COLUMBIA, Mo. – With the passage of legislation allowing student-athletes to capitalize on their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) by the Missouri State legislature Friday now awaiting Governor Mike Parson’s signature, the unique and personalized TradeMark program Mizzou first announced last fall will provide its student-athletes with the education and tools needed to build and elevate their personal brands to capitalize on NIL opportunities afforded them as Tigers.
“Mizzou Athletics is excited to move forward with its plans to provide our student-athletes with a comprehensive set of resources they need to enhance their personal brands through our TradeMark program,” Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk said. “We are fully committed to developing our student-athletes academically and athletically, and as the collegiate athletics landscape continues to shift in the months ahead, we will provide them with the necessary tools to position them for success as they are presented with new Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. Without question, it’s a new day in intercollegiate athletics, and we want our student-athletes to be ready for it when the bill goes into effect on Aug. 28, 2021.
“On behalf of our student-athletes, I would also like to thank State Representatives Kurtis Gregory and Nick Schroer for coming alongside Senator Caleb Rowden to sponsor Missouri’s NIL bill that is now on Governor Parson’s desk for signature,” he added. “The support our student-athletes have received from the legislature’s passing of this bill is both meaningful and impactful to current and future Tigers. We believe that NIL will have a positive impact on all student-athletes for many years to come.”
Last fall, Mizzou Athletics became the first Southeastern Conference institution to enter into a strategic partnership with NIL-oriented business and Nebraska-based Opendorse, to create TradeMark, a platform unique to Mizzou that provides its 550 student-athletes in 20 sports with tools to enhance their personal brands. Opendorse is a leader in the Name, Image and Likeness space with more than 25,000 professional athletes already using the platform to maximize their endorsement value in collaboration with partners on social media.
Mizzou’s TradeMark program is a comprehensive program that emphasizes personal brand management, social media strategies and financial literacy.
“As valuable and powerful as the Mizzou brand is, we recognize that each student-athlete who comes to Mizzou has a chance to cultivate their own personal brand, and leverage that into future opportunities that will reach well beyond athletics,” Sterk said. “Each student-athlete is an extension of Mizzou’s brand, and we are excited to provide them all with the tools to maximize their NIL presence.
Established in 1839, the University of Missouri knows what it means to be first as in the first public university west of the Mississippi River. Mizzou also enjoys the power that comes from being the state’s flagship, land-grant institution and one of only 65 universities across the U.S. and Canada to be a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
Mizzou has some of the industry’s most powerful tools that work to enhance the brand of student-athletes by telling their stories on a national level. The world’s premier (and first) journalism school provides MU student-athletes maximum exposure. The backing of the Southeastern Conference – the nation’s premier intercollegiate athletics conference – and the exposure from the SEC Network, ESPN and CBS provide opportunities for every Mizzou student-athlete to be seen world-wide.
Located in Columbia, Mo., with a thriving job marketing and just two hours from a pair of major metropolitan areas, Mizzou is truly a land of opportunity for those looking to build their personal brand. The opportunities presented to Mizzou graduates extend well beyond the world of athletics. Within the SEC footprint, the state of Missouri is the home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, which ranks tied with Tennessee for third, behind the 15 that both Florida Georgia have. The other six states in the SEC footprint have just nine total Fortune 500 companies between them.
“Everyone has a story to tell, and it’s our job to make sure we equip our student-athletes with the platforms, resources and training to tell their unique stories,” said Mizzou Deputy Athletics Director for Communications Nick Joos. “Mizzou has so many built in tools already at its disposal, including the world’s finest journalism school which has graduated several outstanding sportswriters and sportscasters over the years, and a proven track record of enhancing some of college athletics’ most recognizable names.
“Mizzou Athletics also enjoys a strong social media presence which affords opportunities for its student-athletes to grow their personal brands, too,” he added. “All of our social media accounts have helped amplify the stories and success of Mizzou Athletics which should help all of our student-athletes as we enter the NIL world.”
“Mizzou Athletics is excited to move forward with its plans to provide our student-athletes with a comprehensive set of resources they need to enhance their personal brands through our TradeMark program,” Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk said. “We are fully committed to developing our student-athletes academically and athletically, and as the collegiate athletics landscape continues to shift in the months ahead, we will provide them with the necessary tools to position them for success as they are presented with new Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. Without question, it’s a new day in intercollegiate athletics, and we want our student-athletes to be ready for it when the bill goes into effect on Aug. 28, 2021.
“On behalf of our student-athletes, I would also like to thank State Representatives Kurtis Gregory and Nick Schroer for coming alongside Senator Caleb Rowden to sponsor Missouri’s NIL bill that is now on Governor Parson’s desk for signature,” he added. “The support our student-athletes have received from the legislature’s passing of this bill is both meaningful and impactful to current and future Tigers. We believe that NIL will have a positive impact on all student-athletes for many years to come.”
Last fall, Mizzou Athletics became the first Southeastern Conference institution to enter into a strategic partnership with NIL-oriented business and Nebraska-based Opendorse, to create TradeMark, a platform unique to Mizzou that provides its 550 student-athletes in 20 sports with tools to enhance their personal brands. Opendorse is a leader in the Name, Image and Likeness space with more than 25,000 professional athletes already using the platform to maximize their endorsement value in collaboration with partners on social media.
Mizzou’s TradeMark program is a comprehensive program that emphasizes personal brand management, social media strategies and financial literacy.
“As valuable and powerful as the Mizzou brand is, we recognize that each student-athlete who comes to Mizzou has a chance to cultivate their own personal brand, and leverage that into future opportunities that will reach well beyond athletics,” Sterk said. “Each student-athlete is an extension of Mizzou’s brand, and we are excited to provide them all with the tools to maximize their NIL presence.
Established in 1839, the University of Missouri knows what it means to be first as in the first public university west of the Mississippi River. Mizzou also enjoys the power that comes from being the state’s flagship, land-grant institution and one of only 65 universities across the U.S. and Canada to be a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
Mizzou has some of the industry’s most powerful tools that work to enhance the brand of student-athletes by telling their stories on a national level. The world’s premier (and first) journalism school provides MU student-athletes maximum exposure. The backing of the Southeastern Conference – the nation’s premier intercollegiate athletics conference – and the exposure from the SEC Network, ESPN and CBS provide opportunities for every Mizzou student-athlete to be seen world-wide.
Located in Columbia, Mo., with a thriving job marketing and just two hours from a pair of major metropolitan areas, Mizzou is truly a land of opportunity for those looking to build their personal brand. The opportunities presented to Mizzou graduates extend well beyond the world of athletics. Within the SEC footprint, the state of Missouri is the home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, which ranks tied with Tennessee for third, behind the 15 that both Florida Georgia have. The other six states in the SEC footprint have just nine total Fortune 500 companies between them.
“Everyone has a story to tell, and it’s our job to make sure we equip our student-athletes with the platforms, resources and training to tell their unique stories,” said Mizzou Deputy Athletics Director for Communications Nick Joos. “Mizzou has so many built in tools already at its disposal, including the world’s finest journalism school which has graduated several outstanding sportswriters and sportscasters over the years, and a proven track record of enhancing some of college athletics’ most recognizable names.
“Mizzou Athletics also enjoys a strong social media presence which affords opportunities for its student-athletes to grow their personal brands, too,” he added. “All of our social media accounts have helped amplify the stories and success of Mizzou Athletics which should help all of our student-athletes as we enter the NIL world.”
