Bronx, N.Y. - A seismic shift in how student-athletes will benefit from their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is unfolding rapidly across college sports and Fordham Athletics is prepared to leverage this new age of financial compensation for its student-athletes.
 
"The Name, Image and Likeness recent rulings and pending landmark legislation are not advancing at a time with any uncertainty in our department," said Ed Kull, Director of Athletics at Fordham. "We've been preparing to ensure our 523 student-athletes are educated on financial literacy and most importantly, we want them developing a keen understanding of marketing and lucrative, smart self-promotion."
 
June 30 marked the change when all three divisions of college athletics adopted a singular policy that suspended NCAA rules on NIL for incoming and current student-athletes. The interim policy went into effect July 1 and acts as a stopgap until federal legislation is passed with uniformity for student-athletes nationally.
 
Prior to these recent actions, Fordham Athletics was geared up and prepared. Under Ed Kull's leadership, the department partnered with INFLCR, sports marketing expert Jeremy Darlow, and TeamAltemus. Each partnership covers a unique aspect of NIL to keep our student-athletes equipped and able to capitalize on their own personal brands. The new interim policy allows all student-athletes and recruits to earn money from activities ranging from autographs to endorsements. 
 
"There is a misconception out there that the student-athletes who stand to benefit from Name, Image and Likeness are going to come largely from schools with nationally-known players. Nothing could be further from the truth," said Kull.
 
Kull is referring to the lesser-known trends about marketing fundamentals he's familiar with after working in the marketing industry for 14 years with the NFL, Body Armour, and VitaminWater—from its nascent stage to going public in 2007.
 
Some research indicates women stand to benefit from NIL substantially and college athletes from any school can build and reach a wide audience with social media posts to their followers. A single high-valued social media account could also fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in sponsored content.
 
"Fordham is also unique in that it provides what is known as 'the New York Advantage,'—something only a few colleges can claim," said Kull. "Fordham student-athletes are playing in the media capital of the world. Center stage provides high-value visibility and New York City as our athletes' backdrop is its own character in successful brand building."
 
The Fordham alumni community has been generous with their time and talents, stepping up to act as mentors to student-athletes. NIL will continue to evolve: it's not a static change, "mentoring during the ever-evolving newness will be a business imperative," said Kull.
 
Because of the myriad legal nuances NIL presents, Fordham Athletics is offering pro bono legal advice to students as they embark on creating their brands and engaging with the corporate world, whether it's with sports beverages or health and wellness, contract law will come into play.
 
Kull added, "Name, Image and Likeness education and implementation is well underway at Fordham. Our student-athletes will have a strong foundation and understanding so they are empowered and confident in choosing, pursuing, and managing their Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for today, and long into the future as successful members of the Fordham community."