Student-athletes at the University of Utah have another tool available to them in their pursuits to monetize their name, image and likeness (NIL).
Utah Athletics announced Monday it is expanding its partnership with INFLCR, an industry leader in brand-building and NIL business management for athletic organizations. The exchange for its existing Elevate U program helps connect interested collectives, individuals and/or businesses with Utah student-athletes to “accelerate and streamline the process of generating business activity” related to their NIL, according to a Utah news release.
The Utes can benefit from INFLCR’s technology that allows businesses to access a directory that filters specific student-athletes by sport, team and other options. The INFLCR app includes automated NIL transaction compliance and tax reporting as well.
“We’re excited to take both our Elevate U program and our INFLCR partnership to the next level with the Elevate U Exchange, and look forward to seeing our student-athletes benefit tremendously from this powerful resource.” — Utah athletic director Mark Harlan.
Significantly, the tool is available for free to all of the U.’s student-athletes.
“The launch of the Elevate U Exchange gives our student-athletes a significant advantage in accelerating their NIL opportunities locally and beyond,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said. “Nearly a year after the creation of our Elevate U NIL program, we are seeing our student-athletes benefit from NIL opportunities in very meaningful ways, and the business community has shown incredible interest in engaging with our student-athletes to expand their reach.
“We’re excited to take both our Elevate U program and our INFLCR partnership to the next level with the Elevate U Exchange, and look forward to seeing our student-athletes benefit tremendously from this powerful resource,” Harlan continued.
The way it works is businesses, collectives and/or individuals register on the Elevate U Exchange, then can access a searchable datable of student-athletes who fit what they are looking for. Messages can be sent directly through the app, or contact information from either side can be requested to initiate direct inquiries.
To register, go to UtahUtes.com/exchange. Student-athletes can opt in, or opt out, depending on their level of interest in participating in the exchange.
“Utah is taking great steps to strengthen their NIL strategy as a department to benefit current student-athletes as well as those coming in next season and beyond,” Jim Cavale, INFLCR founder, said in the U.’s news release. “I am encouraged by them taking the initiative to provide their student-athletes with the necessary resources to monetize effectively and compliantly, setting the standard as we embark upon year two of NIL.”
“Utah’s all-sports partnership with INFLCR began in the fall of 2020 to provide photos, content and brand-building education to each student-athlete, for free, positioning them to establish the strongest foundation possible to benefit from the implementation of new NCAA NIL policies in July 2021,” according to the release.