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Today’s Case

University of Illinois swimmer Cara Bognar creates sustainable NIL model

Amidst the ever-changing NIL landscape, one University of Illinois student-athlete has created a sustainable NIL model that benefits student-athletes and their local communities.

Last year, Illini swimmer Cara Bognar founded Top Tier Lessons, a sports-tech platform facilitating a marketplace for collegiate athletes to connect with local youth athletes seeking private coaching.

The organization created a marketplace that benefits three parties: college athletes, local youth athletes and venue partners. Athletes list their prices and availability on the website and are contacted by prospective clients. In turn, Top Tier Lessons handle the venue, safety waivers, scheduling, payment, and marketing – all the athlete and student must do is show up.

By partnering with local facilities they help increase business through marketing efforts, creating a secondary revenue stream, and introducing new customers. Having these partnerships helps ensure the safety and availability of lesson venues.

The Verdict

• NIL for All

  • This initiative from Bognar shows that NIL is truly for everyone and not just a select few.

    • By allowing student-athletes of all sports to leverage their athletic talents by coaching other athletes and generating additional revenue, it’s a win-win. (Shameless plug: I posted a video several weeks ago about athletes leveraging their athletic abilities for financial gains.)

  • For the athletes receiving this coaching, in turn, they may also be motivated to join Top Tier Lessons as a coach when they are collegiate student-athletes and pay it forward to the next generation of athletes.

• Beyond a one-time brand deal

  • The platform provides a long-term approach to NIL, as athletes can offer coaching lessons over multiple years to younger athletes while building relationships with said athletes and parents.

    • This speaks to the sustainable approach of the model, which is superior to a one-off partnership post.

  • Also, the platform is meaningfully designed to provide college athletes with multiple options to build and monetize their brand. Even if an athlete transfers, their services can be leveraged in their new school’s city (if Top Tier Lessons operates in said location).

• Growing trend

  • Other companies such as CoachU provide similar services, showing that this offerings are in demand across multiple sports.

  • Younger athletes may also resonate more with athlete coaches who are close in age to them, which keeps the platform athlete-centric.

NIL for Parents Webinar replay!

Missed the NIL for Parents webinar this past August? No problem! The replay is now available. Click here for more and to purchase.

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