Temple University Athletics
NIL Co-Op Created As “Think Tank” for Temple Student-Athlete NIL Initiatives
10.25.23 | General
When Volleyball student-athlete Olivia Vance stepped on campus after attending Toledo for her undergraduate career, she knew she could make a difference in how other student-athletes at Temple utilize Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. With Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Justin Miller's help, an organization for student-athletes called the NIL Co-Op was formed earlier this year.
The two have worked to bring student-athletes together, creating an intimate forum for collaboration, discussion, sharing and brainstorming with hopes to grow NIL engagement for Temple athletes.
"This all started with a series of conversations that we've had about NIL and where we are right now," Miller said. "We thought it would be great to gather student-athletes across sports with similar mindsets and passion like Olivia's and see what comes from it."
Vance's TikTok following of over 105K has fueled her NIL opportunities, which include previous partnerships with the Philadelphia Flyers, Crossnet Game, Gummishot, Elix Healing and the Wells Fargo Center, to name a few.
The goal of the NIL Co-Op is to be completely open and serve as a resource for any interested student-athlete looking to improve or enhance their NIL activity of any kind. The group does not only cater to those with a significant social media presence but also to other student-athletes interested in learning how to grow their brand or promote themselves in the community.
"We have a lot of athletes that are like that [promote themselves in the community]," Vance said. "Lacrosse's Taylor Moncman's objective with NIL is more valued towards community outreach. She's been doing camps back home and doing more of those kinds of things. She also works with small businesses and gets connected in the community. It's a great way to get involved for someone who doesn't have a huge platform but is looking to build one."
Since Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Senate Bill 381 on July 1, 2021, Temple has been looking to educate their students about the basics, such as financial literacy, personal branding, and what NIL is. There are courses available for freshmen student-athletes to take at the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management, with a possibility of a minor in NIL in the future.
However, Temple's NIL Co-Op was created to facilitate discussions between student-athletes who are at the pulse of NIL, giving them a valuable forum to share what they are working on and brainstorm possible initiatives with their peers. Through Temple's Built on Broad Program, Temple Athletics will continue to hit the broad strokes of NIL but also implement more layers and guidance along the way, said Miller.
"We have a lot of great initiatives for all student education. We educate our student-athletes on financial literacy, personal branding, but we realized that while talking with Olivia there is a need for additional conversations and opportunity to connect with those athletes who are looking to put in the work. As a result, we wanted to create an environment where they can share information and learn from each other."
Other well-known Temple student-athletes such as Aleah Nelson, Brooke Donabedian, Elizabeth Novoseltseva, Jackson Pruitt, Brandon Janse Van Vuuren have been active club members, inviting their teammates to attend meetings including when guest speakers meet with the organization.
Last week, student-athletes met with Dan Morrissey, co-founder of Postgame, to discuss NIL opportunities. Postgame is one of the world's leading NIL platform, connecting college athletes with brands and other opportunities to earn from their NIL. Previous sessions have included presentations by Kristy Bannon, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director - Compliance and Student-Athlete Affairs, and Paige Wisehaupt, Assistant Athletic Director - Branding and Digital Strategy.
"It's really cool to hear what other people are doing and how they are utilizing their platforms," Donabedian said. "It gives me more ideas that I wouldn't have thought about on my own. It's why we're here: to bounce ideas off of each other."
While each athlete has their own choice whether or not to participate in NIL, student-athletes are responsible for managing their own brand and business development, as there are NCAA limitations on the role coaches and administrators can pay.
However, businesses can propose agreements with student-athletes for NIL activities through marketplaces such as Temple's Owl Exchange. Student-athletes must disclose any NIL activity, which is submitted and tracked through the INFLCR app. Potential NIL activities can include, but are not limited to, endorsements of businesses or organizations, appearances, camps or clinics, lessons (excluding golf), social media posts, or autograph signings.
Additionally, Temple has partnered with Fanatics, allowing student-athletes to opt-in to enable Fanatics to sell personalized, co-branded apparel. Proceeds from each product sold are paid to each student-athlete.
With more information and laws being created about NIL, Temple is looking to compete with other universities in terms of education and providing resources. The NIL Co-Op looks to provide student-athletes with a voice to unite and encourage engagement in the NIL space, thus creating more opportunities for Temple athletes.
"We want to assist students who are looking for more answers and guidance, and what better way than to bring them together to hear from each other," Miller said. "Through conversations with the NIL Co-Op we look to be more responsive to the changing needs our student-athletes as NIL continues its evolution."
The two have worked to bring student-athletes together, creating an intimate forum for collaboration, discussion, sharing and brainstorming with hopes to grow NIL engagement for Temple athletes.
"This all started with a series of conversations that we've had about NIL and where we are right now," Miller said. "We thought it would be great to gather student-athletes across sports with similar mindsets and passion like Olivia's and see what comes from it."
Vance's TikTok following of over 105K has fueled her NIL opportunities, which include previous partnerships with the Philadelphia Flyers, Crossnet Game, Gummishot, Elix Healing and the Wells Fargo Center, to name a few.
The goal of the NIL Co-Op is to be completely open and serve as a resource for any interested student-athlete looking to improve or enhance their NIL activity of any kind. The group does not only cater to those with a significant social media presence but also to other student-athletes interested in learning how to grow their brand or promote themselves in the community.
"We have a lot of athletes that are like that [promote themselves in the community]," Vance said. "Lacrosse's Taylor Moncman's objective with NIL is more valued towards community outreach. She's been doing camps back home and doing more of those kinds of things. She also works with small businesses and gets connected in the community. It's a great way to get involved for someone who doesn't have a huge platform but is looking to build one."
Since Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Senate Bill 381 on July 1, 2021, Temple has been looking to educate their students about the basics, such as financial literacy, personal branding, and what NIL is. There are courses available for freshmen student-athletes to take at the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management, with a possibility of a minor in NIL in the future.
However, Temple's NIL Co-Op was created to facilitate discussions between student-athletes who are at the pulse of NIL, giving them a valuable forum to share what they are working on and brainstorm possible initiatives with their peers. Through Temple's Built on Broad Program, Temple Athletics will continue to hit the broad strokes of NIL but also implement more layers and guidance along the way, said Miller.
"We have a lot of great initiatives for all student education. We educate our student-athletes on financial literacy, personal branding, but we realized that while talking with Olivia there is a need for additional conversations and opportunity to connect with those athletes who are looking to put in the work. As a result, we wanted to create an environment where they can share information and learn from each other."
Other well-known Temple student-athletes such as Aleah Nelson, Brooke Donabedian, Elizabeth Novoseltseva, Jackson Pruitt, Brandon Janse Van Vuuren have been active club members, inviting their teammates to attend meetings including when guest speakers meet with the organization.
Last week, student-athletes met with Dan Morrissey, co-founder of Postgame, to discuss NIL opportunities. Postgame is one of the world's leading NIL platform, connecting college athletes with brands and other opportunities to earn from their NIL. Previous sessions have included presentations by Kristy Bannon, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director - Compliance and Student-Athlete Affairs, and Paige Wisehaupt, Assistant Athletic Director - Branding and Digital Strategy.
"It's really cool to hear what other people are doing and how they are utilizing their platforms," Donabedian said. "It gives me more ideas that I wouldn't have thought about on my own. It's why we're here: to bounce ideas off of each other."
While each athlete has their own choice whether or not to participate in NIL, student-athletes are responsible for managing their own brand and business development, as there are NCAA limitations on the role coaches and administrators can pay.
However, businesses can propose agreements with student-athletes for NIL activities through marketplaces such as Temple's Owl Exchange. Student-athletes must disclose any NIL activity, which is submitted and tracked through the INFLCR app. Potential NIL activities can include, but are not limited to, endorsements of businesses or organizations, appearances, camps or clinics, lessons (excluding golf), social media posts, or autograph signings.
Additionally, Temple has partnered with Fanatics, allowing student-athletes to opt-in to enable Fanatics to sell personalized, co-branded apparel. Proceeds from each product sold are paid to each student-athlete.
With more information and laws being created about NIL, Temple is looking to compete with other universities in terms of education and providing resources. The NIL Co-Op looks to provide student-athletes with a voice to unite and encourage engagement in the NIL space, thus creating more opportunities for Temple athletes.
"We want to assist students who are looking for more answers and guidance, and what better way than to bring them together to hear from each other," Miller said. "Through conversations with the NIL Co-Op we look to be more responsive to the changing needs our student-athletes as NIL continues its evolution."
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