Scoring big: use student athletes in your marketing mix
By Ajah Hawley-Alexander
On July 1, 2021, the NCAA made a monumental decision permitting athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), allowing them to monetize their brands. Student athletes have been known to have significant impact as influencers, particularly in social media.
When discussing college sports, the focus often turns to the Power 4 schools — formerly Power 5 — dominating major football markets like the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC, with less influence in the Northeast, including Westchester and Fairfield Counties. While these conferences lead in revenue and viewership, the NCAA’s NIL policy extends far beyond these high-profile areas. NIL invites athletes from women’s sports and other Olympic and non-Olympic sports to capitalize on their marketability as well.
The NCAA’s recent partnership with Meta for the NCAA x Meta NIL Empower Program aims to maximize NIL opportunities specifically among women through intentional resource and guidance.
“NIL opportunities empower athletes to cultivate their personal brands and mature at a younger age,” said Lloyd Wheeler, who was on the basketball coaching staff at The Patrick School and the athletic staff at St. John’s University. “They learn to recognize their value and advocate for themselves, fostering a competitive spirit.
By increasing their visibility, these athletes can enhance their marketability in college, which ultimately improves their future prospects.”
The NIL policy is expected to drive $1.14 billion in brand spending on deals with college athletes in the creator economy, according to a 2023 report in Forbes. According to a 2022 report on Sports Business Journal, 65% of these deals are paid in cash, with 35% involving trade-offs and barter.
“The NIL has revolutionized the relationship between collegiate student-athletes and sponsors,” said Christian Pierre-Louis, a digital and social media strategist with experience at The Boardroom, the NBA, and Seton Hall University. “By empowering athletes to leverage their social media presence for endorsements, we’re seeing direct and impactful engagements that were previously restricted, fundamentally transforming sponsorship dynamics in college sports and amateur athletics.”
This policy opens new avenues for local businesses to engage in influencer marketing by partnering with student-athletes. Shopify reported this year that McKinsey & Company estimates the influencer industry at $23 billion, with influencers charging $10 to $10,000 per post based on engagement, impressions and reach. These partnerships can be more cost-effective than traditional influencer campaigns, reaching highly engaged, localized audiences. Supporting student-athletes well-known within their communities, especially those with familial relationships through youth participation, helps businesses build strong connections with their target demographics.
Athletes leverage their authentic personal brands to drive engagement and sales. Businesses lacking robust ad marketing can leverage student-athletes’ social media expertise to bridge the digital gap and create impactful strategies.
If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities for a student athlete tie-in for your marketing, consider the following steps:
- Identify Potential Athletes: Analyze local student-athletes whose personal brands align with your business objectives. Connect through athletic departments or NIL collectives;
- Reach out to the athlete or their representative, clearly articulating your business ethos and strategic intent behind the collaboration;
- Establish a mutually beneficial agreement detailing compensation, scope, deliverables, and adherence to NCAA regulations;
- Create a detailed brief outlining key messages, tone, and content requirements, ensuring the athlete understands what’s needed;
- Decide who will produce the content. If the athlete creates it, review and approve to ensure alignment with your brand standards, considering platform-specific requirements;
- Outline a distribution strategy across marketing channels, creating platform-specific versions for maximum engagement;
- Execute the campaign, monitor key performance indicators, and assess effectiveness. Track any call-to-action success;
- Actively engage with your audience, responding to comments and amplifying the testimonial’s reach across various platforms.
In 2023, Gold’s Gym partnered with Opendorse to launch an NIL College Athlete Ambassador Program, becoming the first gym brand to engage in NIL deals. This initiative allows athletes like Kalli Knott from the University of Connecticut to participate in content creation, philanthropy, and community engagement, showcasing how brands can authentically connect with student-athletes.
Similarly, Dunkin’ signed UConn stars Paige Bueckers and Donovan Clingan, with Bueckers partnering to donate $25,000 to UConn’s Husky Harvest food pantries, addressing food insecurity within the community.
These examples demonstrate how Tri-State area businesses can leverage NIL partnerships to enhance brand presence and build authentic connections. The NCAA’s NIL policy not only reshapes collegiate athletics but also opens the door for local and regional businesses to craft impactful marketing campaigns. By partnering with student-athletes, businesses can leverage authentic connections to their communities, foster brand loyalty, and enhance visibility at competitive costs.
Local brands should consider initiating collaborations by reaching out to athletes through university athletic departments or NIL collectives, crafting tailored engagement strategies that align with both the athlete’s brand and the business’s goals. This strategic approach not only strengthens community ties but also positions businesses to thrive in an evolving marketplace.
Ajah Hawley-Alexander is an experienced sports and media professional. She teaches business and digital media courses at Iona University, The College of Westchester, and Yeshiva University, where she also develops course content and curriculum. Her professional experiences includes work with the NBA and Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. In the fall of 2024, she will begin her doctoral studies in Higher Education Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi.
