Husky Athletics Announces Boundless Futures Enhancements to Help Student-Athletes Seize NIL Opportunities
2/24/2021
SEATTLE - Boundless Futures ®, a comprehensive personal, professional and leadership development program for student-athletes at the University of Washington, will soon encompass programming designed to help student-athletes seize opportunities created by upcoming Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation.
NIL refers to pending federal legislation and NCAA rule changes that would allow student-athletes to earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness. This means student-athletes would be able to do things like: start and promote a business, be paid for sponsored content and endorsements, and sell autographs.
“With the combination of this amazing university and world-class city, our students are well-positioned for success both in and outside of sport,” said Director of Athletics Jen Cohen. “Our enhanced Boundless Futures curriculum, which includes new and further resources and infrastructure through our nationally renowned Foster School of Business, as well as our partnership with the personal brand-building platform Opendorse, show our commitment to helping our students chase their dreams in competition, and in life. We fully embrace NIL as part of the journey for our students at the University of Washington and know that the opportunities for them at the UW and in Seattle are limitless.”
Located in a top-15 media market that includes several Fortune 500 companies, the UW is uniquely positioned to help athletes seize once-in-a-lifetime NIL opportunities, from sponsorships to entrepreneurship. Seattle is the second-largest tech hub and the 11th largest metropolitan area in the United States. It’s also home to a robust and impressive alumni network; because a large majority of UW graduates stay in Washington, connections that students make while at UW remain relevant long after graduation.
Boundless Futures leverages UW’s alumni network and the Seattle business community to build leaders in life and in the workplace through practical experiences and connections. Though universities will be prohibited from directly participating in NIL activity, the UW can enable student-athletes to make connections and locate resources to support their endeavors and provide best-in-class education to equip them with the tools needed to capitalize on opportunities.
“NIL initiatives allow our student-athletes to capitalize on the platform created by the University of Washington and the vast network of resources in Seattle,” said UW Athletics Chief Operating Officer Jason Butikofer. “We’re excited to help current and future student-athletes maximize their potential while at UW and beyond through our thoughtful and strategic approach to NIL.”
One of the exciting additions to Boundless Futures is a partnership with the Foster School of Business. Students can participate in a series of courses to explore the intersection of athletics and business, covering key NIL topics such as personal brand development and strategy, business and entrepreneurship, and opportunity evaluation. This partnership allows students to participate in the rich entrepreneurial ecosystem in Seattle and learn from Foster faculty who are experts in sales, marketing, management and entrepreneurship, and depending on the course, will be offered for credit.
Another pillar of the UW’s NIL initiative is personal brand and social media strategy. Because NIL activity may be bolstered by having a platform on social media, UW is investing in a partnership with Opendorse, a national leader in athlete marketing solutions, to help UW student-athletes build and amplify their personal brands. By joining Opendorse Ready, the company’s NIL readiness program, the UW will provide student-athletes with personalized assessment, education and performance tools to better understand and build their social audiences. The company currently powers more than 30,000 athletes with access to tap-to-publish posts to connect them with fans. UW will also provide tools to manage the role social media plays in a student-athlete’s life.
“Boundless Futures connects the dots between where a student-athlete is, and where they want to be. NIL opens up more options for what those opportunities can look like,” says Kim Durand, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. “It looks different for every student-athlete, so the path is customizable, and we want to provide resources that best fit each of our student-athletes.”
More details from the NCAA and federal government will be announced when they become available. In the meantime, UW is educating its coaches and staff so they can communicate the latest understanding of NIL to student-athletes, recruits, and families.
