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Notre Dame partners with NBC Sports’ initial venture into NIL world

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel•04/19/22•

PatrickEngel_

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(Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Notre Dame student-athletes have another name, image and likeness (NIL) vehicle available to them, and this one comes through the football team’s TV broadcast rights holder.

“NBC Sports Athlete Direct” launched its pilot program Tuesday, partnering with athletes from Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Temple. Any athlete from those three schools that opts into the program will be presented with NIL opportunities from interested advertisers.

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“Our student-athletes are at the heart of every decision we make at Notre Dame and the chance to partner with NBC Sports to provide them another opportunity in the NIL space is exciting,” Notre Dame associate athletics director Claire VeNard said in a statement. “Being first movers in any category is a powerful statement to our student-athletes and the chance to work with one of the leaders in the media space is one we couldn’t pass up.”

NBC said in its announcement it plans to grow the program beyond those three schools. It is also collaborating with its business news arm, CNBC, to educate athletes about financial wellness and “provide personal financial resources.” Its partnership with the three schools will also include creating “content for student-athletes focused on NIL best practices.”

NBC’s program is the second in two days to emerge as an NIL avenue for Notre Dame student-athletes. Friends of the University of Notre Dame Inc. (FUND), a non-profit that will pay Irish athletes to help promote a charity of their choosing, officially launched Monday. In other terms, it’s a booster-backed and crowdfunded NIL collective not unlike those that have recently popped up at other schools. It’s not affiliated with the university and is reportedly backed by Notre Dame business school namesake Tom Mendoza and ex-Irish quarterback Brady Quinn.

“University of Notre Dame student-athletes will support nonprofits to help fulfill their charitable missions by doing philanthropic work in the community in a variety of different capacities,” FUND’s website reads. “The student-athlete will receive a stipend and the charity that they are an ambassador for will receive a financial donation.”

Fans can make tax-deductible donations to FUND on its website.

NCAA NIL guidelines prohibit schools from directly facilitating NIL deals or paying athletes themselves. They’re only allowed to inform and educate their athletes about NIL and how it works. Notre Dame launched the GLD Center last year to help its student-athletes navigate the NIL landscape.

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