Wednesday Special Feature | Unique NIL Deals
A free segment by Optimum Sports Consulting- the Wednesday Special Feature. OSC provides valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and sport professionals.
Unique NIL Deals
By: Ian Daniels (@IanDanls)
Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) has provided collegiate athletics with plenty of positives since its commencement a few short months ago. Freedom for student athletes to make money and build their individual brands has obviously been long overdue. What may not have been obvious to some is how this newly opened door to opportunity prompted some of the most creative endorsement agreements in sports. These deals have been able to brandish a student athlete’s personality and interests in inventive ways they couldn’t prior to NIL.
Clever use of a student athlete’s personality certainly can make these marketing campaigns stand out. Student athletes, their marketing firms, and their agents have helped craft partnerships with brands that are distinct among traditional marketing mixes. Use of names, sport, position, and unique characteristics are becoming common place in the NIL world. Alabama cornerback Ga’Quincy ‘Kool-Aid’ McKinstry’s partnership with Kool-Aid is a prime example of utilizing an athlete’s identity to leverage recognizable and often lucrative NIL deals.
Approaching brands with ideas based on your own or your client’s individuality could be a great way to spark a relationship with a company you’d might not normally consider to be in the sports marketing arena. Taking a look at some of the best and boldest we’ve seen to date may help current student athletes, their representation, or brands brainstorm eye-catching partnership ideas of their own.
Group Deals
The most prominent agreements within this creative vein have been group deals. Many of these have been brought together by national brands looking to link student athletes based on something they have in common.
Sam’s Club is offering 10 college athletes named “Sam” a $10,000 sponsorship. Similarly, fast-food chain Jack in the Box has unveiled their new “Jackletes” program, offering a $5,000 sponsorship and $500 food credit for student athletes who have “Jack” in their name.
But the group deals aren’t only for those sharing a name. The Arby’s RBs campaign offered 200 Division 1 running backs $500 each, plus merchandise, to post a video on social media captioned “Tonight, I’m getting Arby’s.” Denny’s has been filling their “All Pancaker Team” with the nation’s best pancake-blocking offensive linemen.
Outback Steakhouse’s TeamMATES program is bringing together current college football teammates from Ohio State, Michigan, and Florida to help give back to their communities. The #BreakingLimits program from Degree deodorant is celebrating a diverse group of athletes across college sports who inspire others to break limits of their own.
Whether simple or complex, these campaigns are a great example of how national brands are looking to get into NIL across numerous institutions and sports.
Off-Field Interests
Individual student athletes are also popping up in creative NIL deals. Some have found brands to promote that align directly with their own interests and hobbies. Deals like these make for a much more authentic way to build the student athlete’s brand and display their personalities.
Arkansas wide receiver Trey Knox and his dog Blue announced a collaboration with PetSmart in early July. The two will work with PetSmart to develop content on social media showing behind-the-scenes videos on their own relationship and their partnership with the brand. This could be the first of many marquee athletes and their Instagram-friendly furry friends partnering with pet-centric companies.
On top of brand partnerships, athletes are now able to pursue their off-the-field interests without fear of jeopardizing eligibility. Marshall offensive lineman Will Ulmer announced on Twitter that he will now be able to pursue his live music career without the need for his pseudonym ‘Lucky Bill.’
More central to the branding of a specific athlete, off the field interests are often a huge part of an athlete’s life. Monetizing those interests while their platform is this large could open doors after their collegiate career comes to a close.
Charities
Imaginative spins on NIL aren’t just coming in the form of marketing campaigns or brand partnerships. Some student athletes are using their platform and newly minted earning potential to give back to causes that are important to them.
Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson decided to donate a percentage of his NIL endorsement earnings to the Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation. The Frankfort, Kentucky nonprofit is named after Robinson’s late grandmother and strives to help youth in his community affected by incarceration.
Ohio State offensive lineman Harry Miller has turned his NIL opportunities into a chance to give back to the people of Nicaragua, a country he’s gone on mission trips to since he was in middle school. Miller has decided to donate all of his NIL earnings to help humanitarian efforts in the Central American country. Upon making the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his efforts thus far, Allstate donated $10,000 to assist Miller’s charity of choice.
We can expect more student athletes will use their platform and ability to earn an income to help the charities and foundations centered around their philanthropic interests.
Other Unique Avenues for Partnership
The sheer number of NIL deals getting done since the summer creates an inevitability that unique partnerships between student athletes and brands will emerge. Other deals of note include walk-ons getting scholarships through NIL and student athletes partnering with professional sports teams in the region they go to school.
BYU’s program to assist walk-on football players gained national notoriety upon its announcement early into the NIL era, but they won’t be the only walk-ons with a chance to earn a scholarship through NIL. Louisiana based Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux has partnered with 63-year-old collegiate golfer Debbie Blount. The restaurant is giving a partial scholarship to the Reinhardt University freshman as a part of their “Walk-On of the Week” initiative.
While no longer unheard of among college athletes, Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has been the highest profile player to partner with a professional sports team, the Florida Panthers. His deal includes public appearances and promotion for the hockey club. NCAA Rule 12.2.5 expressly states that any individual entering into an agreement “to compete in professional athletics” shall become ineligible, but there is no rule against promotion of professional teams. The trend has still been to avoid any deals with teams that compete in the same sport as the endorsing student athlete, likely to avoid any kind of conflicts if the athlete plans to go pro.
These are just a few examples, but they illustrate just how limitlessly imaginative student athletes can be when it comes to their brand. Coming from all over the country with varying backgrounds and interests, the world of NIL has provided not only an ability to monetize who an athlete is but a creative outlet as well.
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