After years of pressure, the NCAA finally reversed its regulations to allow student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This landmark reversal is a fundamental shift in the college athletics landscape, as now student-athletes can earn income from various revenue streams, like clothing lines, social media, appearances, and product promotion. Since the policy was officially implemented on July 1, athletes around the country began taking full advantage of this new era.
IU was among the administrations that embraced NIL changes early in the process. In fact, Indiana partnered with Opendorse’s “Ready” program back in 2020, a full year before the NCAA formally changed its policies. This program was designed to educate student-athletes on NILs in anticipation of potential NCAA rule changes. Today, Opendorse continues to have a close relationship with several Hoosiers. Most IU athletes have linked their Opendorse profile to their social media pages, allowing easy access for potential brands. Opendorse is an application designed to serve as an easy communication platform for athletes and companies to discuss potential deals. Through this platform, student-athletes can potentially be contacted by the over 1000 agents and over 3000 sports marketers who also use the platform.
Similarly, some athletes have chosen to hire marketing agents. Over 30 Hoosiers have even agreed to become part of Barstool Athletics, a new college marketing wing of Internet giant Barstool Sports meant to help amplify student athletes’ brands in exchange for promotion of Barstool products. Notably, this is reportedly a non-exclusive agreement, meaning athletes are free to sign with other marketing organizations or negotiate deals on their own.
There is also the independently run Hoosier Hysterics NIL Collective, which is a group that helps promote Indiana athlete deals as well as serves as an intermediary to help facilitate potential endorsements. The Collective has also received support from Mark Cuban and praise from the media for its out-of-the-box approach to supporting Indiana student-athletes.
Whether assisted by marketing machines or secured individually, numerous Indiana student-athletes have already announced NIL deals.
Here are some of the ways Indiana athletes are using their name, image, and likeness:
Trayce Jackson-Davis
As Indiana basketball players are among the most in demand athletes early in the NIL era, it’s not surprising that Jackson-Davis has already inked several NIL deals.
Jackson-Davis most notably signed an agreement to become a brand ambassador for Merchants Bank of Indiana. Under the deal, Jackson-Davis will make personal appearances and appear in advertising campaigns to promote the bank’s various avenues of business, including residential mortgage banking, traditional community banking, agricultural lending, and facility financing.
