College football players participating in this year’s Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte will, for the first time, get to broker Name, Image and Likeness deals before and after the game.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation, owner and operator of the Duke's Mayo Bowl, is partnering with Opendorse to create a digital marketplace where businesses and individuals can connect with Bowl athletes and pay them to promote their companies or events.
The endorsements could include videos, social media shout-outs or live appearances.
According to CSF marketing director Miller Yoho, "Opendorse will have an existing digital and mobile app, that allows you to directly communicate with the players — we are removed as a communicator — or their representatives with no middle person, where you can see the athletes and work with them and create these nil deals.
"If you are a local pizza joint and if you have a player you want to work with you can easily send them a package and make a deal."
Yoho says the amounts paid to the athletes will vary.
"Every player has a different value based on their name," Yoho said. "If they are a star athlete, they will certainly have more value — or if they have a large social media following, so could range from $50 to some of the star athletes have campaigns in the six figures."
Yoho says they received approval from the NCAA last month to create the NIL marketplace for the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
The yet-to be-named ACC and SEC teams will play at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 27.
An average of more than 50,000 fans typically turn out for the game, which Yoho says generated nearly $4.8 million citywide last year.
