SportsEpreneur

NIL money can arrive before a young athlete has the education, experience, or trusted support to manage it. Antonio Gonzalez joins Eric Kasimov to discuss who athletes can trust, what financial control should look like, and why earning money is only the beginning.

Antonio is the co-founder and CEO of Great Wealth Advisors and a Personal CFO to professional athletes. He works primarily with professional athletes and educates college athletes about financial decision-making.

Full episode and resources on SportsEpreneur

• (00:00) - NIL money and the education gap

Recorded October 7, 2026. The MLB discussion concerns a possible future work stoppage.
Hosted by Eric Kasimov. A SportsE Media production.

This conversation reflects the speakers’ views at the time of recording and is for general education, not individualized financial, tax, or legal advice.

What changes when an athlete’s body becomes another source of data for teams?

Haniff Brown, founder and CEO of FIT:MATCH, joins Eric Kasimov to examine the next layer of sports data: the athlete’s body itself. Late developers, recruiting and digital twins make the possibilities tangible. Brown explains how QuadraScan uses photos to generate body data and inform projections, while Eric presses on accuracy, athlete choice, privacy and what happens when a coach disagrees with a model.

Episode notes and related conversations: https://sportsepreneur.com/athlete-body-data-haniff-brown/

• (00:00) - Introduction

SportsEpreneur is a SportsEMedia production, hosted by Eric Kasimov.

NIL, AI and sports betting are changing what it takes to run the business of sports. Matt Bakowicz joins Eric Kasimov to discuss the financial discipline, judgment and education people need to make those decisions.

Bakowicz directs the Sports Business Management track at American University’s Kogod School of Business. He previously oversaw DraftKings Sportsbook and Racebook operations at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Chapters

• (00:00) - Introduction

Connect
Matt — AU profile: https://www.american.edu/kogod/faculty/mbakowicz.cfm
Matt — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-bakowicz-b016a738a
Eric — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickasimov/
Eric — X: https://x.com/Eric_Kaz
SportsEpreneur: https://sportsepreneur.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportsepreneur/ | https://x.com/SportsEpreneur

Recorded October 8, 2026. Hosted by Eric Kasimov. A SportsE Media production.

Families can spend thousands of dollars on club soccer, travel, training, showcases, and recruiting while trying to determine which path gives their child the best opportunity.

Eric Kasimov talks with Evan Dabby, CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer, about what families are actually buying when they enter the youth soccer system, why fragmentation continues to create confusion, and how clubs, MLS, college soccer, parents, and coaches all influence the experience.

Evan also shares a simpler way for families to evaluate the path: is the player having fun, getting on the field, and being challenged?

In This Episode

• Why American youth soccer remains fragmented
• What families are paying for when they choose a club
• How “elite” and “premier” can become marketing terms
• Pay-to-play, affordability, and access
• Where MLS fits into the youth soccer system
• College recruiting and opportunities for domestic players
• Why parents and coaches shape the experience so heavily
• What Evan tells families of talented young players
• Why recreational soccer can still be part of player development

Chapters

00:00 — Rebuilding American youth soccer
02:19 — What families are actually buying
04:35 — “Elite,” “premier,” and club marketing
07:03 — U.S. pay-to-play vs. England
08:00 — Affordability and access
10:39 — Where MLS fits
12:53 — MLS clubs and local soccer culture
14:38 — Fragmentation and player pathways
16:12 — Development, community, and access
19:20 — Failure, mistakes, and keeping soccer fun
22:30 — Why adults can become the bigger problem
25:16 — College soccer and international players
26:21 — Advice for families of talented players
28:50 — Expanding grassroots soccer
31:30 — How rec soccer helped Evan’s son
33:26 — What families remember beyond the games
34:57 — Just Ball and getting kids out to play

Connect with Evan Dabby

Evan Dabby on LinkedIn
New Jersey Youth Soccer

Connect with Eric and SportsEpreneur

Eric Kasimov: LinkedIn | X

SportsEpreneur: Website | LinkedIn | X

M. Duane Miller likes where college football is headed. The games are bigger, athletes can participate financially, and he believes recent seasons have been some of the most exciting the sport has produced. He also sees how exposed players can be when contracts, taxes, coaching changes, injuries, and short careers collide.

The Texas NIL Lawyer and former University of Texas football co-captain joins Eric Kasimov to ask a direct question: who protects college athletes? They discuss NIL contracts, taxes and 1099s, recruiting decisions, reported NIL valuations, the College Sports Commission, and the possibility of a college players association.

Duane’s central advice is to build the athlete’s team early and never sign an agreement without the right professional reviewing it. His outlook is positive, practical, and often funny. He is pro-athlete without being anti-coach, anti-school, or anti-NCAA—and he believes stronger athlete protection can make college football better.

In this episode:

• How media money and coaching compensation changed the argument around athlete pay
• What athletes should evaluate beyond the largest offer
• Contracts, injuries, coaching changes, and educational protections
• Building a team of legal, tax, marketing, and family advisers
• NIL income, 1099s, vehicles, and other noncash compensation
• Why reported NIL valuations can be difficult to verify
• Why Duane believes college athletes may eventually need a players association

Chapters:

00:00 — College football’s changing economics
06:00 — Bowl games and postseason business
10:23 — Texas football, licensing, and revenue growth
13:31 — Coaching compensation and the athlete-pay argument
22:00 — Social media pressure on paid college athletes
29:24 — Choosing a school beyond the largest offer
34:00 — Injuries, coaching changes, and life after football
36:08 — Reviewing NIL contracts
37:05 — Building the athlete’s advisory team
42:26 — Taxes, 1099s, and noncash compensation
45:06 — Reported NIL numbers and “Dr. No”
49:00 — Why the old model is not returning
1:04:08 — The College Sports Commission and government oversight
1:05:00 — The case for a players association
1:08:00 — Athlete protections beyond football
1:11:22 — Where to find The Texas NIL Lawyer

Connect with M. Duane Miller:
The Texas NIL Lawyer | Law Office of M. Duane Miller | Email

More from SportsEpreneur:
Full episode notes | SportsEpreneur NIL Hub | LinkedIn | X

Connect with Eric Kasimov
LinkedIn | X

Recorded August 20, 2026. NIL rules and college-sports governance continue to change. This conversation is for general information and does not constitute legal or tax advice.

What an attorney who reviews NIL deals sees in the contracts, and what college athletes may be signing away.

Philip Sheng is an attorney at Venable LLP, a national firm of roughly 900 lawyers, where he works in the intellectual property group and the sports law practice. His focus is college NIL, the right of publicity, and college eligibility: who owns a person’s name, image, and likeness, and what they give up when they sign.

This is the on-the-ground legal view of NIL. For the full breakdown of how the system works, start with The NIL Hub, NIL Rules in 2026, and NIL Pros and Cons. This episode is narrower. It is what a practicing attorney sees inside the deals themselves.

Eric Kasimov talks with Sheng about NIL as both a legal and an athlete-centered issue. They get into whether NIL is really athlete compensation, intellectual property, or both, and why the issue was known as the right of publicity long before college sports made it a household term. Sheng has lived the landscape from several sides. He played tennis at Stanford, competed as an ATP-ranked professional, and now has children navigating college athletics, including Division I basketball and tennis.

Topics

• NIL as intellectual property and the right of publicity
• The College Sports Commission and how it reviews NIL deals
• The Nebraska and PlayFly case, and why the contracts were the problem
• Why even a small NIL deal needs its rights language reviewed
• How brands can work with role players, not only star athletes
• Roster cuts in non-revenue sports like tennis and swimming
• High school NIL, state-by-state rules, and protecting minors
• Sports betting, college students, and the value of staying in school

Chapters in This Episode

00:00 Philip Sheng’s background in law, tennis, and college sports

00:36 Venable LLP, intellectual property, NIL, and sports law

02:11 NIL as right of publicity

03:15 Stanford, conference realignment, and athlete travel

04:13 The burden on student-athletes

06:29 What college sports used to be for

07:00 Money, transfers, and the changing athlete experience

09:20 NIL checks, taxes, and athlete education

09:36 Bad agents and why guidance matters

12:25 Has NIL gone too far?

13:00 Congress, courts, media, fans, and pressure to change

16:11 Money, rosters, and the college experience

19:05 What the College Sports Commission does

20:00 Fair market value, valid business purpose, and NIL deal review

20:55 Nebraska, PlayFly, and unclear NIL contracts

22:39 Why the Nebraska case was not just bad paperwork

23:40 Why other schools are watching

25:00 Lawyers, arbitration costs, and legal representation

26:18 Sheng’s view of the CSC and NCAA enforcement

28:46 College football playoff expansion and media money

31:00 What happens if schools sell marquee games differently

32:43 Why championships still matter

34:50 Sheng’s work with non-revenue sports and NIL contracts

36:08 Why brands should look beyond star athletes

38:47 Are NIL contracts becoming standardized?

39:45 Why athletes need contract review

40:38 Rights, music, and long-term ownership

42:02 College tennis, roster cuts, and non-revenue sports

44:29 International athletes and college tennis

47:25 Similar issues in soccer and goalkeeper recruiting

48:00 High school NIL and state-by-state rules

49:37 Youth sports, money, and family pressure

50:29 Sports betting, college students, and addiction risk

52:00 Athlete data, betting markets, and protection

54:00 The cost and value of college

55:00 Why athletes should not discount the college experience

57:25 Athletic fees, non-athletes, and campus tension

58:57 Burnout, injuries, and changing paths

59:28 Where to find Philip Sheng

About Philip Sheng

Philip Sheng is an attorney at Venable LLP, where he works in the firm’s intellectual property group and sports law practice. His work includes NIL, the right of publicity, college eligibility, NCAA eligibility, and athlete-related legal issues. He has practiced law for 15 years.

He is also a former Stanford tennis player and a former ATP-ranked professional. That background gives him a view of college sports from both sides, as a former athlete and as an attorney working in NIL and intellectual property. He also brings a parent’s perspective, with children competing in Division I basketball and tennis. The combination shapes how he thinks about NIL, athlete contracts, non-revenue sports, and the value of the college experience.

Connect with Philip Sheng:
X | LinkedIn | Venable LLP

Connect with Eric and SportsEpreneur:
LinkedIn | X | SportsEpreneur on LinkedIn | SportsEpreneur on X

Related SportsEpreneur NIL Content

• The NIL Hub
• NIL Pros and Cons | The College Game Is Changed Forever
• What the Protect College Sports Act Reveals About Athlete Representation
• Did You Know You’re Paying for College Sports?

Rachel Maeng joins Eric Kasimov to talk about NIL, college sports, influencer marketing, athlete brands, and the money changing the system.

Rachel is a former Rutgers student-athlete, fractional COO, NIL strategist, and founder who built and sold an influencer agency. She explains why real NIL is different from revenue sharing, why college sports keeps getting more expensive, and why access still matters.

Topics covered:

• Why influencer marketing is the prequel to NIL
• What real NIL actually looks like
• How revenue sharing and roster caps changed college sports
• Why paid athletes face more fan pressure
• Why sports has turned into a money game
• The gap between top programs and everyone else
• How recruiting rankings and camps shape opportunity
• Why athletes are being asked to become media companies
• Why internships, mentors, peers, and sponsors matter

Chapters in This Episode

00:00 — Rachel Maeng on her current work
00:34 — Fractional COO work, NIL, and representation
01:42 — Rutgers, student government, and alumni advocacy
03:27 — Rutgers in the Big Ten and the reach of major universities
05:13 — Why Rachel chose Rutgers
06:55 — Big schools, small schools, and the future of college athletics
07:18 — Women’s flag football and Title IX
09:23 — Cutting sports, roster caps, and international athletes
12:57 — Syracuse, football spending, and donor ROI
14:14 — Why college teams are hiring GMs
16:16 — Student fees, tuition, and the cost of college sports
18:00 — NIL money, fan pressure, and athlete criticism
19:39 — Recruiting rankings, camps, and access
22:43 — College sports deficits and the money problem
25:36 — The growing gap between top programs and everyone else
27:10 — Recruiting facilities, spending, and shared governance
29:13 — Sports betting, expansion, and more games
32:10 — Rachel’s view on NIL
35:43 — Why Rachel watches more college sports now
37:35 — Flag football, NFL expansion, and global growth
39:17 — Youth sports, cost, and the money game
43:55 — Athletes as media companies
46:15 — TikTok, creator marketing, and the road to NIL
48:31 — Advice for young women in sports and business
54:50 — AAPI representation and women in sports business
57:50 — Sponsors, mentors, peers, and building community
59:10 — Internships, networking, and real career experience
1:03:38 — The enrollment cliff and the future of college
1:10:37 — Staying curious through podcasts, documentaries, and daily learning
1:11:26 — LA, the Olympics, and travel realities
1:15:51 — How to find Rachel Maeng

Connect with Rachel Maeng:

X | LinkedIn | Instagram

Connect with Eric & SportsEpreneur:
SportsEpreneur.com | X | LinkedIn
Eric on LinkedIn | X

Related SportsEpreneur NIL Content

• Did You Know You’re Paying for College Sports?
• Brendan Sorsby Bet on His Own Team and Is Somehow Still Eligible to Play
• The Protect College Sports Act Explained: NIL, Transfers, Antitrust, and the Future of College Sports

Brando Babini started Youth 4 Youth FC when he was 16 after realizing his own soccer path was changing. Instead of walking away from the game, he built something for the players coming next.

Eric Kasimov talks with Brando about player-led development, college soccer recruiting, pay-to-play, MLS, the World Cup, parents, leadership, and why young players need mentorship from people who have lived the journey.

Topics covered:

• Why Brando started Youth 4 Youth FC
• What player-led mentorship looks like in youth soccer
• How college soccer recruiting is changing
• Why goalkeepers face a difficult path
• The impact of international players on domestic recruiting
• Why pay-to-play remains a major problem
• How players can take ownership of their journey
• Why street soccer and culture still matter

Chapters

00:00 — Brando Babini, Youth 4 Youth FC, and building while at Brown
00:50 — Starting Youth 4 Youth at 16
02:15 — A winding recruiting journey and choosing a different soccer path
03:23 — When the pro dream shifts into something else
04:13 — What Brando wished existed when he was younger
05:05 — Street soccer, Nike, and expression beyond exposure
05:45 — College soccer recruiting and the transfer portal
07:00 — International players and eligibility questions
08:00 — Protecting the domestic player pathway
08:36 — The goalkeeper recruiting problem
11:26 — Building a better domestic soccer system
12:00 — MLS, USL, and the future of soccer in the U.S.
14:13 — Charlotte FC, accessibility, and the live soccer experience
16:20 — Where MLS fits compared to global leagues
19:13 — How the World Cup can change U.S. soccer
20:00 — Breaking pay-to-play barriers
23:08 — Showcases, costs, and why talent should be free to show
24:00 — Profit incentives, player development, and investment
27:00 — Subsidizing players and creating access
28:00 — Game time, competition, and player development
31:20 — Parents, pressure, and letting players own the journey
34:05 — Scaling Youth 4 Youth through regions
36:10 — Brown University, professors, and entrepreneurial flexibility
38:00 — Why college can still matter
40:30 — Leadership, teammates, and mental toughness
43:00 — Internal control and handling adversity
47:00 — Content, visibility, and Youth 4 Youth’s growth
49:00 — Nike Toma, street soccer, and culture
51:00 — Messi, Ronaldo, the Premier League, and global soccer
52:50 — Best players in the world today
54:38 — World Cup predictions and the U.S. path
57:00 — How to find Youth 4 Youth FC

Connect with Brando Babini | Youth 4 Youth FC
Brando Babini on LinkedIn | Instagram
Youth 4 Youth FC

Connect with Eric & SportsEpreneur
SportsEpreneur.com | X | LinkedIn
Eric on LinkedIn | X

Related SportsEpreneur Content

• When Merit Gets Messy: College Recruiting in Soccer, Hockey, and Lacrosse
• The State of Youth Sports
• College Recruiting Tips For International Student-Athletes
• The Real Cost of Youth Sports in 2026: What Families Actually Spend
• Soccer Content by SportsEpreneur
• The Pressure Placed on Kids in Youth Sports
• NIL Rules in 2026: What Athletes, Families, and Coaches Need to Know
• High School Athletes and NIL: The Future of Youth Sports
• Make Youth Sports Fun Again

College sports is changing fast. NIL, social media, transfer rules, donor money, brand deals, and youth sports are now connected in ways that did not exist a few years ago.

Eric Kasimov talks with Brent Wall, co-founder and CEO of Student Athlete Score, about athlete branding, NIL data, and why personal brand is becoming part of the athlete journey earlier than ever.

Topics covered:

• What Student Athlete Score does for schools, athletes, and brands
• Why NIL still feels like a new Wild West
• How local businesses can work with student-athletes
• Why follower counts, engagement, and fake followers all matter
• The pressure on young athletes to build a personal brand
• How the transfer portal is reshaping recruiting
• Why Olympic sports and non-revenue sports face hard questions
• What athletes can build beyond their playing careers

Chapters

00:00 — Sports towns, fandom, and life around Michigan athletics
01:50 — The professionalization of sports at every level
03:00 — Why young athletes now have to think about personal brand
04:39 — Social media cleanup, exposure, and the pressure on kids
06:32 — What Student Athlete Score does
07:56 — Measuring athlete value on social media
08:35 — How universities use the platform
10:05 — AI, discovery, and local brand deals
11:39 — NIL education, taxes, and athlete responsibility
13:36 — The old Wild West of NIL and the new one
15:59 — Compliance, NIL Go, and the fight around regulation
16:22 — Eligibility, the five-and-five rule, and college sports consistency
19:35 — Tournament expansion, TV money, sports betting, and more games
23:00 — What happens to tennis, Olympic sports, and non-revenue programs
26:17 — Donor fatigue and the need for NIL ROI
29:41 — Why money does not guarantee winning
31:19 — The transfer portal and mid-major programs as proving grounds
36:00 — International athletes, age gaps, and roster pressure
38:49 — Olympic athletes, NIL, and personal brand gaps
40:28 — Bots, fake followers, and better data
42:31 — Why athlete interests matter to brands
43:31 — Building a platform for life after sports
44:11 — Youth sports, high school athletes, and brand education
46:21 — NIL as a sales and marketing education
47:21 — Team dinners, micro-influencers, and local business value
50:40 — How Student Athlete Score grew with universities
51:26 — New commercial roles inside athletic departments
52:57 — Where to find Brent Wall and Student Athlete Score

Connect with Brent Wall | Student Athlete Score:

StudentAthleteScore.com
Instagram: @studentathletescore
Brent on LinkedIn

Connect with Eric & SportsEpreneur:
SportsEpreneur.com | X | LinkedIn
Eric on LinkedIn | X

Related SportsEpreneur posts:

Youth Sports Has Become a Full-Time Job for Parents | Dave Yoo of Onsides
High School Athletes and NIL: The Future of Youth Sports
The Real Cost of Youth Sports in 2026
NIL Hub | SportsEpreneur’s NIL News, Insights & Resources

Youth sports has quietly become a full-time job for parents. Between schedules, travel, apps, training, and expectations, the load has grown far beyond just showing up.

Eric Kasimov talks with Dave Yoo, founder of Onsides, a platform built to simplify the youth sports experience for parents, about the pressure and complexity behind it — and where it’s heading.

They get into the reality families are dealing with today, from rising costs and sideline behavior to NIL, recruiting, and how AI can actually reduce the “cognitive load” parents are carrying.

In this episode:
• Why youth sports has quietly become a $50B+ machine
• The chaos of managing multiple teams, apps, and schedules
• The real “cognitive load” parents are carrying
• How AI can actually reduce stress when used right
• The gap between recreational play and high-pressure club sports
• The hidden financial and emotional tax on families
• NIL, recruiting, and how early the stakes are starting
• What AI changes for students, founders, and careers

Chapters

00:14 – The business and emotion of youth sports
03:00 – Why Dave Yoo started building Onsides
05:00 – The chaos parents deal with across platforms
06:12 – The vision for an all-in-one youth sports app
08:26 – Reducing cognitive load for parents
10:48 – Private coaching, training, and monetization
12:29 – How Onsides is using AI behind the scenes
14:40 – Guardrails, hallucinations, and reliable data
16:36 – AI’s impact on software and engineering
18:57 – Advice for students and young founders
20:09 – College, careers, and uncertainty
21:49 – Growth, distribution, and parent adoption
24:23 – The commercialization of youth sports
27:07 – Recreational sports vs. club intensity
29:00 – Parent pressure and youth sports culture
31:44 – NIL, recruiting, and what comes next
38:00 – Media, podcasts, and startup storytelling
41:38 – AI, search, and signal amplification
43:51 – Phones, social media, and young athletes
47:42 – Connect with Onsides & Dave Yoo

Connect with Dave Yoo / Onsides:
Onsides | Onsides App
Dave Yoo on LinkedIn

Connect with Eric & SportsEpreneur:
SportsEpreneur.com | X | LinkedIn
Eric on LinkedIn | X

Related Youth Sports Content by SportsEpreneur

• The State of Youth Sports
• The Real Cost of Youth Sports in 2026: What Families Actually Spend
• The Pressure Placed on Kids in Youth Sports
• High School Athletes and NIL: The Future of Youth Sports