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I am a big college sports fan, and it was with little hesitation that I accepted an opportunity to attend a home football game at the University of Delaware last Saturday night. While I appreciate professional sports too, I spend more time watching college sports for many reasons. I like the unpredictability of the games and how much the student athletes pour themselves into competitions. For 99% of the athletes, both men and women, college sports will be the end of a very long sports commitment that probably started with after school practices, weekend games, early morning workout sessions, sports camps, travel teams, you name it!
Support of student-athletes is nothing new, but today there are policies that govern how students could be compensated for their “Name, Image, and Likeness”. These NIL policies vary by college or university but are largely the same.
So what does this mean for your business? NIL policies make it possible to connect with a student-athlete in a legal, defined, and clear manner to promote a product, service, or business interest. Why would you do that? Some of these student-athletes have quite the social media following (read, thousands) and their endorsement of what you are selling could be an affordable way to promote your company or something of value. Therefore, as you think about your marketing and promotions strategies, you may want to consider adding this to your list of options. In a future edition of our magazine, Delaware Business, we’ll discuss the topic at greater depth and provide contact information at participating area schools.
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