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Programming Note

This is the final newsletter of 2023. Sports Court NIL Newsletter will return on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.

Today’s Case

High school football recruits signing with colleges secure NIL deals

With college football signing day taking place earlier this week, some signees are immediately leveraging their name, image and likeness.

Top Nebraska recruit Dylan Raiola announced his first NIL deal: An exclusive multi-year trading card deal with Panini America.

The partnership with Raiola includes autographed trading cards and marketing, with his first trading cards expected to appear in the brand's upcoming collegiate products.

Raiola joins a growing NIL roster of Panini athletes that includes Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of Texas, Caleb Williams and Zachariah Branch of USC, Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze of Washington and Joe Milton of Tennessee, among others.

Additionally, Ohio-based quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (Olentangy High School - Lewis Center, Ohio) signed with Penn State and announced a deal with fashion brand Express, headquartered in Grunkemeyer’s hometown of Columbus.

Last year, the company partnered with Ohio State stars C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The youngest athlete partner to date, Express also helped Grunkemeyer pick out a new outfit for his signing day festivities in their Columbus store.

Grunkemeyer: “As a Columbus native, I grew up wearing and loving Express. It is an honor to partner with the brand and follow in the footsteps of other noteworthy college athletes who have come before me in the program."

The Verdict

• Leveraging NIL with meaningful partnerships

  • It’s good to see recruits at all levels maximizing their NIL with relevant deals.

    • In Grunkemeyer’s case, partnering with Express has a hometown tie-in (Columbus) and he is a regular wearer of their products.

  • For student-athletes, it’s important to partner with companies that align with your personal values, as it's easier for them to create content and be vested in a potential partnership.

• Differences in high school NIL rules

  • Raiola lives in Georgia (which allows for high school athletes to monetize their NIL). So even if he graduates from high school in May, he can take advantage of deals now.

  • Grunkemeyer lives in Ohio (which prohibits high school athletes from monetizing their NIL). However, since he graduated from high school this month and is heading to Penn State in January, he can leverage his NIL immediately.

• Building NIL portfolios early

  • This is a great way for young athletes to begin securing NIL deals before getting to college and learning the process.

    • As I’ve stated before: You don’t need to be a big-name athlete to work with brands. Start pitching companies on potential deals early and regularly to gain practice and build relationships.

Caitlin Clark adds another big partnership to her NIL portfolio!

The deal also includes a donation to Clark’s Foundation. Check out this video for more!

Thank You for reading today’s newsletter

^{I discuss insights and news related to name, image and likeness in 3 minutes or less every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12p ET/9a PT.}

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