• Loading stock data...
Friday, March 29, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Making Moves in NIL

  • Agencies have already gone after the biggest athletes in several different sports.
  • They've also already facilitated many NIL deals, from merchandise to brand endorsements.
Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

The NIL era isn’t even three months old, but agencies have already gone after the biggest athletes in several different sports.

Here’s a look at some of the highest-profile names whose sponsorships are handled by major agencies: 

  • CAA: Alabama QB Bryce Young, Duke basketball player Paolo Banchero, and Maryland WR Rakim Jarrett. 
  • Everett Sports Marketing: Georgia QB JT Daniels, Fresno State basketball players Hanna and Haley Cavinder, and UNC QB Sam Howell. 
  • Klutch Sports: USC QB Kedon Slovis. 
  • Steinberg Sports & Entertainment: Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler, Liberty QB Malik Willis, South Carolina safety RJ Roderick, and Coastal Carolina CB D’Jordan Strong.
  • Wasserman Sports: UConn basketball player Paige Bueckers, UNT soccer player (and former trailblazing kicker at Vanderbilt) Sarah Fuller.
  • WME: LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne.

These agencies have facilitated many of the deals you’ve probably already heard of. WME facilitated Dunne’s partnership with Vuori, and Wasserman helped create Fuller’s clothing line. 

Agents argue that without their help, athletes could be exploited. Burney offered some advice when it comes to one certain type of deal: autographs. 

“You have guys telling kids, ‘Hey, come here and sign for two hours and I’ll pay you X amount,” he said. It’s the fly-by-night memorabilia companies you have to be concerned about, not the major ones. 

“They will tell you, ‘Hey, don’t tell your agent. Don’t tell your manager. You won’t have to pay taxes. I will give you cash.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NCAA President Calls for Nationwide Ban on College Prop Bets

The NCAA president is reacting to the recent betting turmoil in sports.

Who Is the Highest-Paid Men’s College Basketball Coach?

Kansas’ Bill Self has been with the program for 20 years.

History in Hanover: Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Players Vote to Unionize

The team became the first in D-I to officially vote to unionize.
Nov 25, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly reacts after the game against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl.

Coaches Hate the Transfer Portal. But Their Coaching Carousel Is Making the Problem Worse

Thirty head football coaches have left or were fired from their positions.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Why the Timberwolves Sale was Called Off

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.
March 27, 2024

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

How Lack of Planning by NCAA, Gonzaga Led to Racial Abuse of Utah Athletes

The NCAA gave Gonzaga a waiver to place teams in an extremist hotbed.
March 25, 2024

The Brian Kelly ‘Hit Job’ Kim Mulkey Ripped Is Barely About Brian Kelly at All

The article was hardly about Kelly at all.
March 25, 2024

The Pac-12’s Departing Members Have Inked Their Divorce Contract

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought last fall.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
March 23, 2024

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.
March 22, 2024

March Madness Upsets Reflect Deeper Changes in College Landscape

Calipari laments the reduced role in the sport for younger players.
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Stetson Hatters guard Stephan Swenson (30) reacts during team practice at Barclays Center.
March 22, 2024

First-Time NCAA Men’s Tourney Bids Could Be on the Verge of Extinction

Power and success are consolidating around the richest teams in college sports.
March 21, 2024

Is Bigger Better? Coaches Divided on March Madness Expansion

Expanding the men’s NCAA tournament has been a big talking point this week.