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What works & what doesn't when you blend AI with NIL publicity

What works & what doesn't when you blend AI with NIL publicity

Build your reputation, earn deals and keep control of your name and image and likeness

Gail Sideman
August 27, 2025

If you’ve read the series about using AI for NIL publicity and productivity, you know you don’t need to live online. You need to focus on old-fashioned public relations: create material that informs and entertains, and pay attention to what people say and share about you.

If you’re in school, you probably already have a feel for AI’s benefits and pitfalls. Your best bet is to use AI just enough to connect the dots so you can learn, earn and manage your publicity and NIL outreach—but always, always with caution.

So what should you look for online? Start here:

What do people share, save or talk about?
Which of your posts and programs earn you new fans or messages?
What do people mention when they say your name?

Answer those, follow the breadcrumbs and you’ll see where to go next. Remember, AI can help give you ideas, but it should never replace or control your publicity or PR.

💡 Lesson learned: Bella Rasmussen + AI

Graduate: Laguna Beach High School, Calif.
Sport: Football (running back/defensive end); 💪🏼 first girl to score two touchdowns 🏈 in a varsity game.
NIL deal: Signed with KeyWise AI, a brain-health app that uses typing data to track mental wellness. She promoted it on social media and provided feedback as the first female high school athlete to sign an NIL deal.
Reality check: AI got most of Bella’s information right, but flat-out misdirected, er, made up stuff in other places. That reinforces my reminder for you to keep creating material so your correct info is found in future AI searches.

Bella Rasmussen leveraged transparency off the football field and talent on it to become the first high school female athlete to sign an NIL deal.

Takeaway: AI can help you spot trends and manage small tasks, but your name, image and likeness story and publicity? That’s yours. Always verify, always control it. 🚨And call out the B.S. on the platform you use when it feeds it to you. (Feel free to swear at it — it feels good.)

🏆 NIL playbook: Sam Hurley

Sam Hurley, University of Texas track star turned Texas Tech transfer, shows what happens when you stay authentic and consistent.

Keep it real: Share what you enjoy. Fans connect with you, not a curated persona.
Leverage athletic credibility: Your roster spot is your foundation. Social media and your landing page/website amplify it.
Choose smart partnerships: Only work with brands or publicity partners you believe in. True connection is everything.
Influence counts: Marketability isn’t limited to football or basketball. Quality over quantity wins. **Remember that local businesses can be great business partners, too. They’re not tapped to their publicity potential.

Sam Hurley parlayed personality and online popularity into NIL deals.

Snapshot: Sam has monetized his name, image and likeness into nearly $1 million in deals with companies like Amazon, Jimmy Dean and Vuori, all while staying true to himself and building trust with fans. His PR and publicity equation is simple: keep it real + smart exposure = marketable success.

Bottom line

NIL that works: awareness, authenticity, strategy and strong PR.
NIL that doesn’t work: let AI (or anyone/anything else) control your brand or publicity.

I hope this short series about how to use AI to maximize your NIL is helpful as you jump into a new sports and school year. As always, let me know how I can help you turn up the volume on your value so you can learn and earn with NIL.

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