Newsletter #41 | Paige Beuckers x Gatorade, INFLCR+ Local Exchange, Azzi Fudd x SC30 Inc. + Deep Dive & ICYMI
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and other sport professionals.
This Thursday Newsletter includes:
1. Recapping NIL this week
2. Deep Dive: Inside Paige’s NIL Journey
3. ICYMI: College H.U.N.K.S. Partners with Howard University Men’s Basketball
Recapping NIL This Week:
UConn star Paige Bueckers will be Gatorade’s first signed college athlete
Gatorade announced it agreed to an endorsement deal with the UConn guard, making her the company's first signed college player.
To announce the deal, Bueckers was photographed wearing a Gatorade logo varsity jacket, paired with a Gatorade collaboration edition of the Air Jordan 1 Retro High. The "Lemon Lime" themed color way was part of a four-shoe pack released in recent years that celebrated Michael Jordan's iconic "Be Like Mike" campaign from the early 1990s. Beuckers first NIL deal was with shoe brand StockX earlier this month.
Bueckers was previously named the Gatorade Player of the Year in high school. "It was a blessing to win Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, and now it's truly surreal to be an official member of the Gatorade Family," she said. "I know this is just the beginning of our partnership and can't wait to get to work with Gatorade to drive impact in the community and on the women's game."
"From her electrifying performances on the court to fueling change off of it, Paige exemplifies everything it means to be a Gatorade athlete," said Jeff Kearney, global head of sports marketing at Gatorade. "Partnering with her is a statement to the next generation of our continued commitment to women in sport."
She joins a list of Gatorade-sponsored athletes that includes Serena Williams, Sydney McLaughlin, Elena Delle Donne, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum and Trevor Lawrence. Beuckers helped lead the Huskies to the Final Four last season as a freshman and is looking to bring the storied program its 12th national championship this year.
To watch the announcement video on YouTube, click HERE.
INFLCR+ Local Exchange will create school-specific NIL marketplaces,
Software company INFLCR is introducing a product it says will double its revenue coming from schools that sign on. The new INFLCR+ Local Exchange will create a school-specific NIL marketplace, where approved businesses can identify, connect with and compensate athletes for endorsement deals.
The average Power 5 school that works with INFLCR spends in the mid-five figures (total cost for its content software and NIL compliance product), and expanding to this new service will bring that cost to more than $100,000. Schools that currently utilize INFLCR’s existing NIL software, Verified - there are around 150 of them in Division I - have the option to add their own local exchange. Nine, including Oklahoma, Florida, Boise State and Texas A&M, have signed on at launch.
INFLCR President Jim Cavale, who also serves as Chief Innovation Officer for parent company Teamworks, emphasized to Sports Business Journal that the technology provider is not getting into the matchmaking business and that it is not a marketplace, but it is intended to make it easier for athletes and businesses to execute NIL deals. INFLCR does not take a transaction fee- the company’s revenue comes from schools that subscribe to INFLCR’s services.
The core of INFLCR’s business is still its content-sharing software. The company’s Verified program helps with NIL education and transaction disclosure and monitoring for compliance purposes. Since NIL went into effect on July 1, INFLCR said more than 6,500 NIL transactions worth over $10 million have been reported through Verified. A broader NIL exchange also exists within Verified, connecting athlete users with a number of external, third-party NIL marketplaces and opportunities. Cavale said he is optimistic that more of INFLCR’s most committed partners will invest in INFLCR+ in the coming weeks and months, but he still doesn’t foresee his company brokering any actual deals. (“We’re not agents, we’re a technology company,” Cavale said.)
UConn’s Azzi Fudd inks deal with Steph Curry’s SC30 Inc.
Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry is bringing the star UConn freshman basketball player into his SC30 Inc. brand in a unique, wide-ranging partnership that will support her successes both on and off the court as the nation's top recruit builds her collegiate career.
In 2018, Fudd participated in Curry's elite camp as one of two women invited to take part, and she and Curry have continued to build their friendship since. Curry also held an all-girls camp that summer.
"Azzi Fudd is the best choice to start a brand relationship like this because she is the next face of women's basketball and has been a part of SC30 Inc. and the Curry Brand family since she was an invitee to the All-American Camp," Curry said.
Two-time NBA MVP Curry and his SC30 team plan to give Fudd guidance through professional services and growth opportunities to develop her brand. That will mean chances to host and attend events and be part of new brand partnerships, as well as to deliver her personal social impact initiatives while additionally promoting and being involved in some of those dear to Curry and his family.
"Since I first met Steph at his camp a few years ago, I've stayed connected to him and have always admired his incredible talent and accomplishments, but also his humility and the impact he has on people," Fudd said. "As I continue to focus on becoming the best player and student I can be while in college, I also look forward to broadening my understanding of business and life beyond basketball. This partnership with Steph and his SC30 team will help me do that. I'm really excited about everything we'll do together in the future."
Full story from the Associated Press HERE.
Deep Dive: Inside Paige’s NIL Journey
The UConn WBB star is succeeding on and off the court. How did she do it? And what’s next for her after StockX and Gatorade? OSC’s Emily Rollo breaks it all down in this week’s Thursday Deep Dive.
Written by Emily Rollo
University of Connecticut sophomore women’s basketball star, Paige Bueckers, made her debut in the NIL market four months after the NCAA officially allowed college athletes to monetize their NIL. During those four months, thousands of deals have been inked between athletes at all levels and businesses of all types. Coming off her phenomenal freshman year with the Huskies, she of course was a hot commodity for NIL deals. But unlike many other star athletes, Bueckers was patient.
So, what did Bueckers do during that time? It appears that Bueckers identified her values, what was important to her, and what she wanted out of her NIL deals. When she finally emerged onto the NIL scene, she had a purpose. That purpose is to partner with businesses that align with her values and use the partnership as a platform to empower female athletes.
In early November, Bueckers broke her NIL silence and announced her first deal with StockX, a global e-commerce platform for sneakers and other apparel. The partnership is cemented in its commitment to support, connect, and influence female athletes. StockX was initially drawn to Bueckers’ dedication to making an impact in this specific community because her dedication aligned with the company’s own mission of promoting equality. Bueckers will be the centerpiece of the company in its efforts to prioritize, elevate, and recognize female athletes for their talents, style, and leadership. The partnership will feature Bueckers in several upcoming initiatives for StockX’s campaigns. She is also working with the company on developing its first products.
In StockX’s video announcement, the point-guard said exactly what she had been thinking while she was waiting for the “just right” NIL opportunity: “Everybody that I sign with, want to make sure my values align with them and theirs align with mine.”[1]
When Bueckers’ second deal with Gatorade was announced, her purpose for establishing NIL partnerships remained true. She aligns with Gatorade’s commitment to supporting female athletes and the company’s desire to make an impact worldwide. Bueckers’ partnership with Gatorade is her way of maximizing the opportunity to impact and influence female athletes at all levels.
Gatorade, too, recognizes the partnership as more than Bueckers photographing with Gatorade products. The company operates as a family, and they feel that Bueckers is the “perfect addition” to that family.[2] Gatorade’s professional athletes are dedicated to change off the field for several different causes. Gatorade and Bueckers share a passion to influence and bring attention to women’s sports. Together, they will work to achieve their individual and collective purposes, which conveniently go hand in hand.
Throughout the early stages of NIL, industry professionals have been worried that student-athletes are jumping into deals too quickly, which can have consequences in the long run. They stress the importance of identifying a student-athlete’s brand and knowing that the business they are working with aligns with the athlete’s brand. While this can be difficult for student-athletes to do without professional advice and representation, it is so important that it is done to protect them from future breaches and limitations.
Bueckers appears to be one of the first athletes to take the time to identify her brand and research businesses that align with her values. While most athletes do not have the financial ability to turn down deals that do not perfectly align with them, it is critical that they carefully consider and think about whether the NIL deal is a good fit for them.
Bueckers is the example for not only female athletes, but all athletes, who are eager to enter the NIL space. Publicity and money are typically the two major components that athletes are looking for in their deals. Bueckers exemplifies the importance in looking beyond the dollar amount. Hopefully she can bring awareness to this important aspect of the NIL industry for female and male athletes alike.
[1] Dosh, K. (Nov. 10, 2021). Paige Bueckers Signs First Major NIL Brand Deal With StockX. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2021/11/10/paige-bueckers-signs-first-major-nil-brand-deal-with-stockx/?sh=66b3ad4a22a7
[2] DePaula, N. (Nov. 29, 2021). UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers signs NIL deal with Gatorade. Retrieved from https://www.espn.in/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32745945/uconn-star-paige-bueckers-signs-nil-deal-gatorade
ICYMI: College H.U.N.K.S. Partners with Howard University Men’s Basketball
Moving company College H.U.N.K.S. once again made a big splash by signing the Howard University men's basketball team to an NIL deal on Monday. This is believed to be the first deal of its kind with an entire team from an HBCU.
The players will receive a specified dollar amount up front to split evenly and will then have opportunities individually to earn more money through incentives with the company by bringing in new clients or employees.
The co-owners of the business, Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman, grew up in the Washington, D.C., area attending Howard University homecoming events. Friedman played on the Howard intramural club basketball team, so this endorsement hit home for the company.
"Our business started as an underdog with a beat-up cargo van in college, so aligning with student-athletes that historically have not received large media attention is important to our brand purpose," Friedman said. "College H.U.N.K.S. has a diverse team, and we strive to brighten the spotlight within and outside of our brand to build leaders and make a positive impact."
"College H.U.N.K.S. is an iconic brand, and Howard University is an iconic institution, so it makes sense to align our mutual passions for building leaders," Howard men's basketball player Tai Bibbs said. "My teammates and I are looking forward to partnering with College H.U.N.K.S. to promote their amazing employment opportunities for frontline staff, their moving and hauling services for clients, as well as their franchise opportunities for aspiring business owners."