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BU Athletes Sign NIL Deals

By: Anna Lococo and Leighanne Jordan

Carissa Reyes promotes Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen for her NIL deal. Photo courtesy of Carissa Reyes’ Instagram.


Over the past two years, Bellarmine athletes have received more than 30 NIL deals, with female athletes inking more sponsorship contracts than male athletes.


Making money through name, image, and likeness also known as NIL, became permissible for NCAA athletes in July 2021.


The NCAA allows athletes to benefit and promote their own name, image and likeness with few restrictions; universities are allowed to make their own policies within the NCAA guidelines.


There is an average of about 35 Bellarmine athletes among 10 teams that have signed NIL deals since the policy took effect, with 21 female athletes and 14 male athletes signing NIL deals.


There are about a dozen NIL deals this year. To see a list of NIL deals with Bellarmine athletes from the last three semesters, check out the last paragraph.


Junior volleyball player, Bailey Venard, and five of her teammates have an NIL deal with Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen for $300 monthly. Venard also has a NIL deal with Astoria Activewear.


“I receive $200 a month in gift cards from Vinaigrette, and when I complete all of the assignments for the month I get a $100 check,” Venard said. “From Astoria Activewear, I get 30% off any of my purchases, and I get 15% commission on any sales I make when someone uses my discount code.”


According to the NCAA policy, “schools can and should require student-athletes to report NIL activities to the athletic department.” The NCAA board also noted that this rule is determined on a state-by-state basis.


Bellarmine athletes are required to disclose their NIL deals to the university prior to signing a contract with a company. This is done through the ARMS program, a software system used by athletes to submit their contracts for review by the BU athletic department.


Anna Crump, a junior field hockey player, has an NIL deal with HocSocx. HocSocx designs liner socks that are worn under field hockey athlete’s shin guards. Crump said she is eager to promote the HocSocx brand with social media posts a few times a month in return for free merchandise.


Crump led the team in shots in the fall season and leads the field hockey team in NIL deals with two deals, HocSocx and Liquid IV.


“I went through the ARMS software that compliance sent out, and it was pretty easy,” Crump said, “I filled out a few forms and signed another form.”


There are reasons some college institutions require athletes to go through the approval process, said Bellarmine Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Bellarmine Annie Coryell.


“If it is anything health- or nutrition-related, the athletic trainers see that and review it from their standpoint,” Coryell said. “It is also reviewed from a development standpoint if there are any conflicts with our current contracts that the university might have, which also looks at how Bellarmine marks and logos are going to be used.”


The NCAA Policy also said “the board noted that schools generally can and should provide education to current student-athletes, including on topics like financial literacy, taxes, social media practices and entrepreneurship.”


Kentucky law requires all first-year and third-year athletes to have five hours of NIL education related to financial literacy immediately upon their first and third year of enrollment.


“There are many specific things identified and outlined in that law that student athletes need to be educated on,” Coryell said.


Wilson Murphree, a junior on the lacrosse team, has an NIL deal with Rhoback Performance Activewear and receives 20% commission on sales made through his discount code. Murphree posts on social media platforms several times a month.


“The class showed me the value of money and how some of the benefits included with NIL allow me to accumulate income that can be used to help me through college,'' Murphree said. “I learned how budgeting is extremely important when considering all of the costs that come with being a D1 athlete.”


Here are the NIL deals Bellarmine athletes, by team, have signed since the policy took effect in July 2021.



Volleyball

Hannah Brown- BUBBL’R

  • Energy drinks monthly

  • Clothing

Kylie Vanhoy- BUBBL’R

  • Energy drinks monthly

  • Clothing

Hallie Westmeyer- BUBBL’R

  • Energy drinks monthly

  • Clothing

Anna Lococo- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen and Opening Day Apparel

  • Gets paid $100 from both monthly

  • Clothing

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

Carissa Reyes- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

  • Gets paid $100 a month

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

Emily Arnold- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen and Barstool

  • Gets paid $100 a month

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

Bailey Venard- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen and Astoria Activewear

  • Gets paid $100 a month

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

  • 30% off any purchases

  • 15% commission

Sydney Colvin- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

  • Gets paid $100 a month

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

Jayme Scott- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

  • Gets paid $100 a month

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month

Morgan Caba- Drip Drop

  • Gets free packets

  • Merchandise

Gabby Brissett- Playa Bowls

  • Free smoothies and bowls

  • Clothing


Women’s Basketball

Gracie Merkle- Kenn Combs Running Store & Moolah

  • Free merchandise

  • $50 every time she talks to a sports team


Field Hockey

Anna Crump- HocSocx and Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Amber Hofenk Jerembo- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Alexa Rastigue- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Peyton Hobson- SunnyD

  • Apparel

  • Drink monthly subscription


Softball

Megan Konermann- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise


Women’s Soccer

Grace Barber- Underdog Athleticx Sportswear

  • Gets a discount code to give people when buying clothes

  • Gets commission off the purchases made with her code

Tristian Whalen- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Sophie Bish- Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

  • Gets paid $100

  • Gets a $200 gift card each month


T/F and CC

Justice Pohlman- Quest Nutrition

  • Free merchandise

Zac Hutslar- Rhoback

  • Gets a discount code to give people when buying clothes

  • Gets commission off the purchases made with his code


Lacrosse

Wilson Murphree- Rhoback

  • Gets a discount code to give people when buying clothes

  • Gets commission off the purchases made with his code

Lucas Sinon – Liquid I.V. and SidelineSwap

  • Free merchandise

  • Buy and sell gear


Mens Basketball

Bash Wieland- Dan-O’s seasoning

  • Free merchandise

Nick Thelen- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Alec Pfriem- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise


Men’s Soccer

Matthew Brozovich- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

TJ Dapore- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Andrew Blank- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Nolan McGrath- Liquid I.V. and Barstool Sports

  • Free merchandise

Camden Dunne- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Peyton Fosnough- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise

Brock Pope- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise


Mens Swimming

Andrew Nguyen- Liquid I.V.

  • Free merchandise


Sprint Football

Di’Maurye Ewing- Lifestyle Bands

  • Free merchandise



Womens sports:

Tennis – No response to Knights Media Network

Swimming- 0

Golf- 0


Mens:

Baseball- 0

Golf - 0

Tennis – No response to Knights Media Network

Wrestling – No response to Knights Media Network



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