We have had discussions on here in the past about how Northwestern approaches the NIL topic with its athletes. Some here have criticized NU for having no real plan. Others have argued that, of course NU has a plan, we just don't know it. In that light, I found the email I received today about UConn student athletes very interesting. This email was public and went around to all supporters of UConn athletics. As a faculty member, I received it, but I think these kinds of emails go also to season ticket holders and anyone who at some point gave UConn athletics their email address. It is interesting because not only is there a pretty detailed plan, but also they released the plan for all to see. It's a long read, so feel free to skip or browse, but it was interesting to see how active and engaged the university is.
As the landscape of college athletics continues to change, UConn has embraced the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era with confidence. We consistently strive to support our student-athletes in this space with the primary goal of enhancing this support system inclusive of partnerships and resources. We believe this approach will provide a broad range of opportunities for our student athletes, subsequently displaying a track record that will maximize our competitiveness and recruiting efforts and allowing us to achieve at the highest levels.
Philosophically we believe in a holistic student-athlete experience, and we are focused on providing our student-athletes with the necessary knowledge and tools to succeed. Educational opportunities for student-athletes are being augmented by programming provided by the Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Werth Institute has established its Championship Labs subdivision to specifically support UConn students and student-athletes who are eager to learn more about innovative approaches to NIL. Championship Labs seeks to provide support in creating a personal branding plan, mentoring through brand development, early-stage business coaching, and assistance with financial planning.
Furthermore we have strategically built out an internal support structure to support our student-athletes in the fast-evolving NIL realm, led by Jason Butikofer who has more than 20 years of athletics administration experience. Since 2021, we have partnered with Opendorse to provide a platform for our student-athletes to understand, build, and monetize their personal brands in collaboration with our multimedia rights partner, Learfield. Most recently, UConn and The Brandr Group have established a group licensing agreement for all of our student-athletes, affording them the opportunity to combine their NIL with official UConn trademarks and logos in the realm of merchandising.
This ecosystem will only continue to grow, aided by collectives through which school supporters pool funds to help create NIL programs for student-athletes through a wide range of activities. UConn has been presented with two collectives that we believe strongly align with the best interests of student-athletes.
The first, the D'Amelio Huskies Collective formed by 1991 UConn alumnus Marc D'Amelio, will help provide opportunities for student-athletes while also lending his expertise in the personal branding landscape. Yesterday, a second collective, Bleeding Blue for Good, was launched as an additional opportunity for our student-athletes to grow their NIL. We could not be more thankful to have a trusted group of alumni step up to the plate to broaden the avenue of opportunities available to our student-athletes through these collectives.
We believe that through these aforementioned efforts, we are providing our student-athletes who choose to engage in NIL activities the means to do so at the highest level. Your support through any of these robust NIL initiatives is not only appreciated but critical to support our student-athletes and allow us to continue to pursue championships.
David Benedict
Director of Athletics
UConn NIL Update from David Benedict
As the landscape of college athletics continues to change, UConn has embraced the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era with confidence. We consistently strive to support our student-athletes in this space with the primary goal of enhancing this support system inclusive of partnerships and resources. We believe this approach will provide a broad range of opportunities for our student athletes, subsequently displaying a track record that will maximize our competitiveness and recruiting efforts and allowing us to achieve at the highest levels.
Philosophically we believe in a holistic student-athlete experience, and we are focused on providing our student-athletes with the necessary knowledge and tools to succeed. Educational opportunities for student-athletes are being augmented by programming provided by the Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Werth Institute has established its Championship Labs subdivision to specifically support UConn students and student-athletes who are eager to learn more about innovative approaches to NIL. Championship Labs seeks to provide support in creating a personal branding plan, mentoring through brand development, early-stage business coaching, and assistance with financial planning.
Furthermore we have strategically built out an internal support structure to support our student-athletes in the fast-evolving NIL realm, led by Jason Butikofer who has more than 20 years of athletics administration experience. Since 2021, we have partnered with Opendorse to provide a platform for our student-athletes to understand, build, and monetize their personal brands in collaboration with our multimedia rights partner, Learfield. Most recently, UConn and The Brandr Group have established a group licensing agreement for all of our student-athletes, affording them the opportunity to combine their NIL with official UConn trademarks and logos in the realm of merchandising.
This ecosystem will only continue to grow, aided by collectives through which school supporters pool funds to help create NIL programs for student-athletes through a wide range of activities. UConn has been presented with two collectives that we believe strongly align with the best interests of student-athletes.
The first, the D'Amelio Huskies Collective formed by 1991 UConn alumnus Marc D'Amelio, will help provide opportunities for student-athletes while also lending his expertise in the personal branding landscape. Yesterday, a second collective, Bleeding Blue for Good, was launched as an additional opportunity for our student-athletes to grow their NIL. We could not be more thankful to have a trusted group of alumni step up to the plate to broaden the avenue of opportunities available to our student-athletes through these collectives.
We believe that through these aforementioned efforts, we are providing our student-athletes who choose to engage in NIL activities the means to do so at the highest level. Your support through any of these robust NIL initiatives is not only appreciated but critical to support our student-athletes and allow us to continue to pursue championships.
Director of Athletics
