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NIL promotional opportunities can be available for college athletes and even non-athletes, like student managers, marching band members and cheerleaders. But this one is unique.
Tom Cillo, 58, a freshman at Division III Lycoming College, just became the oldest college football player to sign an NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal — teaming up with Aspercreme, the over-the-counter pain relief brand. According to The Athletic, Cillo’s deal includes a four-year supply of Aspercreme and an undisclosed payment, marking the company’s first NIL partnership.
For Aspercreme, the partnership is a perfect fit. Philip Durocher, The brand wants to spotlight “age-defying individuals” who challenge expectations and show that “age is not a limit.” Cillo now hopes to become the oldest college football player since 61-year-old Tom Thompson kicked for Austin College in 2009.
Aspercreme looks like it made a great connection showing how its formula can help with aches and pains for those of a certain age. Sometimes, NIL is successful when it matches a brand to a situation regardless of on-field performance.
Tom Cillo during a Lycoming College football practice.
Mark Sanchez news and damaging a decades-old reputation in minutes
The Mark Sanchez incident in Indianapolis broke over the weekend and recently included a civil lawsuit from the victim and . There’s no need to recap the events because they’re readily available from multiple sources.
What sticks out is how Sanchez ruined the solid reputation — as an athlete, teammate and coworker — he built over decades in just a few minutes. He was considered a likable person who was good at his professions, but now more people are aware of him from this incident than from that.
We’ll see how it unfolds but there’s something to be said about having a mellow night or even staying in a hotel when visiting an unfamiliar city.
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NIL companies shuttering, including one representing 40 universities
A company that helped athletes get NIL offers at up to 40 universities announced it will close its doors. Student Athlete NIL represented athletes at Power Four schools including Oklahoma, Rutgers, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. The company’s website is still live.
This means a primary NIL resource for NCAA athletes at those schools is no longer available so they need to determine another solution.
Similarly, Arkansas cut ties with Blueprint Sports, a similar company that was in the process of acquiring Student Athlete NIL before that deal was called off.
The Knight Society, an NIL collective for Rutgers students-athletes, is also shutting down.
Even four years after NIL became an option, the landscape is still fluid, and companies, athletes and agents are still learning how to navigate it.
Current homepage for Student Athlete NIL
Quick Hits
College football’s NIL market is booming, with over 8,300 deals worth nearly $80 million cleared this summer and more than 28,000 athletes now registered on the NIL Go platform. But as brands like Adidas and DirecTV expand their involvement, legal experts warn that complex contracts and inconsistent state rules are creating new risks that could cost athletes eligibility or earnings.
The announced Hulu docuseries chronicling Bill Belichick’s first season as an NCAA head football coach has been scrapped. No reason was cited but the team’s lackluster 2-3 record and likely decreased interested are considered the cause. (ESPN)
Overtime
Hope you’re enjoying the Game Changers newsletter.
Brought to you by Eric Wein from Athletes Endorse, a Los Angeles-based agency that creates sales-driven athlete marketing campaigns in under 30 days.
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Until next week,
