Name Image Likeness Opportunity Management & Disclosure Software Company ‘Athliance’ Launches Limited Pilot Program with Key Partners
MIAMI, FL, Mar. 1, 2021 — Athliance, which delivers a comprehensive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunity and disclosure management software solution for NCAA university compliance departments, today announces its pilot program to help their compliance departments better manage the internal complexities and challenges brought on by the new NIL legislation. Athliance is currently one month into their pilot program with the following committed programs: University of Kansas, University of Arizona, University of Pittsburgh, and Georgetown University.
As Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) discussions and ratification progress, the question is no longer a matter of “if” the legislation is going to pass; it’s merely a matter of “when” these new rules and requirements will go into effect.
“Until recently, the buzz surrounding name, image, and likeness has been focused on student-athlete branding, marketing, and recruiting. As the dust begins to settle, universities are beginning to realize that their compliance officers will need significant resources to manage the increased burdens and demands that come with the proposed NIL legislation,” said Peter Schoenthal, co-founder and CEO of Athliance. “Athliance provides both tools and software solely focused on opportunity management and education to protect both the University and its student-athletes from the pitfalls that are sure to come from NIL. Nobody knows exactly what to expect, but one thing is certain: NIL is here to stay.”
In January, the NCAA postponed the vote to ratify their proposed NIL legislation, effectively “punting” the issue as discussions continue at state and federal levels. Several states have submitted legislation permitting student-athletes to engage in NIL activities that will go into effect in August 2021. The NCAA has assembled a task force that is actively working with state and federal governments to enact a uniform set of rules to ensure the continuity of college athletics in the post-NIL era.
At this time, all signs point to the ratification of final NCAA NIL legislation in April 2021, following the conclusion of the NCAA’s largest revenue-generating event of the year – March Madness. In 2021, March Madness is more crucial than ever, as college athletics took a significant hit in 2020 from event cancellations brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Universities have been proactive about NIL from a marketing standpoint, quickly forming partnerships with opportunity bringers and branding consultants to increase appeal towards up-and-coming recruits, often announcing those partnerships on social media channels and tickers. However, from an internal perspective, most institutions are uncertain about how their compliance departments will handle the massive burden that comes with NIL opportunity management and disclosures with their currently allotted resources and additional budget limitations brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. This widespread uncertainty has forced many departments to hold off on making hiring decisions and partnerships with compliance solutions until the ratification of the proposed NCAA® NIL rules.
Although the NCAA NIL rules have not yet been ratified, the NCAA has made it known that student-athletes will be required to disclose details of their potential opportunities to both their University and the NCAA. This disclosure is of paramount importance in protecting the student-athlete from entering into a “bad deal” that could negatively impact student-athlete eligibility and upholding institutional control measures for the University to safeguard from potential NCAA violations and contractual sponsorship violations. Disclosure will also be necessary for the NCAA to determine Fair Market Value standards, which will help establish compensation guidelines for student-athletes based on demographics and other data.
Florida-based Athliance was founded to largely mitigate the expected strain that NIL opportunity management is going to place on university compliance departments nationwide. Athliance has designed a proprietary opportunity management software that will empower compliance departments with the tools and resources needed to automate the communication and workflow of every single opportunity presented to student-athletes, start-to-finish. These opportunities will be required to provide minimum “disclosures” of all details by the proposed NCAA legislation.
Athliance also educates student-athletes on maximizing their NIL potential while also focusing on how to do so correctly to protect their eligibility. They do so with both initial on-site education sessions and ongoing ‘in-app’ education.
Working with a diverse team of athletic directors and compliance officers from Universities across the country, Athliance has come to understand that every University operates differently, that overcoming the difficulties surrounding student-athlete buy-in is paramount, and that there is a need to evaluate and approve contractors engaging with student-athletes. Athliance also recognizes that the new era brought on by NIL will be ever-changing. Their platform is engineered with an intuitive user interface, university-specific customizations, and the ability to adapt and scale with new rules and restrictions. Nobody truly knows what to expect come August, but compliance departments will need to address the need for a NIL opportunity management platform before it’s too late.
Athliance is scheduled for release to a limited number of NCAA universities on July 1st, 2021. For more information, including a product demo and reservation details, please reach out to our CEO Peter Schoenthal at peter@athliance.co.
ABOUT ATHLIANCE Athliance was founded with the objective to largely mitigate the expected strain that NIL opportunity management is going to place on university compliance departments nationwide. Athliance provides a comprehensive software solution that will empower compliance departments with the tools and resources needed to automate the communication and workflow of every single opportunity presented to student-athletes, start-to-finish. The platform will assist with educating student-athletes about the new processes and pitfalls and simplify and automate the input, approval, monitoring, reporting, and disclosure process for all NIL opportunities. To learn more, visit https://athliance.com.
MEDIA CONTACT Sean Hughes press@athliance.co 833-284-5426
SOURCE Athliance LLC
Related Links https://athliance.com/