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Pac-12 opens up new way for athletes to earn NIL money — customized highlight videos

The conference announced an NIL deal that will bring some extra cash to student-athletes

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Utah Utes players celebrate after they beat the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 championship game.

Utah Utes players celebrate after they beat the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Want to help your favorite Pac-12 athlete make some extra cash — like, for instance, when Utah’s Cam Rising has his next big game?

The Pac-12 is delivering another way for student-athletes in its conference to make some money through a name, image and likeness deal.

The league is partnering with sports technology startup Tempus Ex Machina to provide a way for student-athletes to monetize videos of their top plays, the Pac-12 announced in a press release sent out Thursday. 

The program will start with football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball players but extend to all Pac-12 student-athletes, the press release said.

Here’s how it works: using camera shots from various angles, Tempus Ex Machina will develop personalized video highlights for participating student-athletes following each game.

Those highlights will be immediately available after the game’s conclusion, and student-athletes can share those videos on social media.

“Once players tweet their highlight reel out, Twitter’s Amplify platform will populate the video with pre-roll advertising. According to the Pac-12 and Twitter, the athlete will be paid based on the advertisement that was sold,” ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti wrote.

“The Pac-12 is committed to providing our student-athletes with best-in-class technology, tools and promotional platforms that support their individual brands,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said in a statement.  

“Our partnership with Tempus Ex is focused on enhancing our student-athlete and fan experiences, and today’s announcement is another important step in positioning the Pac-12 as a leader when it comes to student-athlete promotion and brand building.”

The program is the first of its kind to allow student-athletes to monetize personalized game highlights via social media, according to the press release.

“By giving Pac-12 student-athletes access to their own personalized game day highlights, it opens up a whole new avenue for them to monetize and amplify their brands,” former NFL All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr., a board member at Tempus Ex Machina, said in a statement.  

“Tempus Ex’s proprietary FusionFeed technology is a game changer for college student-athletes as they continue to explore NIL partnerships.”