The University of Oklahoma Has Raised the Standard for Universities’ NIL Efforts

The shift in college athletics brought about by the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation, has pushed universities to redefine their approach to student-athlete compensation.

A trailblazer in this space, the University of Oklahoma (OU), has devised a strategic blueprint to navigate the constantly evolving NIL landscape while upholding its commitment to student-athlete welfare and success.

We will look into the University of Oklahoma’s blueprint to understand how they support their student-athletes, differentiate themselves from other universities, and maintain compliance.

What is OU’s Goal?

Oklahoma is very clear about what they aim to achieve for their student-athletes: they will set them up for long-term success by supporting them in building their personal brand and equipping them with valuable skills for their future endeavors.

OU will not be known as the university that provides a few deals and moves on.

Their strategy to achieve this goal is divided into three categories: education, collaboration, and innovation.

First, we’ll dive deeper into the education category.

1. Education

The University of Oklahoma partnered with Altius Sports Partners to establish an “Athletes Service Division” (ASD).

The goal of ASD is to increase student-athletes' awareness of NIL policy changes, compliance requirements, and available opportunities.

In order to best support their athletes, ASD is structured with experienced professionals, each assigned to a specific role that aligns with achieving the overall goal.

The division has been designed with adaptability to respond to the ever-changing NIL landscape and to different athletes’ needs.

To help with student-athletes' personal branding, ASD offers resources like content creation advising, education on business development, and guidance on growing a social media presence.

The resources that are chosen to be offered contribute to diversifying and maximizing student-athletes’ revenue opportunities.

Unifying Altius Sports Partners national experience with the local knowledge of OU’s staff will strengthen the division’s ability to support its athletes.

Next, let’s examine the collaboration piece of the blueprint.

2. Collaboration

OU’s student-athletes can earn money in two ways: through fans or donors and through businesses.

The group that helps student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities ethically is the Crimson and Cream Collective.

To engage fans and donors, Crimson and Cream has created a membership subscription for them to join. Fans and donors’ contributions will benefit the student-athlete experience. In return, they will receive exclusive access to events, meet-and-greets with student-athletes, and memorabilia.

Recently, Crimson and Cream launched a membership challenge with their partner, Ascend Fundraising Solutions, to drive membership sign-ups. A specific dollar amount will go back to the OU student-athlete experience. The challenge will run for 50 days with a chance for participants to win seven exclusive stickers.

To involve businesses, Crimson and Cream is focusing on creating long-term relationships with businesses to secure retainer deals: multiple NIL deals the collective can facilitate over a period of time.

For example, Crismon and Cream secured a retainer deal with a Midwest restaurant chain where 130 student-athletes will receive at least $500 each.

The university is focusing more of their efforts on developing long-term relationships for consumer opportunities to minimize dependence on donor dollars.

Lastly, let’s explore how the University of Oklahoma is innovating its strategy.

3. Innovation

An engagement app was launched in October as a different approach to drive memberships to the Crimson and Cream Collective. The app’s purpose is to make the collective more accessible and attractive for fans and donors to sign up.

In conclusion, OU has utilized collaboration, education, and innovation to establish a strong presence in the NIL space. The university was a finalist for the 2023 Best Institutional Program.

The foundation laid is setting the university apart from the rest because they’re investing in their student-athletes’ long-term success.

The University of Oklahoma Has Raised the Standard for Universities’ NIL Efforts

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