This NIL collective hopes to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for TCU athletics
TCU soccer standout Messiah Bright felt honored to be the first athlete highlighted last week by Think NIL, a collective run by TCU supporters aimed at generating name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for Horned Frogs in every program.
In a 90-second video, Bright discussed her path to TCU and the influence her father Damion had on her soccer career.
“It was truly an honor to showcase my story and my development as a soccer player to get to the point where I’m at today,” said Bright, who has started 77 games for the Horned Frogs the last four seasons and returns as a super senior in 2022.
“The experience was really fun and I love how they personalize it for you,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for myself and any student athlete to just build their brand.”
Building a brand has become among the top priorities for college athletes these days in the NIL era. Even though the NIL era is just over nine months old, it’s become among the most important things for universities and its supporters to embrace to remain relevant at the highest levels.
Some college athletes are pulling in more than seven-figure deals while others may be happy with a simple trade, such as a social media post for a store credit.
For Think NIL, it’s hoping to become TCU’s “one-stop shop” for NIL-related matters, said Brent Cunningham, who spent nine years working in TCU’s compliance office before parting ways to become Think NIL’s vice president of operations.
“What I bring to Think NIL is that subject matter expertise,” Cunningham said. “I know where the line is, I know where the gray areas are when it comes to doing deals with athletes and how to do it properly so everybody is staying out of trouble.
“It’s kind of similar to what I’ve done in the past, working as an athletics administrator, but just in a different way now.”
Think NIL was formed in December but is quickly moving beyond its infancy stages. The collective just launched a social media campaign last week with athletes such as Bright sharing their stories on Instagram. Other athletes highlighted during the week included Elijah Nunez (baseball), Quentin Johnston (football) and Eddie Lampkin (basketball).
The collective has announced dozens of players as “ambassadors” in the last 10 days, including the entire men’s basketball program. It hopes to serve every TCU student-athlete as it works with local businesses to generate various NIL opportunities for athletes.
For now, the men’s basketball team is the easiest “sell” on the heels of their success last season. The Frogs won a program-record five games against AP Top 25 teams, ended a 35-year drought between NCAA Tournament victories and were on the verge of creating some March Madness on their own when they had Arizona, the region’s top seed, on the ropes in closing seconds of regulation.
And with the team the team returning every starter and the majority of the key reserves for next season, the buzz surrounding the program has remained strong.
“With us bringing most of our guys back, it provides a really good opportunity for us to be better next season,” said center Xavier Cork. ”We did a really good job this season of making big runs and being successful. It just brings us more exposure and opportunities for NIL deals.”
Partnering with college athletes remains a relatively new phenomenon for businesses. However, just like getting a pro athlete to endorse a product, certain college athletes can provide similar reach.
Asked why businesses should explore this area, Cunningham said: “A lot of the businesses in the campus footprint of TCU and the DFW area have been supporters and big supporters of TCU athletics for years. Now it’s an opportunity for them to probably relate more to some of their customer base by doing deals with TCU student athletes.
“It gives them an opportunity to connect and a new avenue that was never made available to them in the past,” he said. “From a marketing standpoint of any business, you want to explore anything that might bring your company revenue.”
Cunningham added that Think NIL wants to be “donor-centric,” making any potential deals with athletes as seamless as possible. He also said that Think NIL, even though it’s not affiliated with the university, will be in “lockstep” with TCU and the school’s vision in this space.
