The U.S. National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) (a non-profit through which many colleges and universities in the U.S. organize their athletic programs) has shifted its economic model in July 2021, allowing student-athletes the ability to monetize the use of their Name, Image and Likeliness (NIL) for the first time. Now, Adidas North America has announced a new NIL Network for student-athletes at Adidas-sponsored NCAA division schools as a commitment toward building inclusivity in sport. The program will be phased in over the next 12 months, beginning with historically black colleges and universities and power five conference partners this fall, then expanding to other participating schools by April 2023. The company is linking the new program to the 50th anniversary of the Title IX law that prohibits discrimination in all schools or other education programs funded by the federal government.
According to a company press release, the new program will allow more than 50,000 students across 23 sports at 109 schools the ability to become paid spokespeople for the brand. Adidas has not yet announced how much students will be reimbursed if they choose to participate in the program. Students will initially receive a percentage of sales they conduct through adidas.com or the Adidas app, as well as the opportunity to be paid per social media post.
As a result of the new NIL sponsorship regulations, brands are expected to increase their investment in deals with student-athletes in the U.S., according to a recent white paper published by Front Office Sports.
