An NIL partnership might be the best publicity move your business hasn’t made

If you run a business in a college town and haven’t worked with an athlete in your backyard, you're missing out.

Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals aren’t just for big brand and blue-chip players. They’re for the pizza place around the corner, the gym with a loyal 6 a.m. crew, a boutique that sells spirit swag and others looking to raise their profile.

When athletes earned the right to profit from their NIL, July 1, 2021, college sports changed forever. That’s why National NIL Day was created: to remind you what’s possible when young athletes and businesses work together. Some businesses saw the opportunity. Others are still sitting on the sidelines while bold brands get the publicity. The real action? It’s happening right in your backyard.

Go local

Forget the six-figure headlines. While some deals climb that high, many at the local level start with trades or modest payments. A free haircut. Store credit. A tab at a taco joint. With the right athlete and offer, you can turn an NIL partnership into thousands of dollars in exposure and earned media without buying a single ad.

How?

Area athletes are already influencing your community. They’ve got loyal followings, real reach and local credibility that blows generic ads out of the water. Your customers are already watching them. The question is: are they seeing you alongside them?

Here’s why NIL partnerships work for businesses focused on visibility and growth: 👇🏼

🌇 They build local ties.
Fans love seeing their hometown stars supported by businesses that work as hard as they do. It creates a community loop that connects. Support them, they support you. Fans support both. That’s marketing and PR you can’t get with a half-page ad.

🏃🏽‍♂️‍➡️Athletes give your PR and marketing budget legs.
This isn’t charity. It’s brand alignment with someone who connects to your audience better than most agencies. Whether they shout you out online, wear your logo in public or show up for a grand opening, it lands harder because it’s personal and local.

🤝They fuel collaboration.
The strongest NIL deals are more than transactions. They’re partnerships. You bring business and brand experience and athletes bring fresh ideas, digital instincts and energy. Together you learn to reach and engage different audiences, and both of you grow from it.

📐Athletes give your business an edge.
Some of your competitors already see publicity and sales value in working with athletes. An athlete repping your brand gives you content, credibility and reach. That’s built-in content for your socials and let’s be real — it’s miles more engaging than a page with stock photos and AI filler.

📝Bottom line …
If you’ve been watching NIL from the sidelines, it’s time to move. Find an athlete whose voice and values align with yours. Be clear, fair, and yes, pay them for the valuable time and insight they offer. They bring you something most businesses can’t buy: access, credibility and visibility. They make others want to buy from and support you.

P.S. Need help connecting with athletes or creating a smart, compliant and publicity-minded deal? I work with businesses and people in all levels of sport. Don’t guess—get guidance.

©2025, Gail Sideman, The NIL Edge, gpublicity.com

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Educate, empower and engage with purpose, July 1

I created National NIL Day because July 1, 2021 marked a pivotal shift in college athletics. That was the day athletes finally gained the same earning ability as other scholarship students — the right to profit from their NIL without losing eligibility to compete.

 👥 Support and help us celebrate National NIL Day. 🗣️ Join the conversation with thoughts and successful NIL stories by using hashtags #NationalNILDay and #NILImpact. 🎉