The NCAA has finally (can we get a FINALLY!!) allowed student-athletes to be able to market and have ownership control over their name, image, and likeness (otherwise known as NIL) while they are in college.
This got me thinking about the days I was throwing things for Florida and USC. For readers who do not know my background in track and field, I used to throw things (aka shot put, discus, and hammer) pretty far.
When I officially retired in 2006, I ended my career as a 4x All-American, 2x SEC Conference Champion, 2004 Olympic Trials finalist, and was USC’s school record holder for 12+ years.
This photo below was me back in the days before stepping into my career as an academic. As many of my students and friends have shared with me – I look a bit intense! 🙂
I am extremely proud and grateful for the opportunity to be a track and field athlete, and using early tools for the internet and blogging to get my story across. While this is a given for athletes today, back in the late 1999’s and early 2000’s – it was very rare.
In fact, I not only had my own personal website that was already 10+ years old, but I had a newsletter I called K-Mail, where I sent out updates to fans about life as a student-athlete and my travels and thoughts. I even did some guest blogging for sites like Trackshark and Dyestat. The throwing community called this “self aggrandizing” at the time – it’s amazing how things have changed since then! 🙂
However, these lessons provided me with more real world experiences that have helped me to this day. I am very grateful for this experience and I was thinking what brands and partnerships would I want if NIL was available when I was a student-athlete. Lots of possibilities for sure!
With that being said, fast forward to what I am doing now as a professor in strategic communication, there are some things I would advise student-athletes to consider as they move forward with NIL.
What would be my recommendations for student-athletes looking at NIL possibilities? Here are some suggestions:
Take classes at your university on personal branding, social media, and more. You are your best spokesperson, always – and you need to take ownership of your story and brand yourself. Your brand is your most valuable asset – so you want to be mindful of this and the best way to invest in yourself is through education. Reach out to your professors who teach these classes and get their advice. This won’t cost you anything – we are here to help you!
Also, invest in books that you feel would be beneficial and helpful for you as you move forward in this journey:
- Athletes are Brands by Jeremy Darlow
- KNOWN by Mark Schaefer
- Winfluence by Jason Falls
- The Influencer Code by Amanda Russell
- Of course, my books! (Social media for strategic communication and Discovering Public Relations)
Explore unique yet high profile partnerships that match up with your brand. Everyone will be thinking of the big brands that could sponsor student-athletes, but what you *really* want to do is strategically research and plan on how you can surprise and create some excitement with these partnerships. Really think about which brands you feel would be beneficial for you!
I am waiting for Ryan Reynolds to sponsor student-athletes with either Mint Mobile or HighKey keto snack products. I think this would be two brands I’d certainly want to get sponsored for if I was a student-athlete.
Study your university NIL policies. This is key! You want to make sure you are aware of what your university has set forth in terms of NIL – and from what I can see here, universities are taking slightly different approaches. For example, I have what UofL has proposed and currently working on for our university bookmarked so I know what I can do to advise student-athletes who are in my classes on what they need to be aware of.
Do a situational analysis of where you stand in your sport. Think about yourself from a strategic perspective. As I have shared with my students and outlined in my PR and social media books, ask yourself the following question: What makes you “you?” When I was a student-athlete, being online with a website and having a different approach in my storytelling was one way I was able to stand out from my competitors. Add throwing the shot put pretty far, that helped as well!
Beyond just posting, think about “payment” options. Most student-athletes will not be going pro after college, so think about skills, experiences, and opportunities that could help you in your next chapter and career after athletics. Paid speaking opportunities, tutorials, workshops, webinars, products (I am thinking for those who are majoring in PR for example, reaching out to brands that do analysis and media monitoring could be beneficial!) and more. Posting a picture on IG is one thing, but if you can translate this brand partnership into actionable professional learning opportunities – this can be big!
You also need to create your own media. Website, media kits, blogs, email newsletters, video content, and even creating your own merch shop would be amazing!
Be careful with partnerships and associates. Realize that the brands and people you associate with do align with your own brand, and once there is an issue, there could be a personal branding crisis at your front door. Be strategic, think long-term, and be mindful of who “really” has your best interests at heart.
I think this will be an interesting and exciting time for student-athletes, and I know there will be lots of lessons, case studies, and discussions in the future on this topic.
Hope you all are having a great day! Happy 4th of July!
Best Wishes,
