NIL: Do’s and Don’ts

Navigating the name, image, and likeness (NIL) landscape can be confusing and intimidating. There seem to be a lot more questions than answers and the potential risk of making a mistake can be detrimental to a young athlete’s career. We are trying to help current NCAA athletes better understand NIL, so whether or not you decide to coach on CoachUp, here are some important tips to remember regarding your NIL activity and leverage:

Do: 

1. Educate yourself on your university resources regarding NIL. 
2. Report your NIL activity to your university NIL officers to ensure compliance. 
3. Consider hiring a professional service to manage your NIL deals. 
4. Negotiate with prospective NIL clients to advocate for the best deal.  

Don’t: 

1. You cannot receive money for performance! 
2. You may not receive money for your recruitment to a certain school. 
3. When you sign a NIL deal, you cannot have the logo of your university associated with the brand you are marketing. You are promoting YOURSELF and NOT your school.
   1. Tip: take new action shots of you wearing brand-neutral clothing to avoid this issue!  
   2. This is important to remember when posting photos for your own CoachUp marketing.

---

Interested in joining our growing community of current NCAA athletes coaching on CoachUp? Learn more about CoachUp University and how you can get in on the action.

---

References

Hosick, M. (2021, June 30). NCAA adopts interim name, image and likeness policy. NCAA. 

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2021/6/30/ncaa-adopts-interim-name-image-and-likeness-policy.aspx

Zoroya, N. (2021, November 8). NCAA NIL Rules Guide: The Do’s & Don’ts of NIL. Lacrosse 

All Stars. https://laxallstars.com/ncaa-nil-rules-guide/