Adidas Creates NIL Network for 50,000-plus College Athletes
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As millions of college athletes are vying to capitalize on their undergraduate pursuits, Adidas has created a name, image likeness network for more than 50,000 student athletes.
In doing so, the company is one of the first among the major activewear brands to put out a welcome mat for enterprising college athletes.
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The National Collegiate Athletic Association enacted NIL rules in July, allowing student-athletes to sign endorsement deals and partnerships. That greenlit the way for Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 athletes to be compensated for their NIL regardless if their state has a NIL law in place.
Student-athletes at every Adidas NCAA Division 1 university can take part in the brand’s new network. The 50,000-plus eligible athletes span 23 sports and 109 schools. The program is being rolled out in four phases over the next year with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Power-5 conference partners being the first to be eligible as of this fall.
Adidas North America president Rupert Campbell said in a statement that as the network advances the company’s commitments toward building inclusivity in sport and inspiring athletes to realize a more equitable world.
The program is part of Adidas’ “Impossible Is Nothing” campaign, which plays up the company’s efforts to make sports more inclusive and equitable. Revealing the news Wednesday, the brand cited this summer’s 50th anniversary of Title IX, which bans federally funded education programs from discriminating on the basis of sex. The legislation revolutionized athletic programs for women and girls and has led to greater equal opportunity in sports. As a nod to Adidas’ efforts, women’s and men’s teams that the brand supports will wear “More Is Possible” T-shirts during the current March Madness basketball tournament.
WNBA player Candace Parker is helping to trumpet Adidas’ initiative through her new documentary “Title IX: 37 Words That Changed America,” which Adidas partnered on. It premieres on TBS on April 2.
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