ACU Athletics launches NIL Marketplace with Opendorse

ABILENE, Texas – The ACU Department of Athletics announced on Monday a new partnership with Opendorse, the industry leader in Name, Image and Likeness technology and solutions. The objective of the partnership is to help Abilene Christian student-athletes to maximize opportunities for NIL deals by providing a one-stop shop for athletes, supporters, fans and potential partners.  
 
"College athletics has changed in a big way over the last several years, and this partnership ensures that Abilene Christian continues to stay at the forefront of that," ACU Vice President for Athletics Zack Lassiter said. "We want to strive to be a national leader with all things NIL, and we are working regularly on education and opportunities for our student-athletes to take full advantage of this partnership." 
 
The NIL Marketplace will offer a streamlined access point for organizations and individuals who would like to explore NIL collaborations with Wildcat student-athletes while remaining compliant with NCAA guidelines. Fans, brands, sponsors and donors will be able to browse the one-stop shop to find their favorite student-athletes, offer opportunities for partnership and complete payments.
 
"This move to the Marketplace is one step in a continual process to equip and educate our student-athletes on the evolving NIL environment," Associate AD for Compliance and Student Services Heather Wyatt said. "Our department plans to continue programming throughout the year to ensure our student-athletes are able to take full advantage of these opportunities."
 
Opendorse aims to serve the full lifecycle of supporting athletes and helps athletes and their supporters understand, build, protect and monetize their brand value. Launched in 2012, Opendorse continues to grow and now has partnered with organizations of all levels, including professional sport leagues and Power 5 schools across the nation. 
 
"Together with the Opendorse NIL Marketplace, our corporate partners can extend their school sponsorships and campaigns to include the reach and relevancy of our student-athletes," Abilene Christian Sports Properties General Manager Marcus Dunn said. "We can now guide those partners to the Opendorse marketplace to identify the student-athletes that best fit their campaigns and messaging strategies. It's a win-win for everyone."
 
Using Opendorse, all ACU student-athletes can review and accept NIL deals, receive payments, disclose activities for compliance and auto-generate necessary tax documentation. Once deals are approved and completed, compensation at the agreed-upon amount is guaranteed. The Marketplace allows student-athletes to manage all communication within the secure Opendorse app.
 
"Having everything streamlined undoubtedly makes it easier for athletes to connect with different businesses and companies," ACU football team captain Peyton Mansell said. "Having been on both ends of the spectrum – being sponsored and sponsoring athletes through my company – this will be a lot easier on all parties for everything to be accessible in one spot." 
 
All Wildcat student-athletes will have opportunities to build NIL Marketplace profiles, highlighting the reach of their social media accounts, along with their interests and preferences for potential partnerships. International student-athletes may still be limited to use of the platform to position themselves for future opportunities after graduation due to federal law. 
 
ACU's NIL Marketplace can be found by clicking here.