To cap a landmark year in college academics and athletics, Opendorse hosted hundreds of administrators, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) specialists, and athlete influencer marketing professionals for the Opendorse NIL Marketing Forum. Taking place in Omaha during the Men’s College World Series, ending with the LSU Tigers winning their second MCWS title in three years, the event aligned the collegiate and commercial NIL ecosystems.
“This Opendorse NIL Marketing Forum was built to bring the right people into the room,” said Steve Denton, CEO of Opendorse. “Athletic departments, athletes, and brands all play a role in the future of NIL. This forum gave us the space to connect, learn, and move forward together. It was exciting to see so many advertisers share the vision of what we can do together.”
Across panels, workshops, and collaborative roundtables, attendees explored what’s next in NIL—from rev-share strategy and brand-athlete collaboration to campaign measurement and content production.
“The Dorsey Awards headlined the forum, serving as a fitting conclusion to a big year in the world of college athletics and a great day of connection at the event,” Denton said. “Campaigns that truly move the needle aren’t just about impressions. They’re about alignment, authenticity, and execution. The Dorseys celebrate the brands, athletes, and institutions pushing the industry forward.”
2025 Opendorse Dorsey Award Winners
Excellence in Integrated Media
- Finalist: Buffalo Wild Wings (branded March Madness boombox)
- Finalist: Raising Cane’s (player cutouts, signage, and appearances)
- Winner: ALLO Fiber (live events, community service, and activation landing page – leveraging student-athletes to drive awareness and sign-ups for various products)
Best Cause-Based Campaign
- Finalist: Abbott Laboratories (blood donations)
- Finalist: NextGen America (voter registration)
- Winner: Movember (mental health literacy – honored for its athlete-driven focus groups, custom content creation, course development, and influencer campaigns)
Advancing Women’s Sports Award
- Finalist: Avoli (Women’s Volleyball-specific athletic merchandise brand)
- Finalist: Sprouts Farmers Market (annual ambassador class with Women’s Sports athletes)
- Winner: UScellular (exclusively elevating Women’s Sports athletes – leaning into high quality digital storytelling, long-term partnerships, and in-person activations)
Local Campaign of the Year
- Finalist: Minsky’s Pizza (Kansas City, player menu items)
- Finalist: University Co-Op (Austin, athlete activations for school bookstore)
- Winner: Planet Fitness (Houston Fitness Partners, Judgement Free Zone® – leveraging local brand ambassadors to share key national messages)
National Campaign of the Year
- Finalist: EA Sports (College Football ’25 launch)
- Finalist: JBL (JBL Campus program)
- Winner: Activision (Call of Duty/Return of Verdansk – recognized for leveraging athlete creators to support the game release with a reach of tens of millions of impressions and elite CPM)
This year’s Dorseys capped a day of idea-sharing, community building, and content strategy. Opendorse has confirmed plans to return in 2026 with an expanded program.
Other highlights of the 2025 Opendorse NIL Marketing Forum include:
- Collegiate track for high-level athletics administrators, to discuss critical issues around the House v. NCAA Settlement
- Athlete perspective from Texas Softball All-American and National Champion Teagan Kavan, Nebraska Women’s Cross Country Athlete Cami Merickel, and Creighton Baseball Catcher and BIG EAST champion Connor Capece
- Live campaign planning, interactive sessions, cross-functional panels, and more
The day concluded with food, networking, and fireworks. For more information on the Opendorse NIL Marketing Forum, including early details on the 2026 event, please contact SVP, Collegiate Services & Marketing Julian Valentin at julian.valentin@opendorse.com.
