On Tuesday morning, the University of North Carolina announced the first group licensing program for current student-athletes. The program is similar to Carolina’s Alumni Group Rights program, which allow former Tar Heels to market themselves under the school banner. With the new licensing program, student-athletes can partner with a school-affiliated branding group that would seek out deals for them.
“The manufacturers are the experts in the market to know what fans want,” Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham told The Associated Press. “So if our retailers and licensees think a jersey sale would be absolutely terrific, then they’re going to sell jerseys.
As few as three student-athletes in one sport or as many as six in multiple sports can accept agreements that market them in Tar Heel logos and uniforms. School officials say participation in group licensing is completely voluntary and athletes can still search for their own individual marketing contracts.
Earlier this month, the University of the North Carolina Charlotte was the first to help guide student-athletes through the name, image and likeness process with a program called Greenlight.