After years of saying that they wouldn't get caught up in the arms race, Arizona State is finally jumping into action on the NIL front.

Recognizing the critical importance that Name Image & Likeness is having and will play in collegiate athletics, the Sun Devil community is looking to close the gap on other programs. At the center of the efforts is the Sun Angel Collective, created to support student-athletes by facilitating legal and compliant NIL opportunities as well as helping those athletes prepare for the future. While one of the most critical aspects of modern college sports, understanding how it all works, and how it differs from the still outlawed straight up pay for play, can be tricky. That's why I wanted to talk with Sun Angel Executive Director Brittani Willett, who joined the collective after serving in two key roles with the Arizona Coyotes.

On this episode, we take a deep dive into the inner workings of the collective and its process, examining how a dollar goes from donation to student athlete, how the group is navigating the largely unregulated and constantly evolving landscape, the challenges facing ASU in the NIL space, the strategies to activate the Valley, and so much more.