USC 4-star signee makes history as first NIL athlete to choose Bitcoin

Four-star linebacker Matai Tagoa'i committed to the USC Trojans in April and reaffirmed his commitment on National Signing Day. On Thursday, Tagoa'i made history when he partnered with the application Strike to receive part of his NIL earnings in Bitcoin. The arrangement was facilitated by 'House of Victory,' the Trojans NIL collective and '3Point0Labs,' a sports management firm.

After the deal was announced Thursday, Tagoa'i released a statement detailing his enthusiasm for being the first student-athlete to accept NIL earnings in Bitcoin.

“This is a game-changer for me,” Tagoa’i said in a statement. “By taking part of my NIL earnings in Bitcoin, I’m setting myself up for long-term financial growth. I’m grateful to Strike, House of Victory and 3Point0 Labs for helping me take this step.

"I’m proud to be part of this innovative collaboration that’s redefining the future of college athletics and finance and hope to set an example for other young athletes to think about their financial future.”

'House of Victory' executive director Spencer Harris also released a statement hailing the groundbreaking deal that will see Tagoa'i get a portion of his earnings in Bitcoin.

“House of Victory is proud to be at the forefront of developments in the NIL space and to provide unparalleled access and opportunities for our student-athletes,” Spencer Harris said. “We’re proud to help facilitate this arrangement for Matai and help him achieve his goals on and off the field."

Why Matai Tagoa'i chose the USC Trojans

According to 247Sports, Tagoa'i was the No. 71 prospect in the class of 2025 and had visits with the Utah Utes, Oklahoma Sooners and Washington Huskies lined up before he considered the USC Trojans.

In an interview with 247Sports, Tagoa'i revealed the reasons he chose to commit to the Trojans after a visit in February.

"There were a lot of reasons why I chose USC," Tagoa'i said. "I really love the culture change that's going on there with the new defensive staff. "I quickly formed a strong connecting with coach (D'Anton) Lynn (DC) and coach (Matt) Entz (LB coach).

"I love the defense they're bringing in and how well I fit into their scheme. I think I can be a key contributor and the staff did a really good job showing me how they plan to use me so I'm excited."

Despite a long list of decommitments from USC in the past few months, Tagoa'i has stayed true to the Trojans even as coach Lincoln Riley's team finished the 2024 season with a 6-6 record.