General | December 15

DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University Athletics is empowering Huskie student-athletes to capitalize on their Name, Image and Likeness opportunities AND announcing a way for supporters to directly engage with NIU student-athletes in the NIL arena with the launch of the official school-specific NIL marketplace, powered by Opendorse, and the introduction of the Boneyard Victor E. Collective. 

Through the NIU Huskies NIL Marketplace, individuals and businesses can find any Huskie student-athletes who has created a profile on the marketplace and book NIL deals such as video shoutouts, appearances, social media posts and more. Once a student-athlete receives a deal through the marketplace, they can review and accept the terms, receive payment, and auto-generate tax documentation. All communication for the deal, from pitch to payment, happens through the Opendorse app and the student-athlete receives compensation once the deal is complete.

Every NIU student-athlete has the opportunity to create an Opendorse profile, which they can customize to let fans know more about their interests and NIL deals they are seeking. It allows every student-athlete to enhance their personal brand and to be easily accessible as clients for NIL opportunities. Student-athletes can share their Opendorse profile on their social media accounts to help promote to their fans

"This is an important step forward for NIU as we continue to prioritize the student-athlete experience," said Sean T. Frazier, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation. "Today, providing NIL support and education, through this marketplace, as well as all the other resources available through our partnerships with Opendorse and Compass, is extremely important to give current and future Huskie student-athletes the tools they need to succeed in this area."

Huskie head coaches expressed their support for the launch.

"NIL has changed the landscape of college athletics, and this is so important," said NIU men's basketball head coach Rashon Burno. "If you are not ahead of the game, you are behind. Anytime that teams within your league get a competitive advantage it is hard to catch up, so it is really exciting to know that we are on the forefront of it in our conference which bodes well not just for men's basketball, but for our entire athletic department." 

"This launch is critical for NIU and our ability to move forward within college athletics," said NIU football head coach Thomas Hammock. "It gives our players an opportunity to enhance their student-athlete experience and a platform to build their brand. NIL is something that is here to stay, and we need to make sure we are doing everything possible to take care of our student-athletes."

The Boneyard Victor E. Collective, created by a third party to assist NIU student-athletes in leveraging their NIL opportunities, provides an avenue for fans and companies to directly support Huskie student-athletes through a subscription or one-time contribution. A subscription to the Boneyard Victor E. Collective offers exclusive benefits including meet and greets, access to exclusive events and content, apparel and autographed memorabilia. Contributions can be designated by sport, with funds being allocated equally among all participating team members. The Boneyard Victor E. Collective also can facilitate deals with specific student-athletes.  

"The NIL Boneyard Victor E. Collective is a great example of Huskies who enjoyed their recruiting process, loved their experience at NIU and still have strong feelings of pride for the institution," said NIU women's basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen. "This is a difference maker for our student-athletes as hopefully they experience the same points of pride during their time here. We couldn't be more excited for what this will mean for student-athletes now and in the future."

"In this day and age, having a collective which has the ability to benefit NIU student-athletes across all sports is imperative," Frazier said. "In addition, Huskie fans interested in supporting student-athletes directly through NIL can easily do so by subscribing to Boneyard Victor E. We are excited about this opportunity to further connect our fan base and NIU student-athletes." 

NIU has consolidated information and links regarding NIL, including state and NCAA guidelines, its partnerships with Opendorse and Compass as well as access to the marketplace and collective, on a new Name, Image and Likeness page on its website at NIUHuskies.com.

-- NIU --