College sports changed forever when athletes gained the ability to take control of their name, image, and likeness. Deals, collectives, and brand partnerships are now part of the daily reality in athletic departments.
This specialization is built for people who want to work in that space and become an expert in an emerging field. You’ll understand how NIL works, how money moves, and how to protect athletes and institutions in a shifting legal and business landscape.
It fits professionals in compliance, athlete development, fundraising, marketing, athlete representation, and related fields. Students interested in working as NIL sports agents or joining NIL management teams will find direct value in the coursework.
The Name, Image, and Likeness specialization consists of 9 credit hours that can satisfy the elective requirement for the online M.S. in Sport Management. Students in the degree can take these NIL courses as a cohesive track or as individual electives.
Coursework in the NIL specialization covers:
- Laws, rules, and regulations that shape NIL and revenue sharing
- Monetization opportunities available to athletes
- The role of third parties in NIL, particularly NIL agents and collectives
- Current and emerging legal challenges in college sports
- Personal branding and audience building for athletes
- Outreach and pitching for NIL opportunities
- Career transitions during and after sport
- Personal finance
Name, Image, and Likeness Courses (9 credits):
Intercollegiate athletics and the college athlete experience are undergoing seismic shifts as athletes gain control of their name, image, and likeness and begin monetizing their personal brands for the first time. This class will serve as an introduction to name, image, and likeness rules and laws, the ways both athletic departments and college athletes are adjusting to the changes, and how college athletes can develop their personal brands and pursue both short-term and long-term opportunities.
- Understand what NIL rights are and how student athletes gained these rights
- Be aware of the current framework of laws, rules and regulations surrounding NIL rights in intercollegiate athletics
- Understand the different ways in which student athletes are monetizing their NIL
- Be aware of the new economy developing around NIL and the types of businesses being created within this new framework
- Develop an understanding of different strategies being employed by brands entering NIL deals with student athletes
- Gain knowledge of current trends in NIL
With NIL monetization, youth/high school, college, and professional athletes with strong brands can create a revenue stream that rivals their professional contracts and continue earning into retirement. This course takes a hands-on approach, allowing students to work directly with college athletes to build their brands through proactive outreach, content and other visual elements.. From defining a personal brand and developing authentic brand partnerships to rebranding following market shifts, career challenges, or career changes, students will learn how to develop and monetize athlete brands and prepare for roles in sport-related entities (advertising, athlete management, etc.).
- Describe what it means for an athlete to have a personal brand and how it can be intentionally crafted
- Examine ways that athletes can grow, leverage, and protect their audience
- Evaluate the dynamic between individual athletes and the teams and leagues they represent when it comes to marketing and branding
- Analyze how athletes monetize their brands both during their careers and in retirement
- Investigate influencer marketing and how brands work with individual athletes
- Identify and describe ways that athletes can protect their brands
- Assess the future of athlete branding and marketing
This course will provide an overview and study of the main skills utilized by athlete development specialists, including how to manage the intersection of elite athletes and sport media, athlete career development, and the fundamentals of athlete personal finance.
- Demonstrate how effective public relations can establish, maintain, and improve athletes’ relationships with media, fans, sponsors, and the public
- Design and develop plans for how athletes can promote positive messages through various forms of media
- Demonstrate how athletes can manage media challenges and opportunities they may face
- Identify and implement assessment tools used to guide athletes through appropriate career transitions
- Evaluate how athlete’s interests, education, skills, and abilities provide the foundation for successful career transitions
- Describe the fundamentals of personal finance to enable athlete financial security
- Assist athletes in their basic awareness and understanding of the importance of personal finance
- Conduct action research on an aspect of athlete development of their choice and produce a professional research brief on the topic
