Ohio State Athletic Department Announces New Partnership
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes waits with his team to take the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Getty Images
As changes to the NCAA's Name, Image, and Likeness rules remain on the horizon, some major college programs are being proactive about the situation. Among them is Ohio State, which has partnered with an athletic marketing platform called Opendorse, which aims to help college athletes get the most out of their NIL opportunities.
With Opendorse, Ohio State has developed a program created specifically for Buckeye athletes called "THE Platform." Head coach Ryan Day, whose athletes are among the most marketable in all of college sports, is a fan of the move.
"The Opendorse program is going to provide a unique opportunity for our student-athletes to maximize their brand value and exposure," he said in Ohio State's announcement. "With Columbus being the No. 1 city in America for job growth and Ohio State being No. 1 in social media presence across all platforms, we are excited to work with Opendorse."
In June, Ohio State athletes will be participating in a series of educational marketing sessions with Jeremy Darlow, whose brand-building guide is part of the school's efforts with Opendorse.
Opendorse signed a similar partnership with Nebraska athletics back in March. While the NCAA has been slow to fully embrace NIL reform, which will allow athletes to monetize and capitalize on their brands, some member institutions have been pursuing deals like this to get out ahead of it. This embrace of new NIL opportunities certainly can't hurt in recruiting either.
Among the tools offered in Ohio State's "THE Platform" is a video series called "NIL Masterclass," which features "experts on brand building, monetization, and financial literacy from leading brands including Instagram, Twitter, the Players’ Tribune, and Overtime."
OSU certainly won't be the last program to look to capitalize on the opportunities here. While not every school will brand its own platform, things like this may become pretty standard at major college athletics programs in the near future.
