Your NIL Strategy Is Missing a Strategy

NIL: Tactics vs. Strategy

Most athletic departments, across all Divisions, have taken steps to address NIL. They’ve partnered with marketplaces and tech platforms, provided occasional education, and even launched NIL Collectives.

These are important steps, but they’re tactics - not strategy. Tactics alone won’t significantly impact recruiting or retention of student-athletes.

A strategy, on the other hand, is unique to each institution. It’s a unified plan that aligns all components - education, marketplaces, Collectives, and compliance - with the department’s goals and culture.

Unlike tactics, a strong strategy ensures everything works together to drive meaningful results. Without it, athletic departments risk inefficiency, missed opportunities, and falling behind as the NIL landscape evolves.

To kick off 2025, here are my 7 recommendations on building a successful NIL strategy, drawn from my recent experience working with schools, particularly DI mid-majors, as they’ve taken steps forward.

1. Your Vision and Your Goals

Every successful strategy starts with a clear vision. What does NIL success look like for your athletic department?

Common goals might include:

  • Enhancing recruiting and retention efforts.

  • Increasing athlete support and satisfaction.

  • Driving community engagement with local businesses.

Defining your NIL goals provides a framework for aligning tactics and measuring your progress.

2. Education

Sporadic workshops aren’t enough. NIL education should be structured, ongoing, and tailored to athletes at different stages of their journey.

If you have been reading this newsletter for a while, you know how I feel: “life skills” are great, but student-athletes are most engaged when we teach them how to land NIL partnerships. To do that, they need to be taught:

  • How to build a personal brand for NIL.

  • How to build NIL-centric social media.

  • How to market & sell their NIL to small/local businesses.

Everything else is just gravy. Important gravy for sure, but just gravy.

3. Athletic Department Culture

I’ve worked in the sports industry for 25+ years and one thing I’ve learned is that every organization thinks that they’re unique - that their challenges, opportunities, and culture is their own.

While not always true in the corporate world, I have come to believe that each athletic department truly does have its own values, and priorities. Your NIL strategy must reflect this unique culture.

Involve stakeholders, including coaches, administrators, and athletes, in the planning process to ensure buy-in. This alignment ensures that your NIL strategy feels authentic and supports the department’s mission.

4. Community Engagement

Outside of the Power Four (who rely on their Collectives to do the heavy lifting), NIL success hinges on local business involvement. Many local businesses don’t know where to start or how to connect with student-athletes. (Let me be even more direct: most small businesses don’t really know what NIL is.)

Here’s what you can do:

  • Host NIL mixers or networking events for local businesses and your student-athletes.

  • Provide local businesses with easy-to-understand resources guides and email campaigns.

  • Support your student-athletes: They are usually put in the role of educating local businesses on how NIL partnerships work.

In it’s most common form, NIL is a two-sided marketplace of your student-athletes and local businesses. Engaging those businesses strengthens your NIL program.

5. Tech Platforms

Tech platforms, including NIL marketplaces and social media support, are essential for compliance and opportunity management. To ensure they drive results, athletic departments should focus on the following:

  • Simplify and only address key needs, including compliance and discovering opportunities.

  • Provide more training! I’ve done surveys showing that less than half of NIL deals are being submitted via a school’s tech platform (or at all.) In part, that’s because student-athletes grow frustrated when they don’t know how to use a platform.

  • Regularly evaluate platform usage and effectiveness. Are athletes engaging? Are you communicating regularly about these resources?

When implemented effectively, tech platforms simplify processes, reduce administrative burdens, and help athletes maximize their NIL opportunities.

6. Branding Your NIL Program

A strong NIL program deserves a distinct identity that reflects the values and goals of your athletic department. Yes, I’m talking about a name and logo. Here’s how to establish impactful branding:

  • Choose a name that resonates with your institution’s culture and mission. Pair it with a logo that is visually appealing, recognizable, and adaptable for use across platforms.

  • Branding isn’t just for athletes—it’s for the entire community. Ensure coaches, administrators, and local businesses recognize and understand the program. Use branded materials during meetings, community events, and athlete training sessions to build awareness.

  • Promote your NIL program brand internally and externally. Use your branding to highlight the program in recruiting efforts and community outreach.

A strong, recognizable brand elevates the NIL program’s visibility and reputation, making it a source of pride for athletes and a trusted resource for stakeholders. It signals to recruits, current athletes, and the community that your institution is serious about NIL success.

7. Support

Athletes need personalized support to have NIL success. While workshops and courses provide foundational knowledge, direct interaction builds confidence and actionable skills. Here’s how to provide effective support:

  • Pair athletes with experienced peers, alumni, or industry professionals to offer practical advice and insights.

  • Provide individualized support to help athletes navigate deals, understand contracts, and plan their NIL strategies.

  • Use internal resources or for deeper expertise, bring in NIL specialists (I offer “NIL Office Hours,” monthly small-group sessions for more targeted help.)

A strong support system - whether through staff or external experts - ensures athletes are empowered to pursue NIL opportunities with confidence.

Conclusion

NIL tactics are essential, but they’re just the start. To succeed in 2025 and beyond, athletic departments must connect these elements into a cohesive strategy. Build a strategy that works for your department, your athletes, and your unique goals.

About Bill Carter

Bill has advised brands on Name, Image, Likeness for 25 years—first in pro sports, now at the college level. He was the Co-Founder of the Gen Z sports agency Fuse, which he sold in 2019. In 2020, he founded Student-Athlete Insights and consults on NIL strategy with Fortune 500 companies and 30+ DI universities. Read more about Student-Athlete Insights.

Bill Carter