The Twelve Days of NIL

Hey there,

‘Tis the season for giving, which is exactly what we’re talking about today. We want to push back on this narrative that NIL is all about greed and money — in fact, we see NIL used for good all the time.

That’s why, to celebrate the holiday season, we’ve been counting down the Twelve Days of NIL on Instagram. It’s a celebration of NIL’s most heartwarming stories, the ones that make you realize that it’s not all Scrooges and Grinches out there.

So without further ado, here’s NIL Wire’s 12 Days of NIL, the giving season’s best feel-good stories. We hope you enjoy, and we wish you a happy holidays from the entire NIL Wire team!

— Cole, Justin and Collin

Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Dance GIF

12. UVA Athlete Uses NIL for Navy Seals

Virginia baseball player Ethan Anderson began his journey in a military family, moving across continents and attending five different schools in five years. His father was a Navy Seal and this shaped Ethans respect and support for the Navy Seal Foundation.

When Ethan signed his first NIL deal he pledged 100% of his earnings to support the Navy Seal Foundation. His goal was to raise awareness for military families and their challenges. (More)

11. McCarthy Gifts NIL to O-Line

With the NFL on the horizon, Michigan QB JJ McCarthy is poised for a bright future after college. Yet, for now, his focus remains on channeling his NIL earnings to support his offensive lineman. More than just financial support, McCarthy shows the leadership the future face of a franchise needs to have. (More)

10. Deja Kelly Spreads Xmas Cheer with NIL

UNC WBB player Deja Kelly has brought a different bell to the sleigh. During the Jump-man Invitational Kelly spread some holiday cheer through an NIL partnership. She gifted every coach and player from both UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams with personalized Beats headphones. (More)

9. NIL Cancels Student Loans

Anthony Leal of IU basketball used a NIL deal to pay off all of his sisters student loan debt relief. (More)

8. Mady Albach Hands Out Holiday Turkeys

Youngstown State basketballs Mady Aulbach used an NIL deal to hand out Turkey’s to families in need this holiday season. (More)

7. NIL Collectives Tax-Exempt Status

The IRS has casted doubt on NIL collectives tax-exempt status. (More)

6. Black Friday Creates Big $$ for Athletes

The rush of NIL has led to a vacuum of athlete-licensed apparel. Enter The NIL Store. Now serving 46 NCAA D1 universities, The NIL Store championed fairness in the NIL space.

The NIL Store offers 20-30% royalties to athletes, unlike the reported 4% from other industry giants. Their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale was a slam dunk, raising over $100K in royalties for student-athletes in November alone. (More)

5. Arch Manning uses NIL for Charity

Arch Manning donated all the proceeds from his first NIL deal to charity. The deal was with Panini America to auction off a trading card. (More)

4. Jayden Daniels Gifts LSU

Heisman winner Jayden Daniels partnered with HEYDUDE for their “Holi-Dude” campaign and became LSU’s Santa Claus. Through this NIL deal, Daniels surprised LSU staff and players with festive shoes, spreading joy across the athletics community.

Daniels isn’t alone; other football luminaries like Jordan Travis and Quinn Ewers are also part of this heartwarming campaign, spreading joy to their teams. (More)

3. Stanford Athlete Gives Back with NIL

Stanford football player Terian Williams II has utilized his NIL earnings to make an impact. He dedicated himself to providing groceries, Christmas presents, and housing to 10 families in need spreading joy this holiday season. (More)

2. Georgia Football uses NIL to Give Back

In the spirit of giving, Georgia football brings holiday cheer to underprivileged children. Offensive lineman Micah Morris kicked off the generosity by gifting over 100 presents to the Boys and Girls Club of Athens. Not stopping there star QB Carson Beck joined forces with Onward Reserve and the ESM Agency, providing $200 each to 10 deserving children for their Christmas shopping spree. (More)

1. Utah Gifts Brand New Trucks

The Utah’s Crimson Collective secured one of the craziest NIL deals to date, gifting a lease to all 85 of their scholarship football players for a brand-new Dodge truck.

The deal’s price is certainly high, but it’s not without some boundaries. The trucks are on six-month leases that roll over so long as the player retains enrollment and eligibility. There’s also a piece of the lease agreement that gives Ken Garff Automotive the ability to sell the trucks to the general public after a year. (More)