🏅 Interview with CU Assistant NIL Director Sadie Baker

Teaming up with

Hey there,

College football season is finally here, and what better way to kick off the season than bringing you an expert interview with the Assistant Director of NIL at probably the most hyped-up program in college football right now!

We spoke with Sadie Baker, the Assistant Director of Name, Image & Likeness at the University of Colorado Boulder.

In this interview, we discussed Colorado's NIL strategies, the Coach Prime effect, and the current state of NIL in Colorado.

You don’t want to skip this one!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

Can you describe the current state of NIL at the University of Colorado and how it has evolved since its inception?

We are constantly adapting in the NIL space, especially since Coach Prime joined us as our head football coach. In response, we have established an NIL department, strengthened our relationships with our Learfield Team, and created various NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. Educating our student-athletes, donors, and community members about NIL is our top priority as we continue to navigate this space. We often have to clarify the reality of NIL in our conversations, especially when it comes to sensational NIL headlines, which typically only apply to a small percentage of student-athletes. By explaining the differences between actual NIL and collectives, and how they differ, we have received strong support and buy-in from our supporters and the local community. 

What strategies and initiatives have you implemented to help student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities at the University of Colorado?

Before NIL, in collaboration with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship on campus, we developed an educational program focusing on three key areas: Entrepreneurship, Branding, and Financial Literacy. The program offers student-athletes practical, real-world learning experiences that they can apply to their NIL journey. We partnered with TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, the Denver Nuggets, Perseus Creative, and Influencer to bring various on-campus opportunities to our student-athletes, equipping them with the necessary tools for success in the NIL space. 

Teaming up with

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Coach Prime is a big personality to have on campus. The before-and-after of Coach Prime is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. How has his influence impacted Colorado’s NIL engagement as a whole?

Coach Prime has had a significant impact on and off the field at Colorado. The six sell-out home games are estimated to have generated an economic impact of $113.2 million. Our football game viewership numbers have significantly increased, bringing more media attention to our student-athletes and leading to more NIL opportunities. For example, a football student-athlete who started a game with 15,000 followers gained 50,000 followers in less than 24 hours after having a great game on national TV. This increase in followers opens up various brand deal opportunities and success in the NIL world.

With the additional media attention, we experienced a significant increase in interest for many of our other sports. These sports programs had successful seasons, such as winning a national championship in skiing and producing 3 NBA draft picks. By joining the Big 12, we are enthusiastic about the possibility of an even greater increase in NIL deals and opportunities for our student-athletes.son. 

Looking ahead, where do you see the NIL landscape heading in the next five years, and how is the University of Colorado preparing for these potential changes?

At the moment, it's really difficult to answer the toughest question in college athletics. With the ongoing House vs. NCAA case, the revenue-sharing model, and the future of collectives, no one knows for sure what will happen. We have monthly discussions with over 30 schools, and we're all trying to navigate and talk about these issues while dealing with the same challenges. What I do know is that we have excellent leadership here at CU that will take all the necessary steps to ensure we're ready for any potential challenges and changes.