Iowa's Caitlin Clark signs with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation

Up until this season, Caitlin Clark kept her NIL management in-house.

The Iowa guard and reigning National Player of the Year had worked with her uncle, Mike Nizzi, on deals with Nike, State Farm, Topps and Hy-Vee.

But now Clark has brought on formal NIL representation, signing with Excel Sports Management. Alan Zucker, Colleen Garrity and Erin Kane will all assist in representation. Excel has built out an entire NIL division, working with names like Zia Cooke, Rachel Heck and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

The agency also reps Tiger Woods, Peyton and Eli Manning and an extensive list of women’s basketball players including three-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, three-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Napheesa Collier and WNBA All-Rookie player NaLyssa Smith. 

“I’m lucky to just be starting my career at a time when sports are intertwined with business and entertainment more so than ever before,” Clark said in a release. “Excel has an incredible track record of helping clients extend their profile and impact far beyond the bounds of their sport and pursue different passions while also competing at the highest level.

“Personally, I am looking forward to being part of innovative partnerships, helping to elevate women’s sports and supporting others through the Caitlin Clark Foundation.”

After leading Iowa to a national title appearance last season, she’s back for what is expected to be her final year before entering the WNBA draft. She could return for another season, however, thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-19 policy giving her an extra year of eligibility. She’s publicly treating the 2023-24 season as her last, though.

Clark became the first player in NCAA women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season. One of the leading faces in the sport, she’s expected to be a lottery pick if she turns pro.

Caitlin Clark continues to win in NIL

Caitlin Clark has seen her social media following take off since last spring’s Final Four. After averaging 27.8 points last year, she now has more than 1 million followers. The point guard has 43 career double-doubles. 

She signed with Nike in October as an obvious long-term play for the sportswear brand. The brand launched name and number tees and sweatshirts for the Iowa guard ahead of the NCAA tourney, one of the first moves by Nike to monetize her NIL outside of social media posts. She recently appeared in promotional material for the brand’s Nike Tech merchandise. 

Her value in the Iowa market only continues to rise, too. She held multiple skills camps this summer, which sold out in a matter of hours. Returning for another year opens up plenty of endorsement possibilities.

Caitlin Clark’s On3 NIL Valuation is now up to $757,000, a significant jump from last season. The valuation is No. 44 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. The valuation also ranks No. 3 in women’s basketball.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

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