Two and a half years ago, at the beginning of the NIL era, The Big Sky Conference and INFLCR entered a league-wide partnership that provided the INFLCR technology to its member institutions. This tool empowered the more then 700 student-athletes in The Big Sky Conference with a content management tool to build their personal brand and NIL compliance platform for administrators to monitor and track NIL transactions while providing guidance and education around the new world of NIL.
Over the past two years, the NIL landscape has advanced drastically. The Big Sky Conference has responded by expanding its partnership with INFLCR and will provide a fee-free INFLCR Exchange marketplace to eight of its ten full-time member institutions. Big Sky student-athletes have the tools to build and manage their brand, and now, with their custom-branded school Exchanges, they can engage with local and national businesses to perform NIL deals.
Led by Commissioner Tom Wistrcill, The Big Sky Conference becomes the latest conference in Division I collegiate athletics to implement custom-branded INFLCR NIL marketplaces for multiple member institutions. The decision to expand the partnership with INFLCR was driven by the responsibility he and other conference leaders feel to empower Big Sky student-athletes in their pursuit of NIL opportunities.
Putting our student-athletes in the best place to succeed in the realm of Name, Image and Likeness is one of our top priorities at the Big Sky Conference and being able to further our relationship with INFLCR in this way is another massive step in the right direction, Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. Streamlining the process between our athletes and any potential partnerships will go a long way for our institutions, and continues to place us at the forefront of embracing this new world of collegiate athletics.
The Big Sky Conference participating schools will have a custom-branded NIL Exchange that will serve as a front door for NIL deals, allowing interested parties – such as brands, collectives, donors, and fans to register to work directly with their student-athletes. Administrators will have an expanded toolset, giving them visibility into NIL deals and a clear pathway to connect with student-athletes to provide education and guidance.
„It’s been a pleasure working with Commissioner Wistrcill on this expanded partnership. His commitment to providing his student-athletes with the very best tools and opportunities for NIL activities drove this partnership to fruition,“ said Joe Maggio, Senior Global Sales Executive at Teamworks. „We are excited to see how Big Sky student-athletes take advantage of the INLFCR platform and are encouraged by the over two dozen deals that have already happened with athletes at Northern Arizona University and Sacramento State as part of their early launch.“
To explore the Big Sky NIL Hub and all the school’s custom exchanges, CLICK HERE.
