How do college athletes build a case for brand partnerships before they have an established name on the field or court?

Grayson Wagner, Senior Director of NIL & Revenue Sharing Operations at Colorado State,  joins Sterling Randle on NIL Edge to explain how consistent content creation, local audience connections and individual athlete support help turn interest in NIL into commercial opportunities.

Drawing on his experience at Opendorse, Maryland, Kansas and Colorado State, Grayson discusses:

• What makes an athlete’s content portfolio useful when approaching brands
• Colorado State athlete campaigns with Facebook, Vuori and Creator Sports Network
• Helping recruits and parents understand NIL and revenue sharing
• Why Colorado businesses seek out athletes with local roots
• Setting realistic goals through individual athlete meetings
• Measuring success through athlete retention and repeat brand partnerships
• What the Pac-12 move means for Colorado State’s visibility

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NIL Edge is produced by Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern in partnership with NILNewsstand, featuring conversations with the brands, athletic departments and industry leaders shaping the future of NIL

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‍Watch or listen to the full episode below. All episodes are available to watch on Youtube and listen on Spotify. NIL Edge is also available on Apple and NIL Newsstand.

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