How College Athletic Departments Should Be Educating Their Athletes on NIL

Named one of Sports Business Journal’s 40 under 40, Casey Schwab is making an impact in the sports -and education- world. In this new episode of Game Changers, host Katie Steinberg sits down with Schwab, CEO of Altius Sports Partners, to discuss education advisory work in utilizing the NIL and beyond.

Schwab emphasized the work Altius focuses on, which is in working for athletic departments to provide athletes with the education and guidance they need to maximize the NIL and strike a balance for those wanting to go into the NFL.

By focusing on long-term goals, rather than short-term monetary gains, Altius helps athletes envision the impact NIL might make when entering into the league and beyond.

Steinberg emphasized one of Altius’ mission goals is in empowering athletes which Schwab said Altius does by, from an institutional perspective, providing resources for the athletes to turn to. Rather than working for each athlete individually, Altius is paid by the university institution to provide “objective guidance in a compliant way”.

In answering how athletic departments should be educating their athletes, Schwab stated “offensively and defensively.” In essence, departments need to get out in front of NIL and talk to athletes about resources and different situations they might come across. This provides a place for the athlete to go to to understand what the next step is in different situations.

Schwab said that Altius aims to create relationships between brands and athletes in a positive and insightful way. He said that while there is certainly an imbalance between athletes wanting to be in this space (NIL) and brands that want to be in this space, Altius focuses on providing guidance for that athlete, to know what to do and how to talk to them.

As for capitalizing on new opportunities, like being the Cinderella team in March Madness, those athletes and groups must be educated on NIL to really take advantage of those viral moments. With Altius, Schwab aims to make this new landscape equally playable.

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