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Sports Court NIL Newsletter | NIL Across Borders
The fastest 3 minutes in name, image and likeness
Tariq Ahmad
January 31, 2024
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Today’s Case
BYU golfers use NIL to assist Maui youth impacted by wildfires
BYU golfer Keanu Akina (Photo Credit: uga.org)
There’s NIL, and there’s good NIL.
BYU senior men’s golfer Keanu Akina is utilizing his NIL earnings to help those in his home community. In August of 2023, devastating wildfires ripped through Maui, leaving many families with very little. While Keanu and his immediate family moved to Utah during his high school years, he remained very connected to his Hawaiian roots, as Akina was raised in Oahu.
With the help of his NIL representatives at Oncoor Sports Marketing, Akina was able to connect with clothing brand &Collar, a company that is no stranger to NIL endorsement deals. In 2022, the company worked with then-BYU quarterback Jaren Hall in a series of commercials.
When the Akina family spoke to those impacted by the fires, one thing was constant: The children in the area wanted nothing more than a new shirt to be able to wear to Church. The &Collar NIL deal fulfilled this need and sent a new white shirt from &Collar to every young boy (165 in total) at the two Mormon Tabernacles in the region.
Keanu included his younger brother Kihei (a BYU golf commit) into the NIL deal as well.
The Verdict
An “unsung hero” of NIL benefits
Amongst the sea of partnerships we see in the NIL space daily, it’s always nice to see deals that serve a greater purpose and help those in need.
In 2022, Indiana men’s basketball player Anthony Leal used his NIL earnings to pay off his sister’s Basketball players use NIL to pay off sister’s student debt.
This partnership is unique as it beneficiaries are students who live thousands of miles away - showing that NIL deals do not need to be confined to a geographic location.
Younger brother as part of the deal is interesting
It was a great gesture for Keanu (a high school athlete) to include his younger brother Kihei in the partnership. However, the state of Utah currently does not allow high school athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.
Perhaps Oncoor Sports Marketing was able to navigate a workaround or loophole for Kihei to be included in the partnership.
Sponsor tie-in
Sometimes it’s the athlete sharing their hard-earned money to benefit others. In this case, &Collar saw the affected Oahu community and wanted to help.
This also not only showcases the brand in a positive way, but can lead to additional NIL partnerships in the future.
Video > Pics for NIL content
While it takes longer to create video content, student-athletes should focus on this over pictures. Check out this video for more!
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