Nebraska launches NCAA-First Athlete Branding Program (Name/Image/Likeness)

[pianoknight]

Interesting development in the world of student-athletes being able to receive compensation for their Name, Image or Likeness (NIL).

 

A few highlights:

Nebraska and Opendorse announced today the launch of the first-ever program designed to help student-athletes build their individual brands. The program will provide all 650-plus Nebraska student-athletes social media solutions with proven effectiveness at the highest levels of professional sports. 

 

Each student-athlete in the program will be offered a current valuation of their brand, as well as tips and benchmarks for how to build on that value.

 

Opendorse, an athlete marketing platform, was founded by former Husker football players Blake Lawrence and Adi Kunalic, and has grown into a tool for a professional client base that reaches five figures. Opendorse has partnered with the NHL, NFLPA, PGA Tour and others while brands like Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and EA Sports also use the platform.

 

 

https://huskers.com/news/2020/3/10/athletics-huskers-launch-first-ncaa-program-to-maximize-value-of-individual-brands.aspx

 

https://hailvarsity.com/s/9125/nebraska-launches-first-of-its-kind-brand-building-program-for-student-athletes

[pianoknight]

More details emerging on the NU-Opendorse deal.  Nebraska is paying them north of $235k for the first year.  This quote makes it crystal clear that Nebraska is building this program for the day if/when the NCAA allows students to profit off themselves and their personal brand.  

 

The program, which Nebraska is calling Ready Now, is the first announced of its kind by a college athletics program and is aimed toward allowing all of its 650 student-athletes to be in a position to capitalize if the NCAA eventually changes its stance on the ability of students to profit off their own name, image and likeness. 

 

Purely speculation on my part, but if this thing takes off I can see highly marketable college stars (especially in football and basketball) leveraging their NIL rights into some kind of endorsement or apparel deal, much like how guys like Jordan, Shaq, etc., all have their own brands.  From a legality standpoint, the companies they partner with might have to set aside that money in some kind of trust but can you imagine the payday for a guy like Tim Tebow or Johnny Manziel coming out of college?  Rather than immediately looking to sign a deal with an outfitter, they may already have some of that in full force giving them a big edge negotiating with potential pro teams.

 

https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/nu-spending-nearly-annually-with-opendorse-with-addition-of-ready/article_5d5b3ded-f9fd-5383-a46b-86b4bc0fe8d5.html

 

 

[BengalErnst]

Maybe to this level with an outside company but nowhere near the first university to develop individual athletes branding. Ohio state has been doing this for 5 years