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The day of college athletes being exploited for their likeness is a thing of the past. With current NCAA rules and regulations and the prominence of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, collegiate superstars can finally get paid for their work on the field, court, and more. A recent University of Miami recruit, Jaden Rashada, is believed to have received the highest-known NIL deal for a high school recruit to date – according to On3NIL. At $9.5 million, the deal is set to possibly break records, but it did not come without its share of controversy.
2021 was a highly successful year for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes closing on name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. Now, for this year, Black college basketball players continue to set the tone. This is especially true for Zia Cooke. Data from Opendorse — a NIL technology company — released in March shows that women ballers specifically are the second highest paid in the organization. CBS News reports that Zia Cooke was marked as “one of the highest paid college basketball players in the Final Four.” “It just shows that we can do a lot of things that a lot of people say we can’t do,” she said, according to CBS News. “To see all the girls on there for the NIL and I think it was just one boy it shows that we can do literally everything they can do. It’s a business and it’s super effective for women and men.” Along with her hoop skills and being her team’s leading scorer on the court, the University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball star’s social media...
Companies are continuing to tap into the greatness that is Deja Kelly. The North Carolina Tar Heels point guard has teamed up with BARCODE — a plant-based beverage company founded by NBA coach and professional trainer Mubarak Malik (Bar) — for her first long-term equity deal, according to a press release. The new partnership marks multiple firsts for the star hooper as she’s also the brand’s first-ever female name, image and likeness (NIL) shareholder. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deja Kelly (@dejakelly) “Our partnership with Deja Kelly is a no-brainer,” said Bar in a statement. “Her athletic excellence and unwavering commitment to healthy living align perfectly with our missions and value at BARCODE. We’re proud to have Deja join our team and help more consumers unlock their greatest potential through nutrition and lifestyle.”
Dunkin’ has become one of the latest companies to scout student-athletes for endorsement deals after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) updated its name, image and likeness (NIL) policy. The company has debuted its starting roster including University of North Carolina’s Deja Kelly — a guard for the North Carolina Tar Heels — Bloomberg reports. “I am so excited to announce that I am officially the captain of Team Dunkin’! I am a longtime Dunkin’ fan so this is truly a dream come true — stay tuned to see how Dunkin’ fuels me on and off the court,” Kelly wrote via Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deja Kelly (@dejakelly) Her new deal comes in after her signing with WME Sports in September 2021. Alongside her is the University of Georgia’s Matthew Boling, who is a track and field champ. The two young star athletes are the beginning of Dunkin’s plans to continue building its roster throughout the year.
Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals are now exploding all over the sports industry, and athletes are taking full advantage of the opportunity. The opportunity became a wide-open field on June 21, 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled that the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) was engaging in what they called an “illegal restraint of trade” by forbidding them to get endorsement deals for their sports play. There are plenty of restrictions in place, still. For example, a student cannot endorse a “vice” business, such as gambling or prostitution — but for the most part, business is booming in the world of college sports. According to ESPN, male athletes are dominating the NIL industry by a wide margin. Between July 31, 2021 — which was officially the first day NIL deals were allowed after the Supreme Court made its ruling — and Dec. 31, 2021, more than 125,000 athletes have signed some form of a NIL deal. That’s out of about 500,000 athletes total across three divisions...
It’s been an eventful year of high school athletes securing endorsement deals, and Jaden Rashada has now joined the roster. ESPN reports that the four-star quarterback prospect has signed a four-figure name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Athletes in Recruitment (AIR), a recruiting app. According to the outlet, the Pittsburg High School player is “believed to be the first high school football player to profit from endorsements,” following the recent updates to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules.
Basketball superstar Klay Thompson recently scored in the tech world. In a $40 million funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, the National Basketball Association (NBA) star’s Thompson Family Foundation has invested in fantasy sports startup Sleeper, reportedly quadrupling its value to more than $400 million. According to Bloomberg, the funding will be for “product development and hiring in areas including engineering, design, customer support, finance and marketing.” Joining Andreessen Horowitz and Thompson were existing backers General Catalyst and Birchmere Ventures along with angel investors that included Miami Dolphins player Byron Jones and former NBA player Shane Battier, Bloomberg reports. Sleeper’s initial focus was on the National Football League (NFL) and the NBA, but the pandemic’s impact pushed them to extend into esports as well. In addition, the startup also added college basketball this year. “Originally, the goal was to do arena sports and...
Beats by Dre (Beats) is the latest company to tap into the wave of college athletes who are now able to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow student-athletes to gain profit and exposure thanks to the new NIL rule may have been the best thing to happen to both companies and athletes since sliced bread! In an announcement on Wednesday, Beats announced that Jackson State University quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been tapped as the brand’s latest ambassador. Not only is he the first college athlete to hop on the Beats’ talent roster, but he is also the company’s youngest ambassador at just 19-years-old. Sanders first made headlines when he followed in the footsteps of his father when he decided that he would attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) over the many high-profile schools who had the young athlete on their radar for quite some time. View this post on Instagram A post...
After the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA’s) names, images or likeness (NIL) laws changed this summer, college athletes have been racking up deals and earning the accolades they deserve for the dedication and tireless grind they bring to their respective sports. According to CBS, Alabama Crimson Tide freshman Ga’Quincy McKinstry becomes one of the latest to get in on the action with his recent NIL deal as it is a full circle moment. From his childhood to his collegiate career, his nickname has been “Kool-Aid,” (his officially listed first name on Alabama’s roster). Now, he’s partnered with the drink company itself. Kool-Aid’s Twitter gave a warm welcome to the Alabama football player by switching account names with him. “In honor of our new partnership, we’ve swapped names with Kool-Aid McKinstry and given him the power of OH YEAH,” the brand’s Twitter bio reads . OHHH YEAHH! @GaQMcK1 #ItsOfficial #SigningDay #BrandAthlete pic.twitter.com/bfiO9KwIW9 — Kool-Aid Man...
College athletes like D’Eriq King aren’t leaving any deals on the table. Thanks to the recent move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow players to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), players across the nation have been making power moves on and off of the field. According to ESPN, the latest athlete to score big when it comes to brand deals is the University of Miami’s D’Eriq King. In a new deal with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Miami Panthers, King will work alongside the team to develop a merchandise collection, co-branded art as well as his own exclusive concession menu that will be available at all of the team’s home games and events during the forthcoming season. King will also engage with fans both online and in-person by attending Panthers games and events and producing digital content for social media. Making moves ✍️ D'Eriq King ( @DeriqKing_ ) has signed as our first-ever FLA Athlete, becoming the first collegiate athlete to...
Hercy Miller wasted no time getting to the bag this week thanks to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This week, reports stated that the NCAA’s rule changes and state laws finally went into effect which now allow college athletes to profit off of their names, images and likenesses for the first time ever. As a result, incoming Tennessee State University hoop star Hercy Miller — son of Hip-Hop icon Master P — has secured his own $2 million endorsement deal, TMZ reports, the most lucrative deal to happen following the new rule change. As previously reported by AfroTech, the athlete’s father reportedly arranged a $2.5 million endorsement deal that he announced back in April, which was set to make him the highest paid college basketball player in the nation. Now that regulations have changed for the better, Miller was able to officially sign his name on the dotted line. “I signed a deal with an American technology company. Like my dad said, it’s a blessing,” Miller...