University leadership competency in sponsorship and student-athlete name, image and likeness

Abstract

On 1st July, 2021, college student-athletes received the ability to profit off of their name, image and likeness (NIL). A student-athlete being used as a brand sponsor has become the predominant NIL activity. Sponsors having a greater presence in college sports as a result of NIL requires university leaders to understand this marketing practise. Sponsorship offers benefits of product category exclusivity, brand association and an activation programme that can creatively achieve brand-specific marketing objectives. The strategic fit between a sponsor and a property is critical to sponsorship success. Studentathletes offer value as brand sponsors because of their authentic connection to fans, visibility with youths in the community and their social media following. University leaders also need to understand the motivations of stakeholders in light of the opportunities presented by student-athlete sponsorship. The desire to thrill in victory has been identified as the primary motivation for fans to experience sports. NIL created unprecedented means for fans to influence the recruiting of student-athletes and act on that motivation. Studying university leadership in the context of NIL’s complex challenges is timely and necessary as sponsorship and stakeholder relationships impact a university’s brand and finances. University leaders already have a wide-ranging set of responsibilities for which they must develop and display many competencies. This paper contends that university leaders’ competency in sponsorship and understanding stakeholder motivations related to NIL can lead to more effective decision making and better outcomes for student-athletes and universities.