lists him with 1,464 tweets since joining in May, 2015. He has 73,500 followers on Instagram, which lists him with 23 posts and innumerable posts in which he's been tagged. In a recent post featuring a highlight package, Timme wrote: "Here's to another year of spin cyclin, stache dealin and headband wearin."

He plans on becoming more active on social media, an avenue that student-athletes figure to use under the new NIL rules.

"It's definitely something I need to get better at for sure," Timme said. "I'm trying to learn how to do that a little more, but staying true to who I am. That's what makes a person unique, but there are a lot of areas I can improve."

Timme is having quite a summer. He believes he's making significant progress on his perimeter shot through extensive offseason work. He brought close buddy and Gonzaga teammate Anton Watson to Texas for a few weeks to work out with his Dallas-area instructor Tyler Relph.

He's enrolled in summer school and continues to refine his game at Gonzaga. The talented forward has been impressed with Gonzaga's newcomers in the short time they've been together.

He vacationed in Hawaii. He recently joined Jalen Suggs in New York City to accept an ESPY award for Best Game for the Gonzaga-UCLA overtime classic at the Final Four. Timme hung out with Suggs, UCLA's Johnny Juzang, Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and UConn's Paige Bueckers, who was named best college athlete in women's sports.

"That was amazing," Timme said.

He hopes to say the same about the upcoming few months with NIL rights and Gonzaga again expected to be a contender for the national championship.