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Sports Court NIL Newsletter | Run Your Race
The fastest 3 minutes in name, image and likeness
Tariq Ahmad
December 11, 2023
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Today’s Case
HOKA announces three NIL signings at Foot Locker Nationals cross country race
University of Colorado athletes Natalie Cook, Kole Mathison and Karrie Baloga (Photo Credit: milesplit.com)
On your mark. Get set. NIL Deal!!
University of Colorado cross country runners Natalie Cook, Kole Mathison and Karrie Baloga signed partnerships with HOKA, making them the first runners to sign NIL deals with the footwear company.
They're the latest track and field/cross country athletes to sign deals in what has been a marquee fall for the NIL space. Other former high school greats and current college runners have inked deals with various running brands, including Lex and Leo Young with On, and Stanford’s Roisin Willis partnership with New Balance.
Karrie Baloga on Instagram: “It gives me great pride to announce my NIL partnership with HOKA!! Thank you Hoka for giving me the opportunity to represent your exciting brand and build new connections with an incredible team. Excited to kick off Foot Locker Championship weekend by spreading the love of our sport through your innovative footwear!”
The Verdict
Running brands continuing to level up with NIL
Brands such as HOKA and On have not only made great strides in the running footwear space, but with athletes of all levels as well.
With these NIL signings, HOKA is looking to partner with elite runners and showcase that their footwear can be worn for the toughest of competitions.
For clarification (or a reminder): Student-athletes must wear their school sponsored apparel and footwear for all team events and activities (Nike, in Colorado’s case for these three athletes) but can wear HOKA products for training on their own time.
Long-term NIL partnerships
This most likely is a multi-year deal. With this assumption, these three athletes will wear HOKA products, provide feedback on gear, and be involved in the product development of future footwear and running apparel.
As I’ve mentioned before, student-athletes should look for long-term partnerships with brands to develop relationships over time and provide valuable feedback to these organizations for product and business development.
Primed for high school NIL
Of all the high school sports and athletes looking to leverage NIL, track and cross country are at the forefront of big name partnerships.
Earlier this year, New Balance signed select high school athletes to NIL deals, and the three runners mentioned above were high school cross country champions. Wouldn’t be surprised if other running brands begin to follow suit.
Don’t wait until 2024 to develop your NIL goals!
Take advantage of the few weeks left in 2023 to create NIL goals and hit the ground running in 2024. Check out this video for more!
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