Ohio State is hiring a director of NIL “to oversee and provide leadership focused on NCAA Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) education, brand development, and partnerships” within the athletic department, per a posting on the university’s jobs website.
The full job description:
Ohio State Athletics Department is looking for an enthusiastic individual to oversee and provide leadership focused on NCAA Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) education, brand development, and partnerships. This position will also serve as a key adviser to the Senior Associate Director of Athletics and the EDSLI Leadership Team on strategic initiatives and the overall advancement of the department.
Serve as the primary contact for NIL for the department. Coordinate with external engagement to support brand building and personal business development initiatives. Manage software related to NIL. Create business focused educational opportunities in conjunction with student-athlete development and EDSLI career enhancement. Generate, analyze, and distribute monthly NIL transaction reports. Develop NIL working collaboration with units on campus. Provide technical support to student-athletes utilizing Opendorse or other platforms. Develop and implement market evaluation criteria as system of checks and balances for student-athletes in their search for and negotiation of agreements. Create and develop mentor relationships with student-athletes. Develop relationships with coaches and sport program support staff, in addition to compliance, multimedia rights holder, student-athlete development, external engagement, and the Office of Innovation. Coordinate the development of the NIL content on website as well as other written educational materials. Collaborate with sport programs to provide educational programs to share with prospective student-athletes. Provide NIL education and opportunities to participate for multimedia partners and donors. Develop relationships with key local, regional, and national stakeholders - sponsors / donors. Serve as the liaison to compliance on all questions and concerns regarding NIL and communicate with compliance on any questions or concerns. Generate annual NIL report. Stay updated on the latest NIL trends, including legislative advancements, NCAA compliance regulations and vendor landscape evolutions. Communicate with Office of Legal Affairs on state law application and adherence and other legal concerns.
While Ohio State currently has both a “SWAT Team” to review all NIL deals submitted by athletes and ensure they are compliant with NCAA rules, as well as an “NIL Edge” team that helps connect brands and donors with athletes – both of which consist of Ohio State employees that also have other responsibilities within the athletic department and university – it appears the Buckeyes now want to have an administrator who is solely responsible for overseeing the athletic department’s NIL efforts, but that’s about to change.
