Florida Atlantic University Athletics
FAU to Prepare Student-Athletes for NIL with Opendorse Ready
11/4/2020 4:00:00 PM | General
Owls become first school in Florida, Conference USA to provide the NIL readiness program to student-athletes
BOCA RATON, FL – Florida Atlantic University Athletics (FAU) announced today its decision to join Opendorse Ready, the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Readiness program. With experience maximizing endorsement value for thousands of professional athletes since 2012, Opendorse has launched the Ready program to apply proven endorsement management solutions to prepare student-athletes for coming changes to Name, Image, and Likeness policy.
"Our job is to prepare young people for success in life beyond their playing days," said FAU Football Head Coach Willie Taggart. "NIL rights for student-athletes will be a major part of college football in the very near future. With our location, we believe student-athletes attending FAU will have great opportunities in this area. Partnering with Opendorse for the Ready program will provide all FAU student-athletes with the tools they need to successfully build their personal brands."
The agreement positions FAU as the first program in the state of Florida and in Conference USA to join Opendorse Ready. The Owls are among the first 20 schools nationwide to be admitted to the program, joining Clemson, Nebraska, Louisville, and Indiana, among others.
By joining now, FAU is able to offer Opendorse Ready's NIL readiness solutions to every student-athlete at the University. The program provides three core pillars to student-athlete success: Assessment, Education, and Performance – tailored to assist each individual athlete.
"The stated mission in our Strategic Plan is to create a brighter future for FAU through student-athlete success," said Brian White, Florida Atlantic Vice President and Director of Athletics. "This partnership is a huge step forward in that mission. The education and assistance available to our student-athletes through the Opendorse Ready program is an extremely powerful tool to help our student-athletes build their brands in a positive way and prepare them for success while at FAU and beyond. Opendorse is well-known as an innovator and leader in the NIL space. Being the first Opendorse Ready partner in Florida and in C-USA shows our commitment to providing our student-athletes every advantage in this area."
"FAU has stepped up as a leader as we approach a new era in college athletics," Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence said. "The school's geographical advantages and early-adopter status in Florida point to a future where FAU student-athletes will be set up to build and maximize the value of their personal brands while on campus."
Founded by Nebraska Football alumni Blake Lawrence and Adi Kunalic, Opendorse has become a proven market leader in helping sports organizations and their athletes prepare and execute social media programs to increase the value of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). More than 25,000 athletes currently use Opendorse to maximize their endorsement value in collaboration with partners on social media. Opendorse has partnered with the NHL, NFLPA, NBPA, PGA Tour and others while brands like Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and EA Sports also use the platform.
About Opendorse
Opendorse powers the athlete endorsement ecosystem. Today more than 25,000 athletes around the world use the sports technology company to build their personal brands by publishing social media content from partners including 100+ college athletics programs, dozens of professional teams, the PGA TOUR, NHL, NFLPA, NBPA, and hundreds of sponsors.
The platform is purpose-built for athletes make the most of their moment and to capture the massive opportunity at-hand with the organizations they're connected to. From All-Americans to All-Pros – when athletes maximize endorsement value alongside their partners and organizations – they do it with Opendorse.
Media Contacts:
Opendorse: Sam Weber, sam@opendorse.com; 308-293-3988
Florida Atlantic: Andy Seeley, aseeley@fau.edu, 407-342-1406
"Our job is to prepare young people for success in life beyond their playing days," said FAU Football Head Coach Willie Taggart. "NIL rights for student-athletes will be a major part of college football in the very near future. With our location, we believe student-athletes attending FAU will have great opportunities in this area. Partnering with Opendorse for the Ready program will provide all FAU student-athletes with the tools they need to successfully build their personal brands."
The agreement positions FAU as the first program in the state of Florida and in Conference USA to join Opendorse Ready. The Owls are among the first 20 schools nationwide to be admitted to the program, joining Clemson, Nebraska, Louisville, and Indiana, among others.
By joining now, FAU is able to offer Opendorse Ready's NIL readiness solutions to every student-athlete at the University. The program provides three core pillars to student-athlete success: Assessment, Education, and Performance – tailored to assist each individual athlete.
"The stated mission in our Strategic Plan is to create a brighter future for FAU through student-athlete success," said Brian White, Florida Atlantic Vice President and Director of Athletics. "This partnership is a huge step forward in that mission. The education and assistance available to our student-athletes through the Opendorse Ready program is an extremely powerful tool to help our student-athletes build their brands in a positive way and prepare them for success while at FAU and beyond. Opendorse is well-known as an innovator and leader in the NIL space. Being the first Opendorse Ready partner in Florida and in C-USA shows our commitment to providing our student-athletes every advantage in this area."
"FAU has stepped up as a leader as we approach a new era in college athletics," Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence said. "The school's geographical advantages and early-adopter status in Florida point to a future where FAU student-athletes will be set up to build and maximize the value of their personal brands while on campus."
Founded by Nebraska Football alumni Blake Lawrence and Adi Kunalic, Opendorse has become a proven market leader in helping sports organizations and their athletes prepare and execute social media programs to increase the value of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). More than 25,000 athletes currently use Opendorse to maximize their endorsement value in collaboration with partners on social media. Opendorse has partnered with the NHL, NFLPA, NBPA, PGA Tour and others while brands like Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and EA Sports also use the platform.
About Opendorse
Opendorse powers the athlete endorsement ecosystem. Today more than 25,000 athletes around the world use the sports technology company to build their personal brands by publishing social media content from partners including 100+ college athletics programs, dozens of professional teams, the PGA TOUR, NHL, NFLPA, NBPA, and hundreds of sponsors.
The platform is purpose-built for athletes make the most of their moment and to capture the massive opportunity at-hand with the organizations they're connected to. From All-Americans to All-Pros – when athletes maximize endorsement value alongside their partners and organizations – they do it with Opendorse.
Media Contacts:
Opendorse: Sam Weber, sam@opendorse.com; 308-293-3988
Florida Atlantic: Andy Seeley, aseeley@fau.edu, 407-342-1406
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