Name Image Likeness in College Athletics
Overnight, the game changed for student-athletes, colleges and universities, and brands. Student-athletes at NCAA member institutions can now monetize their name, likeness and likeness (NIL) rights while maintaining their eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics competitions. The market operates in a fragmented and localized regulatory system, which presents all stakeholders with great opportunities and new challenges.
Where opportunity calls, uncertainty thrives
NCAA student-athletes can now leverage their athletic success and social media presence to earn money during their college years instead of being sidelined by eligibility rules. However, these young athlete-entrepreneurs striving to maximize their income must now navigate the rules and protect themselves in a new and rapidly changing market.
Offer of NIL offers for student-athletes colleges and universities the opportunity to support their student-athletes and build more effective sponsorship and recruitment platforms. With this opportunity, schools are also responsible for shouldering the burden of establishing compliance and enforcing eligibility rules consistent with state NIL law (currently enacted in 28 states), NCAA policies and to Division and Conference rules which are evolving and may not address actual NIL transaction activity.
Brands now have access to more than 435,000 potential brand ambassadors across 1,100 colleges and universities and by gender, sport, region and lifestyle. But agreements must be structured and executed in a form and substance consistent with changing eligibility rules and state laws.
What we do
The universities
We provide guidance to colleges and universities to develop policies and programs that best meet the needs of the school and its student-athletes. Our services are designed to help institutions assess existing regulatory compliance measures and overall school and student-athlete protection while aiming to educate both student-athletes and administrators on ways to navigate and to maximize emerging NIL opportunities.
- Scorecard evaluation. We evaluate a school’s NIL program by evaluating current NIL policy documentation, protocols, and enforcement measures to ensure alignment with regulatory mandates and industry best practices.
- Evaluation of the NIL transaction. We review active NIL contracts signed by student-athletes to provide visibility into potential violations that could harm student-athletes or the school and provide recommendations to prevent future violations.
- NIL workshops. We offer organized workshops for university administrators and student-athletes to educate them on specific NIL issues.
Brands
Middle and high school NIL strategies must ensure student-athlete eligibility and compliance with state law and school policies, requiring in-depth knowledge of rules and practical guidance for structuring agreements in the new regulatory structure scalable and localized. We provide brands with strategic and legal advice and tools to develop and execute sponsorship and promotion strategies involving college and high school student-athletes across the country. Our services also help brands identify jurisdictions, schools, and student-athletes as well as agreement structures and contracts that provide the best and most efficient ways to execute NIL endorsement campaigns.
Consultant
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Legal
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Student-athletes
We are nationally recognized for structuring innovative talent sponsorship and endorsement deals. Our experience includes digital influencer offerings, XR events and experiences, brand ambassador offerings, and helping talent grow their own brands and businesses. We can help college student-athletes structure NIL agreements that balance the demands of being student-athletes with the right compensation and achieving long-term goals beyond their college career.
How we work with you
Our goal is to be a trusted partner for brands, student-athletes and universities as they navigate the changing NIL landscape and regulatory environment. We offer recurring legal and advisory services to ensure our clients stay informed about new NIL rules, sponsorship opportunities and current trends, including:
- Annual review of NIL university policies and programs (through scorecard assessment) to ensure continued alignment with updated legislation, NCAA policy, and best practices
- Recurring review and due diligence of NIL transaction activity for universities to assess them against changing university policies and state rules
- Trusted Advice for Student-Athletes on Active NIL Branded Deals
- Annual training and education for student-athletes and staff on existing and new NIL rules