The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced a new licensing agreement with The Brandr Group (TBG) to help student athletes monetize their name, image and likeness (NIL).
The new agreement with TBG has been around with other UT schools such as the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at San Antonio, but it was not until Aug. 30 that UTRGV announced its agreement with the group.
“Brandr, specifically, is very invested in the UT System,” said Jonah Goldberg, senior associate Athletics director for Communications. “It made sense, and also gave us an opportunity to talk to our peers at the other UT System institutions and see what they thought, and we’ve heard nothing but good things about TBG.”
Goldberg said TBG made things easier for student athletes.
“If they want to create their own apparel line, they can do that using INFLCR,” he said.
“They can make their own stuff, and then they can try selling it.”
INFLCR is a content platform that facilitates brand building for student athletes and helps track and report monetization from endorsements or deals.
However, with Brandr, the student would not need to create anything. The student could choose to opt in to have UTRGV-branded jerseys with their name and number made, according to Goldberg.
“We can sell that through the bookstore through UTRGV.com and our games, and then [they] would get a share of the revenue from that,” he said. “They kind of simplify the process and it really is a win-win situation for everybody else.”
Student athletes do not have to opt into licensing deals or agreements; they are optional.
Asked if he thinks everyone has a chance of monetizing with an NIL endorsement or deal, Goldberg replied, “It varies by market, certainly, but I think it also varies by who’s willing to get out there. Realistically, for student athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, they’re gonna have to go find opportunities.”
He said building their social media would be a good way to boost opportunities for endorsement, which is why he also likes the partnership with INFLCR.
Goldberg also mentioned how UTRGV has been offering to add social media handles in each players’ bio on the rosters if the athletes wish to add them.
Asked how else they could facilitate monetization for student athletes, Rick Perko, vice president for program development at TBG, replied, “We get sort of a more critical mass buildup. We’re going to look to other opportunities as well … bobbleheads, trading cards, video games.”
Perko said the athletes first have to opt in to participate.
“We’re going to start that process here in a couple of weeks, getting them locked in,” he said. “And then, hopefully, … we’ll have product for those who decide to participate. It’s all voluntary. They don’t have to do it. But there’s really no downside as we see it.”
Molly Castner, deputy Intercollegiate Athletics director, said the department wanted to go in a direction where it could maximize NIL.
“We’re really happy with what INFLCR and Brandr have done over the past year to navigate the ever-changing landscape of NIL,” Castner said.
“Their products have kept up with laws and with cool new features that we want to see in a product that would help our students,” she said. “So it felt like the right time for us to sign with INFLCR and Brandr.”
Asked if any UTRGV athletes have received a deal or monetization through Brandr, Castner replied, “Not yet. … Just got through the details to help them get on their way.”
