You can't spell National Signing Day without NIL

Author

Tariq Ahmad
December 17, 2025

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Uniball National Signing Day pen (Photo Credit: Uniball Instagram)

December 3, 2025 was National Signing Day for high school athletes across numerous sports to commit to playing college athletes at the school of their choice.

However, an non-ceremonious part of the day now has NIL value.

Uniball, an innovative writing tools company, partnered with over 70 high schools across the U.S. to provide student-athletes an official signing day pen to ink their contracts.

This is the second year of the brand’s partnership with high schools, and it looks like it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Last year, Sharpie signed partnerships with then-University of Washington football players Michael Penix, Jr. and Rome Odunze as their official writing tool of choice for their forthcoming NFL contracts.

Why this is a good fit

  • Low lift

    • The effort required for athletes is pretty minimal. This is good as high school athletes might not be good content creators (no knock on them) and don’t require much coaching to showcase the product while they sign their collegiate agreements.

  • First NIL partnership

    • This is also a good way for athletes to secure their first deal. Even if there is no monetary compensation for the athlete, they are given a good opportunity to work with a reputable brand and earn free products.

  • Carry over throughout college (and pro) career

    • For select athletes, this can turn into a long-term partnership.

      • The athletes can use some products for academic work, and use others for signing autographs.

      • Some athletes could even partner with Uniball or a similar company for a limited edition product line that caters to their writing needs and styles.

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