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Today’s Case

White Sox sign 8 athletes, add to CHISOX Athlete NIL roster

After entering the NIL space last year, the Chicago White Sox added to its student-athlete roster last month, signing eight new college athletes to contracts as part of its CHISOX Athlete NIL program. The initiative was created to help empower student-athletes both on and off the field.

Spanning seven sports, each athlete (five women, three men) has ties to the Windy City, and the five athletes on the 2022 cohort are returning for the 2023 NIL roster. Additionally, due to MLB and NCAA guidelines prohibiting certain sports from engaging in deals with their professional counterparts, no baseball or softball players were signed.

Some of the opportunities athletes receive as part of the deal include branding opportunities with financial incentives for social media promotion, access to professional resources and career mentorship from the White Sox front office, and ChiSox Athlete-branded merchandise.

The Verdict:

• Uncommon partnership - but I like it

  • The tie-in between a professional sports team and college athletics seems distant at best - but props to the White Sox for making this happen and providing amazing opportunities to these athletes.

    • Also, investing in homegrown players is valuable, as it shows the White Sox’ commitment to student-athletes from the Second City.

• The benefits of this partnership are numerous - moreso than most other deals

  • In addition to the benefits listed above, other perks include the team welcoming them to a game in a private suite, a professional photoshoot, a custom White Sox jersey, and special opportunities at Guaranteed Rate Ballpark such as throwing out the first pitch.

    • The White Sox are clearly investing in the future of these athletes beyond a one-time deal - and perhaps some of these athletes will work for the White Sox post-graduation.

• This could lend to additional crossovers between professional and college sports

  • I don’t know the logistics of the partnership, but this seems replicable across different levels of sports.

    • WWE has their NIL (Next In Line) program - and I don’t see why the NFL, UFC, MLS, etc. couldn’t follow suit to provide these athletes an opportunity to cash-in on their brand, along with professional development opportunities.

Student-athletes: Focus on these 3 content ideas this summer

Summer is the perfect time for student-athletes to build their brand. Check out this video for inspiration!

Question of the Day

Will more pro teams/leagues get involved in NIL?

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