The San Diego State athletic department announced today its decision to join Opendorse Ready, the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Readiness Program. With experience maximizing endorsement value for thousands of professional athletes since 2012, Opendorse has launched the Ready program to apply its proven social media solutions to prepare student-athletes for coming changes to Name, Image, and Likeness rights.
“Coming changes to Name, Image, and Likeness make personal brand development even more vital for SDSU student-athletes,” San Diego State Athletic Director John David Wicker said. “It’s our job as a department to provide the best available resources and I believe that Opendorse Ready fits the bill. This is a space they are very familiar with; helping athletes maximize their own value at the professional level for nearly a decade. I’m confident that we’re ready to provide a roadmap and progressive solutions for every Aztec athlete to build a presence that will benefit them well beyond their time on campus.”
“It’s our job as a department to provide the best available resources and I believe that Opendorse Ready fits the bill.”
– John David Wicker, SDSU Athletic Director
Opendorse Ready provides student-athletes the opportunity to understand their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights and receive hands-on assistance from experts to maximize their value while on campus. The program offers three core pillars to student-athlete success: assessment, education, and performance – tailored to assist each individual athlete. The agreement allows the Aztecs to provide the program’s NIL readiness solutions to every student-athlete at the University.
“We believe in facilitating long-term success on-and-off the field for every player in our program,” football coach Brady Hoke said. “Opendorse Ready will put our student-athletes in position to make the most of their individual opportunity in a major media market. It’s my belief that our commitment to NIL success will elevate the players and the program as a whole.”
“… Our commitment to NIL success will elevate the players and the program as a whole.” – Brady Hoke, SDSU Head Football Coach
The agreement positions San Diego State as one of the first universities in the country to unveil an athletics department-wide NIL solution for its athletes. The Aztecs join Clemson, Nebraska and Indiana, among others, as the first schools to adopt the program nationwide.
“This is about more than a year or two of success while student-athletes are on campus – Opendorse Ready is built to drive personal brand development and maximize opportunities beyond their college or even pro careers,” said Blake Lawrence, Opendorse CEO. “San Diego State is all-in on empowering their athletes to meet the NIL era head-on with the best possible education and resources. I’m proud to team up with these innovators who will continue to push college athletics forward.
Founded by Nebraska football alumni Blake Lawrence and Adi Kunalic, Opendorse has become a proven market leader in helping sports organizations and their athletes increase the value of their Name, Image and Likeness with social media. More than 30,000 athletes currently use Opendorse to maximize their endorsement value in collaboration with partners on social media. In addition to partnerships with more than 100 college athletics programs, Opendorse has also partnered with the NFLPA, NBPA, NHL, PGA Tour among other sports properties. Hundreds of brands including Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, and EA Sports also use the platform to execute endorsement campaigns with professional athletes.
