Clemson athletics branding institute 'operational for athletic department use'

Clemson officially opened its athletic branding institute in the last few weeks, establishing itself as the first institution to open an NIL-dedicated facility.

Built into the football program’s indoor complex, the 12,000 square foot, two-story facility houses two photo and video studios, an audio studio, editing space and office for NIL coordinator C.D. Davies. The Tigers also built a new media center, which has a branding wall that can be customized for each athlete at the podium.

All of it could be a glimpse of what is to come at Alabama and Miami, which have announced plans for their own NIL facilities. There’s no doubt it will be another tool to show off on the recruiting trail, too.

With the launch of Clemson’s new branding facility, which has been dubbed “The CAB”, questions followed on who would has access to the services. With an infinity wall and permanently installed customized lights, it is the perfect environment for a photo shoot for an endorsement deal. But with it built into the football complex, there were questions if it would be exclusive to the program.

Clemson clarified in a statement to On3 on Tuesday night that the facility is accessible to all athletes. Other photo studios also are on campus at Jervey Gymnasium and open to the athletic department.

“Our goal is for all of our student-athletes to have access to our current and future facilities,” Clemson’s senior associate athletic director for communications Jeff Kallin said in an email. “While we are still finalizing the logistics of the spaces in regards to NIL use, the areas are operational for athletic department use. 

“In addition to the infinity wall and studios we presently have online in Jervey, which is open to all, we are also working on a new build within our student-athlete development center, which would give us three convenient spaces in which to operate.”

There’s nothing you can’t do at Clemson.

The first dedicated facility for student-athlete branding and education.https://t.co/ZINfY1VNGF pic.twitter.com/ynhHujlANE

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) March 6, 2023

Dabo Swinney has publicly talked in recent months about how athletes are now leaving schools to test their NIL market value in the transfer portal. While the Clemson head coach was previously against athletes profiting off their publicity rights, he has turned into a proponent of creating NIL opportunities for them to satisfy their needs.

Since the inception of name, image and likeness roughly 20 months ago, the intersection of college athletics’ new era and Title IX has been a point of contention. While NIL collectives have popped up at nearly every Power 5 instiution, each entity is not servicing every athletic program, nor are they required to because they are separate of the university.