Back-to-back NIL signings of a Grade 11 Australian champion and a collegiate hurdles silver medalist reinforce On’s approach of locking in elite track talent years before it reaches the professional stage.
On announced two NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) partnerships within 24 hours last week, signing Australian middle-distance runner Emma Fryga and US collegiate hurdler Bradley Franklin. The back-to-back move highlights the Swiss brand’s systematic approach to recruiting elite track athletes well ahead of their professional debuts.
Still in school, already on brand
Fryga is a Grade 11 student who has accumulated 13 national titles across middle-distance and cross-country disciplines in Australia. At the 2026 Australian Athletics All Schools Championships, she won both the U17 800m and the U17 1500m, setting a meet record in the 1500m at 4:21.62 that had stood since 1981. Her 800m time met the World U20 qualifying standard.
From state records to NCAA silver
Franklin, a sophomore at Samford University in Alabama, won silver in the 60-metre hurdles at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 7.42 seconds, the fastest recorded in the US during the regular season. A multi-time Southern Conference (SoCon) champion in both the 60m hurdles and 60m dash, he first competed in 2016 and, during his time at Thompson High School, broke state records previously held by NFL players. He is also pursuing studies in 3D animation and game design.
Building a pipeline: from high school to professional track
On has been building a consistent track and field talent strategy over the past year. In August 2025, the brand moved six former NCAA athletes, including 2025 NCAA 400m hurdles champion Nathaniel Ezekiel, onto professional contracts as they exited collegiate competition, forming the professional end of a pipeline that the Fryga and Franklin deals suggest begins at the pre-collegiate level.
The NIL field in running footwear has grown crowded. Brooks Running signed five high school athletes to NIL agreements in early 2025, while New Balance extended NIL offers to 13 high school track and field athletes by mid-2025. On’s distinguishing feature is a clear endpoint: athletes recruited under NIL have a visible pathway into the brand’s professional programme, the On Athletics Club, which competes at the Diamond League level. That continuity, from school-age scouting through collegiate partnership to professional contract, gives On’s talent investment a coherence its competitors have not yet matched at scale.
