Former player returns to Georgia to enhance NIL efforts

Georgia Athletics is putting an added emphasis on NIL. Announced on Wednesday, the University of Georgia Athletic Association is now collaborating with Altius Sports Partners and INFLCR while also welcoming back a former Georgia football player, Reggie Carter, to spearhead the operation as a full-time Athlete Marketing Manager. Carter and the creation of the Georgia Bulldogs Exchange will help lead student-athletes to maximize their opportunities at the local, state and national levels.

“We are excited to welcome Reggie Carter back to the University of Georgia,” J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks said in a statement shared Wednesday. “As a Georgia alum, Reggie offers our current student-athletes a unique perspective when it comes to NIL. He is someone who cares deeply about the student-athlete experience at UGA, and we are thrilled to welcome him home.”

Carter, who played linebacker at UGA from 2013-2017, appeared in 45 career contests and recorded 119 total tackles. He had a career-best 45 stops in 2016, the Bulldogs’ first under the direction of head coach Kirby Smart, before posting 36 tackles including a career-high 3.5 for loss in 2017, helping Georgia win the SEC Championship and advance to the College Football Playoffs.

In his role as Athlete Marketing Manager, Carter will work closely with UGA’s NIL Director Tanner Potts and stakeholders to “ensure effective communication, compliance, and maximize NIL opportunities for UGA athletes.” His responsibilities will include “providing day-to-day support, education, and training, while collaborating with teams, the Georgia Way network, the Georgia Bulldog Club, Georgia Bulldogs Sports Marketing, and external partners to raise awareness of NIL initiatives at Georgia.”

Carter previously worked as an academic advisor at Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee, something that is expected to help him in the new role while also adding firsthand experience and understanding of the life of a student-athlete at UGA.

“Bringing Reggie home to Georgia and launching our new Georgia Bulldogs Marketplace expands the support Georgia fans can provide to all Bulldogs.” Potts shared in a statement. “Reggie brings valuable insights and expertise to our NIL team. The new exchange, combined with Reggie’s hire, allows for new levels of engagement in NIL at UGA.”

“As a former Bulldog, I’m honored and thrilled to join UGA in this new role. My complete dedication is to assist our student-athletes in navigating the NIL landscape and accessing valuable marketing opportunities,” Carter added. “The launch of the NIL marketplace will revolutionize how our athletes engage with brands and create a positive impact. I’m excited to collaborate with Tanner and contribute to Georgia’s overall NIL efforts.”

The Georgia Bulldogs Exchange explains itself below:

The Georgia Bulldogs Exchange is a student-athlete NIL business registry, custom-designed for businesses, donors, alumni, and any other interested NIL dollars wishing to connect with student-athletes. Registered businesses can search, filter and initiate conversations with your student-athletes to discuss an NIL deal. Once the NIL deal between a registered business and your student-athlete is completed, the business will use the Georgia Bulldogs Exchange to create a transaction that will produce a direct payment to the student-athlete and automate a disclosure to the INFLCR Verified Compliance Ledger. The institution does not have to get involved in the deal and all transactions within the local exchange are consolidated into one 1099 at the end of the year for easier tax reporting purposes for registered businesses and athletes.

Said to empower student-athletes with the information to maximize NIL opportunities, the marketplace offers a “seamless and user-friendly experience, without any transaction fees” and creates direct engagement with brands, businesses, fans and donors. Carter’s role will help in facilitating the connections.

“It’s exciting to see the commitment Georgia is putting towards supporting NIL opportunities at their institution,” said Jim Cavale, INFLCR founder. “ “The launch of the Georgia Bulldogs Exchange will create powerful connections between student-athletes, businesses, and collectives resulting in NIL deals. These opportunities, coupled with Reggie’s focus and experience, and the support of the entire UGA NIL team is impressive to see.”

“We are proud to have Reggie join the UGA team,” added Celine Mangan, Director of Business and Client Strategy at ASP. “His invaluable insights and dedication to athlete success will contribute significantly to maximizing NIL opportunities for UGA student-athletes.”