What does the future of college athletics look like now that the House settlement is here?

In this special AthleteCon edition of NIL Edge, we sat down Will Hall, partner at Jones Walker; Joey Blake, litigation associate at Spencer Fane and a member of the legal team involved in the House settlement; and Steve Simmons, co-founder of NILENT.

Hall shares how schools are navigating revenue sharing, athlete contracts and the growing legal and operational complexities that come with a new era of athlete compensation. Blake provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the House settlement, what it means for athletic departments and student-athletes, and the legal questions that still need answers. Simmons discusses the challenges athletes face beyond compensation, including financial literacy, mental health, personal branding and preparing for life after sports.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The biggest takeaways from AthleteCon
• How schools are preparing for the post-House settlement era
• Revenue sharing and the rise of athlete contracts
• The legal issues that could shape the next chapter of college sports
• Why athlete education is becoming a bigger priority
• Mental health, financial literacy and career development
• What athletic directors are focused on as the industry continues to evolve

A special thank you to Sam Green and the AthleteCon team for welcoming NIL Edge to Las Vegas and giving us the opportunity to have these conversations in person with some of the brightest minds in college athletics.

What does it take to prepare student-athletes for success in today's NIL environment?

In this episode of NIL Edge, we sit down with Lauren Cherry, Director of NIL Strategy & Revenue Share Operations at the University of North Texas, to discuss how athletic departments can help student-athletes build the skills needed to thrive in the modern college athletics landscape.

Lauren shares how North Texas developed its Influence Cohort, a program designed to educate athletes on personal branding, content creation, and professional development. She explains why NIL education matters more than ever, how schools can help athletes create value beyond the playing field, and what businesses should look for when evaluating potential athlete partnerships.

The conversation also explores the realities behind NIL deal values, common misconceptions about the industry, the challenges of managing roster turnover in the transfer portal era, and how athletic departments are adapting to a rapidly changing college sports environment.

Topics covered:

• The University of North Texas Influence Cohort

• Why NIL education matters more than ever

• Preparing student-athletes for brand partnerships

• Common misconceptions about NIL compensation

• What businesses should look for in athlete partners

• Managing NIL in the transfer portal era

• Athlete development beyond endorsements

• The future of NIL and revenue sharing in college athletics

In this episode of NIL Edge, Brett Sible, Associate AD for NIL Strategy and Innovation at DePaul University, joins the show to discuss how DePaul is navigating the evolving NIL and revenue-sharing landscape from a uniquely different position within college athletics. Brett shares how DePaul’s location in Chicago, lack of football, and direct approach to revenue sharing are shaping the school’s strategy in the new era of athlete compensation. The conversation also explores the growing shift away from collectives, how schools are balancing revenue generation with athlete support, and why transparency and simplicity are becoming increasingly important in athlete negotiations.

What You’ll Learn:

• How DePaul is approaching revenue sharing without relying heavily on collectives or MMR structures
• Why being located in Chicago creates unique NIL and brand partnership opportunities for athletes
• How athletic departments are thinking about athlete compensation, recruiting, and long-term sustainability in the post-collective era

A conversation with Lisa Hake, the Chief Marketing Officer of Winmark Corporation, the parent company of brands including Play It Again Sports, Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Style Encore, and Music Go Round. The discussion explores how major consumer brands think about athlete partnerships, what makes NIL opportunities stand out internally, and why authenticity and audience alignment matter more than simple follower counts. Lisa also shares insights into how brands approach storytelling, community engagement, and long-term partnership strategy as college athletics continues evolving in the revenue-sharing and NIL era.

What to expect:

• How major consumer brands evaluate athlete and school partnerships
• Why authenticity and audience alignment matter more than vanity metrics
• Practical takeaways for NIL professionals, athletes, and brands building sponsorship strategies

In this episode of NIL Edge, we sit down with Justin DiTolla, Associate AD for NIL at Cal, to break down what it actually looks like to operate an NIL and revenue share model inside a Power Four athletic department. With a background in compliance and now leading Cal’s NIL efforts, Justin offers a real-world perspective on how roles, responsibilities, and priorities have rapidly evolved.

At the center of the conversation is a major shift: NIL is no longer just education and brand-building—it’s now intertwined with revenue sharing, contract management, and cap strategy. That evolution is forcing departments to operate more like professional front offices, often without a clear blueprint.

We also explore how schools are approaching athlete education, where real NIL opportunities are coming from, and how departments are thinking about “above the cap” strategies in an increasingly competitive landscape.

What to Expect (Key Takeaways):

• Why NIL roles are evolving into full-scale front office positions, including contract negotiation and cap management
• How athlete education, branding, and revenue share are all connected in building a complete compensation model
• Where the most realistic NIL opportunities exist today—and why local businesses remain a key driver

In this episode of NIL Edge, we sit down with Josie Leinart, WeAreNIL Practice Lead & Sports Law Attorney, to break down the realities of navigating NIL in today’s rapidly shifting college athletics landscape. With experience advising athletes, schools, and brands, Josie offers a clear-eyed view into where the industry is working—and where it’s falling short.

At the center of the conversation is a simple but critical issue: many athletes are entering NIL opportunities without fully understanding the implications. That gap is shaping everything from deal structures to long-term decision-making, and it’s forcing the industry to rethink how education, access, and support are delivered.

We also explore emerging topics like international athlete restrictions, the growing conversation around athlete employment, and how legal perspectives are evolving alongside the business of college sports.

What to Expect (Key Takeaways):

• Why many athletes are still navigating NIL without a full understanding of their opportunities and risks

• The biggest blind spots in NIL deals—and how they can impact athletes long-term

• Where the industry is heading next: athlete employment, international challenges, and shifting legal frameworks

Disclaimer: This is a paid interview in partnership with WeAreNIL.

In this episode of NIL Edge, we sit down with Brennan White, Assistant AD / General Manager for NIL Administration at Illinois State, to explore how NIL strategy looks outside the Power Four — and what it really takes to build sustainable opportunities for student-athletes at the FCS level. Brennan shares lessons from Illinois State’s recent football success, the realities of operating with limited resources, and why relationships remain the foundation of effective NIL programs.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Illinois State built an effective NIL strategy at the FCS level — focusing on relationships, local partnerships, and intentional resource allocation rather than chasing volume.

• The role of community and local businesses in NIL success, and why regional partnerships often drive the most authentic and sustainable opportunities for student-athletes.

• How NIL leaders manage expectations and educate athletes, helping them understand value, ROI for businesses, and what “true NIL” looks like outside the Power Four ecosystem.

This conversation offers a practical look at how NIL programs can succeed without massive budgets — and why people, process, and trust still matter most in the evolving NIL landscape.

On this episode of NIL Edge, Sterling Randle sits down with Maya Bulger to go inside the day-to-day realities of running NIL at an SEC institution — and how Mississippi State is building a program rooted in education, authenticity, and strategic partnerships.

From revenue share logistics and third-party NIL operations to brand alignment and creative activations, Maya shares how her team is navigating the evolving NIL landscape and creating meaningful opportunities for student-athletes across all sports.

Listeners will learn:

• How Mississippi State structures its NIL program around three core pillars: education, brand enhancement, and deal management

• What goes into matching student-athletes with brands in ways that feel authentic and drive long-term value

• Why creativity and authenticity are becoming the biggest differentiators for successful NIL programs

In this episode of NIL Edge, we’re joined by Travis Hansen, Senior Associate Athletic Director - Revenue Sharing and NIL at BYU, for a deep dive into how one of college sports’ most unique institutions approaches NIL through a transformational—not transactional—lens. Travis shares how BYU aligns athlete identity, education, faith, and purpose with brand partnerships, and why the future of NIL must extend beyond endorsements into mentorship, life skills, and long-term development.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How BYU builds an athlete-first NIL ecosystem centered on identity, purpose, and personal development

• Why transformational NIL partnerships outperform purely transactional endorsement models

• The major NIL and revenue-sharing trends Travis is watching as college sports moves toward front-office style operations

In this episode of NIL Edge, we sit down with Jack Adler, Founder & CEO of Out2Win, to unpack how data, authenticity, and scalable strategy are reshaping athlete brand partnerships.

Jack shares how Out2Win evolved from facilitating early NIL deals into a full-scale athlete marketability intelligence platform—and why brands, universities, and agencies can no longer afford to rely on guesswork. From micro-athlete ambassador programs to measuring real ROI, this conversation dives into what actually makes NIL work in today’s rapidly maturing ecosystem.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why data beats intuition in NIL — and how brands are using performance metrics to build smarter, repeatable athlete campaigns

• What separates good vs. great NIL activations, including the role of authenticity, creative freedom, and long-term partnerships

• How universities can professionalize NIL by operating more like marketing partners—not just deal facilitators