Michigan athletics unveils LEARFIELD Allied NIL Initiative for brands
Michigan Wolverines athletics and Michigan Sports Properties announced they will incorporate LEARFIELD Allied, a “first-of-its-kind initiative enabling brands to partner with universities and student-athletes to create co-branding opportunities around name, image, and likeness (NIL).”
According to a U-M press release, LEARFIELD Allied gives official partners the opportunity to “create deeper and more authentic connections by combining Michigan’s official marks, logos and intellectual property with the brand’s own engagement and student-athlete NIL.”
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“We’re thrilled to further expand NIL opportunities for Michigan student-athletes and our sponsors through LEARFIELD Allied,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “From being the first NCAA school to provide uniform jersey licensing programs for student-athletes to hosting the VICTORS Exchange, the nation’s largest INFLCR local exchange platform, Michigan Athletics remains committed to innovative partnerships that are beneficial to our student-athletes.”
U-M will have the ability to approve potential partnerships between student-athletes and companies that involve creative concepts and assets that include the university’s marks, logos and intellectual property.
“Michigan Sports Properties has been deeply engaged with the evolving NIL ecosystem, and we are excited to bring co-branding concepts to our official partners on behalf of Michigan and its student-athletes,” said Jennifer Cadicamo, Vice President and General Manager of Michigan Sports Properties, the university’s athletics multimedia rightsholder and LEARFIELD’s local team. “As the sole representative of the University of Michigan, we are already in deep discussion with partners who want to expand their visibility and engagement with audiences in conjunction with Michigan’s talented student-athletes and official marks.”
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U-M taking necessary steps with NIL
There has been a frustration among Michigan fans surrounding the athletic department’s stance toward NIL since NCAA rules were passed in the summer of 2021. However, the Wolverines have taken recent steps to improve their position.
Manuel sent out a letter to the U-M community Dec. 23 to express his support for four collectives that are working to help Wolverine athletes earn compensation.
Valiant Management’s Champions Circle is the most prominent, having recently made big news with its “one more year fund” that helped retain key members of the Michigan football team, including running back Blake Corum and offensive guard Zak Zinter, among others.
