This Week In NIL
Now Presenting This Week in NIL, a newsletter about everything you need to know to keep up with the rapidly changing world of name, image, and likeness in college sports!
Hello! I’m Harrison from 8 In The Box Productions and we started this newsletter because we noticed there was not a centralized source for NIL news in an easily digestible format and we wanted to fix that! Email us here for feedback and please share if you enjoyed!
This Week in NIL:
🍔 63 year old walk-on golfer notches NIL deal with Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux
💵 Bet Arizona releases top-10 college basketball players by earning potential
🏀 High School Star Mikey Williams signs deal with Puma
63 year old walk-on golfer Debbie Blount makes historic NIL agreement
63 year-old college golfer Debbie Blount, a sophomore at Reinhardt University, is the #1 golfer on her team. Now, she is also a sponsored college athlete. Walk-On's Sports Bisteaux is a restaurant chain co-owned by Drew Brees that has been partnering with exceptional walk-ons across the country since July 1st. The 2nd year golfer has "had a ball" living her dream as a college athlete and now has a few extra dollars in her pocket.
Our takeaway:
While high-profile athletes on the court/field and on social media may draw in big endorsement dollars, Blount represents another side of the NIL coin. Brands want to align themselves with endorsers of their brand who share their values and have exceptional stories. Student-athletes now have a chance to share their story with a larger audience by partnering with brands in what can be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Bet Arizona releases top-10 college basketball players by earning potential
With college basketball season starting shortly, Bet Arizona released a list of the highest earning potential athletes based on their social media following. Notably, 6 out of the 10 on the list are female athletes, set to cash in as their postseason tournament can finally be called March Madness. As we mentioned last week, just 7.5% of NIL activity has come from men's basketball and 4.1% has come from women's basketball. That is likely set to change with 3 players having a 7-figure earning potential and many more being in the 6-figure range.
Our takeaway:
It is no surprise to see big names like Paige Bueckers, Scottie Pippen Jr., and Shareef O'Neal on the list. However, seeing a $300,000+ earning potential for the lone freshman on the list (Chet Holmgren) is a testament to the power of the high school spotlight. Holmgren, the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year and Gonzaga commit, outshone Emoni Bates in a head-to-head matchup and generated millions of social media views by blocking shots and hitting threes against the world's best young players over the past few years.
High School Star Mikey Williams signs deal with Puma
According to the Business of College Sports, Five-star basketball prospect Mikey Williams has signed a multi-year NIL deal with PUMA. Even though he is still in high school at Vertical Academy, the school is not subject to North Carolina state rules against endorsement deals which allowed him to become the youngest athlete to sign with PUMA hoops. He joins the PUMA roster along with young basketball stars LaMelo Ball, Breanna Stewart, Katie Lou Samuelson, RJ Barrett, and more.
Our takeaway:
5 Star Prospect + 5 Million followers across platforms on social media = The biggest splash so far for the emerging high school NIL market. Between Mikey's latest deals and many New York high school athletes being allowed to monetize their NIL, an entire new market is beginning to take shape at the high school level that we will be closely monitoring.
Top NIL Deals you need to 👀
Georgia Tech Football x TiVo
GoPuff x Player’s Trunk
Jack In The Box x Jack(s) - Students were rewarded with a $5,000 sponsorship and $500 in food credit
Jordan Yates x Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are utilizing NIL and Georgia Tech QB Jordan Yates for World Series promotions. 🏟️ @Braves @jor_yatesGeorgia Tech QB’s (@jor_yates) NIL deal with the Atlanta Braves consists of receiving stipends, merchandise, VIP treatment, and commissions from tickets sold through his social media. This is STRAIGHT FIRE! 🔥 https://t.co/ur8H2zumeyCollege Football Edits @CollegeEdits
Thanks so much for reading! This Week in NIL is brought to you by the team at 8 In The Box Productions: we create branded video content for student-athletes and brands. If you want to get in touch or provide any feedback our email is here! Finally, if you enjoyed this newsletter please consider subscribing and sharing with someone who you think would enjoy it too!