NIL

EXEC

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. and Foot Locker, Inc. have confirmed the news that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Dick’s SG will acquire Foot Locker. This transaction implies an equity value of approximately $2.4 billion and an enterprise value of roughly $2.5 billion. “Foot Locker has a strong history of […]

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“Foot Locker has a strong history of sneaker expertise that sparks discovery and ignites the power of sneaker culture through its portfolio of brands, including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and Atmos,” the companies said in a media release announcing the deal. “Foot Locker encompasses approximately 2,400 retail stores across 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and a licensed store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In 2024, Foot Locker achieved net worldwide sales of $8 billion.”

Dick’s SG said it expects to operate Foot Locker as a standalone business unit within its portfolio and maintain the Foot Locker brands.

“We have long admired the cultural significance and brand equity that Foot Locker and its dedicated Stripers have built within the communities they serve,“ said Ed Stack, executive chairman of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. “We believe there is a meaningful opportunity for growth ahead. By applying our operational expertise to this iconic business, we see a clear path to further unlocking growth and enhancing Foot Locker’s position in the industry. Together, we will leverage the complementary strengths of both organizations to better serve the broad and evolving needs of global sports retail consumers.”

The international landscape is changing rapidly of late, with key Foot Locker competitor, UK-based JD Sports, fast expanding in the U.S. through its acquisitions of Hibbett Sports, Finish Line, DTLR, and Shoe Palace, and continued acquisitions across Europe as it works to integrate its subsidiaries under the JD name, including Finish Line.

Last month SGB Media commented that the latest moves by JD Sports and its cross-town rival Frasers Group, which owns the Sports Direct business along with several other sports and outdoor retail brand names, sounded like the UK was putting the old colonial empire back together as the two engaged in global expansion to become the leading worldwide sports retailer.

While JD has focused on the U.S. and Europe, Frasers appears to be focused on former British colonies in the Middle East, South Africa and the South Asia Pacific regions. Frasers established a foothold in the U.S. market by acquiring Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports but abandoned that strategy.

Now comes the colonists, with Dick’s Sporting Goods fighting the good fight to protect the motherland from the ambitions of the crown while offering a new global vision for the Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker brands. This deal sets up a sporting goods and athletic footwear behemoth that would suggest that Ed Stack has his own “Make America Great Again“ strategy to lead in the global marketplace. As the tariff fight started by U.S. President Donald Trump has shown, there is strength in numbers, and the ability to negotiate pricing with vendors and factories has become paramount in a company’s growth and profitability going forward.

“We look forward to welcoming Foot Locker’s talented team and building upon their expertise and passion for their business, which we intend to honor and amplify together,“ said Dick’s SG President and CEO Lauren Hobart. “Sports and sports culture continue to be incredibly powerful, and with this acquisition, we’ll create a new global platform that serves those ever-evolving needs through iconic concepts consumers know and love, enhanced store designs and omni-channel experiences, as well as a product mix that appeals to our different customer bases.”

Mary Dillon, CEO of Foot Locker, Inc., said the deal marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Foot Locker and is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication to the mission.

“By joining forces with Dick’s, Foot Locker will be even better positioned to expand sneaker culture, elevate the omni-channel experience for our customers and brand partners, and enhance our position in the industry,“ Dillon said. “We are pleased to provide shareholders with a transaction structure that offers the choice of significant and immediate cash value or the opportunity to invest in the combined company and benefit from the substantial upside potential. I am proud of all that our teams around the world, including our Stripers, have accomplished to reach this milestone moment, and am confident this transaction represents the best path for our shareholders and other stakeholders.“

The proposed acquisition represents an important strategic milestone for Dick’s whereby the combined company offers significant strategic and financial benefits:

Create a global platform within the growing sports retail industry. The transaction will better position the combined company to serve consumers worldwide and expands Dick’s addressable market opportunity. By combining with Foot Locker, Dick’s will be poised to serve consumers not only in new locations in the U.S. through Foot Locker’s complementary real estate portfolio, but also internationally for the first time. With strong long-term industry tailwinds, the combined company is well-positioned for long-term growth.
Serve a broader set of consumers across differentiated concepts. Iconic concepts will cater to a wide range of consumers, from performance-focused athletes to sneakerheads. Building upon the learnings from Dick’s House of Sport and Foot Locker’s Reimagined Concept stores, the combined company will provide an immersive retail experience.
Strengthen relationships with brand partners through global reach. Together, Dick’s and Foot Locker will serve as a stronger partner for key brands, offering multiple platforms for established and emerging partners to showcase product, connect with athletes and increase visibility on a global scale.
Invest in future growth through an omni-channel experience. Dick’s has a history of growth and aims to invest in and monetize the Foot Locker brand and position the combined company for long-term success. The combination will drive profitability through differentiated store concepts and digital experiences, enabling sustainable long-term profit.
Unlock operational efficiencies that create shareholder value. Dick’s expects the transaction to be accretive to EPS in the first full fiscal year post-close, which excludes transaction and other one-time costs to achieve synergies, and to deliver between $100 million to $125 million in cost synergies in the medium-term achieved through procurement and direct sourcing.

Additional Transaction Details
Under the terms of the merger agreement, approved unanimously by the Boards of Directors of Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker, Foot Locker shareholders will elect to receive either $24.00 in cash or 0.1168 shares of Dick’s common stock for each share of Foot Locker common stock. The election is not subject to a minimum or maximum amount of cash or stock consideration.

Based on the closing price of Foot Locker common stock on May 14, 2025, the $24.00 per-share consideration represents a premium of approximately 66 percent to Foot Locker’s 60-trading-day volume-weighted average price. The total consideration represents an acquisition multiple of approximately 6.1x fiscal 2024 adjusted EBITDA.

Dick’s SG intends to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash-on-hand and new debt. The transaction is subject to Foot Locker shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second half of 2025.

Goldman Sachs is serving as financial advisor to Dick’s and provided fully committed bridge financing. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as Dick’s legal advisor. Evercore serves as Foot Locker’s financial advisor, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is Foot Locker’s legal advisor.

Image courtesy Fox News Corp.

NIL

Who is ESM’s Dan Everett? The story of the man who reps top UGA players

Dan Everett says NIL era demands personalized brand deals for athletes ESM’s Dan Everett shares how the NIL world has evolved and why authentic partnerships matter more than ever. ESM, a sports marketing company, connects athletes, primarily football players, with brands and revenue-sharing deals. The company has grown significantly over the past decade, expanding its […]

Published

7 minutes ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ESM, a sports marketing company, connects athletes, primarily football players, with brands and revenue-sharing deals.
The company has grown significantly over the past decade, expanding its clientele and services.
ESM represents numerous high-profile athletes, including college and professional players, and even high school prospects.
The company is actively involved in NIL deals, including revenue sharing agreements with schools.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — A decade before the advent of NIL deals, Dan Everett was hustling to set up autograph appearances for Georgia football players readying for the NFL Draft.

A.J. Green and Aaron Murray were some of his early clients.

These days, Everett and his ESM sports marketing company match primarily college, NFL and now high school football players with brands, in addition to representing many in revenue-sharing deals with schools.

He’s working with Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Oscar Delp on this year’s team, just like he did with Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Malaki Starks, and perhaps most notably, quarterback Carson Beck, who pulled out of the NFL draft this year and transferred to Miami after two years as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.

Two years earlier, Everett and ESM partner Jeff Hoffman were in a Range Rover with quarterback Stetson Bennett when he drew a crowd of some 300 at an appearance at Raising Cane’s on Baxter Street in Athens three days after winning a second straight national title.

Besides Georgia, ESM has worked most with Alabama players over the last 10 years in endorsements and public and media appearances.

“When you go and sign those players and do right by them, word gets spread around the locker room and, to some degree, we can be picky,” Everett told the Athens Banner-Herald during an interview in his office on July 8. “For Georgia, we’re just blessed that we’ve been there and done it for so long.”

Everett and ESM — formally known as Everett Sports Marketing — are signing players before they even play a college snap.

Georgia freshman Talyn Taylor, a five-star wide receiver signee, is an ESM client.

Everett has signed five high school players — including 14-year-old 2028 wide receiver Brysen Wright from Jacksonville, four-star Florida State quarterback commitment Jaden O’Neal and four-star Florida quarterback commitment Will Griffin — whose names are on his office whiteboard along with other top prospects that ESM is targeting.

ESM is located in Greenville, S.C. — a city just named the No. 7 U.S. travel destination by Travel & Leisure and one that is just a two-hour drive from the UGA campus. The office that used to be a bakery was overhauled into the home for a staff of 10.

“We grew this from the ground up,” Everett said. “Now, we’ve become one of the most powerful national firms in the country.”

A decade ago, ESM was primarily an event company and consisted of just four people, including co-founder Rachel Everett, who now is the executive director of the Jalen Hurts Foundation.

ESM now has more than 30 clients, including twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who played basketball at Miami but are best known as social media influencers, and 17-year old tennis player Anna Frey who has 853,000 Instagram followers.

It also represents brands like Nerds candy, Academy Sports & Outdoors and Zoa Energy drink in their talent decisions.

Everett estimates Georgia players have made more than $10 million in NIL deals through ESM.

That’s not including what Bowers and McConkey, who remain clients, now make as NFL players in sponsorships.

Everett set up an autograph session, memorabilia deals and youth football camps for Murray after his college playing days ended with a torn ACL.

“He’s just kind of blown up since then and is kind of all over the place now,” said Murray, who remains close with Everett. “He grinds. He finds ways to get you what you want. Obviously, they want to make you as much money as possible but they do such a good job of making it authentic. That’s especially what you need nowadays when it comes to deals. He builds a really good relationship with his clients.”

Everett worked in electrical engineering before working with athletes.

“Everything inside these walls is either self-taught or learning from one another,” said Everett, 41, who graduated with a degree in chemistry from Georgia Southwestern.

Everett grew up in the town of Buena Vista near Columbus. His grandfather owned chicken houses and his father picked up dead chickens out of broiler houses for Tyson and cleaned out the manure.

When Dan was 11, he asked his parents — both bus drivers — to buy him goats to breed and said he used some of that money to buy his first house in Athens.

He took classes at Georgia Tech before working at Power Partners on Newton Bridge Road in Athens.

“This was just a side hustle,” said Everett, who was 22 when he moved to Athens.

While going to Georgia Southwestern, he took summer classes at UGA and reached out to a friend from his hometown who was dating Georgia running back Danny Ware.

Everett ended up living, for a time, with Georgia fullback Des Williams, which resulted in him making connections with Bulldogs players. It was then that his “passion project” of working with players started.

“You probably always thought you’d be lucky to make five figures a year messing around with it,” he said. “Every year it grew. Even during COVID, we’ve never had a year where our revenues didn’t grow.”

College football players and other athletes are now being paid directly by schools under revenue sharing that began July 1. ESM represents more than 20 players for both marketing and revenue-share deals.

“We will be as active as any agency in the country in negotiation of rev-share deals,” Everett said. “We’re helping some 2026 players decide where they’re going to college. We have three four-star quarterbacks and two of the three have changed their mind and are going to a different school.”

Third-party NIL deals worth at least $600 must get approval from a clearinghouse run by Deloitte, but Everett and ESM may have a leg up over collectives because Everett said “all ESM procured endorsement deals are true NIL opportunities that are negotiated by sports marketing agents with decades of experience.”

It’s a long way from a mall autograph signing when he was just starting out.

“The business of college sports is significant,” Everett said. “It’s a minor league program for the NFL. With that, there’s a lot of responsibility and nuances to be protected and negotiated on these players behalf.”

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NIL

Wildcats to Meet Wisconsin in Milwaukee Hoops Showdown

Story Links MILWAUKEE, Wis. (July 11, 2025) – Wisconsin will face Villanova at the Milwaukee Hoops Showdown on Dec. 19 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., a critical neutral site contest in what will be one of the final non-conference tests for each program ahead of their respective conference schedules for the […]

Published

29 minutes ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (July 11, 2025) – Wisconsin will face Villanova at the Milwaukee Hoops Showdown on Dec. 19 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., a critical neutral site contest in what will be one of the final non-conference tests for each program ahead of their respective conference schedules for the 2025-26 season.

Game time and broadcast designation will be announced at a later date. Intersport, a Chicago-based sports marketing and events agency, will manage all aspects of the event.

Tickets for the event are scheduled to go on sale Sept. 24, and fans can register to receive dedicated event information and be eligible for ticket presale access, which will take place on Sept. 23, by registering online at www.fiservforum.com/showdown.

It will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Wildcats defeating the Badgers in 1995 and Wisconsin earning an NCAA Tournament second-round victory over top-seeded Villanova in 2017.

It will be Wisconsin’s first regular season neutral site game at a traditional basketball venue in Milwaukee since the 1989-90 season, when the Badgers faced Gonzaga at the Bradley Center on Dec. 1. Wisconsin has played numerous regular season games in Milwaukee when visiting both Marquette and UW-Milwaukee in addition to NCAA Tournament contests on three separate occasions in the city. Wisconsin also played a neutral site contest at American Family Field as part of the Brew City Battle against Stanford in 2022.

Wisconsin is led by Greg Gard, who is entering his 11th season as head coach with the program. Gard and the Badgers won 27 games last season, the team’s most since 2016-17, and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova welcomes new head coach Kevin Willard, who has a proven track record of success with Iona, Seton Hall and Maryland. Willard brings 335 career wins with him to Villanova, which won 21 games and advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown last season.

This will be the first of two visits for the Wildcats to Fiserv Forum in 2025-26. Villanova will visit Marquette in BIG EAST regular season action there. That date will be announced in September when the conference reveals its complete schedule.

For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.

About Intersport

Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).

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NIL

Mike Gundy calls for the obvious next step in College Football’s NIL Era

This Summer, College sports underwent one of it’s biggest changes yet when the House Vs NCAA case was finally settled. Among the many changes to the landscape of college sports was the arrival of revenue sharing as programs now have the ability to pay their players directly. NIL payments came from outside parties but, the […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Revenue Sharing arriving in College Football will only help calm some of the chaos with NIL as it gives schools a clear path to money which will help some of the schools without the massive boosters. Each NIL deal now needs to be cleared by a third party which will help ensure that NIL is being used the way it’s supposed to be rather than teams just buying players.

In order to keep some of the chaos under control in College Sports, many have called for the sport to start using collective bargaining as the professional leagues do. While that change hasn’t arrived at the college level yet, it could be the next massive shift in the near future.

This week while attending Big 12 Media Days, Mike Gundy appeared on The Andy & Ari On3 Podcast where he called for everyone to finally restructure and admit that the athletes are now employees this way the College model can start to match the NFL model.

“You’ve gotta restructure your systems and admit players are employees, then you can build collective bargaining. We’ve all talked about it. But you have to admit they’re employees. You can do it all. You can have a [salary cap] and you need an entry level for a high school player coming in because it’s not sustainable.”

Mike Gundy

Given the recent events in college athletics, Mike Gundy’s sentiment has never been more true but, changes may be far down the line. When the athletes were receiving NIL payments, they weren’t technically employees of the school as other outlets were paying them but, after the House Settlement brought revenue sharing into College Football, the schools now directly pay their athletes.

Everyone saw with the House Vs NCAA Settlement how long these cases and changes take to clear the courts and then actually get implemented by the NCAA. It’s clear that athletes should now be considered employees like in every other sport where the players get paid but, every party involved may not want to push for the changes.

More Oklahoma State Cowboys News:

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NIL

2026 NBA Draft Could Be Historic for Virginia…

Published

1 hour ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Since the NBA Draft shrunk to two rounds, Virginia Tech has never had two players selected in the draft. Prior to that, the Hokies only had two players selected in the top 60 (the equivalent size of today’s draft) of the same draft once in 1986 when Dell Curry was selected 15th overall by Utah and Keith Colbert was selected 56th overall by Philadelphia. Bobby Beecher was also selected 91st overall by Sacramento during that draft.

That could change in 2026 with Neoklis Avdalas being on the first round radar and Tobi Lawal being a potential second round pick.

Let’s start with Avdalas who has already been listed by many as a name to the watch in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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NIL

LSU Football Lands Top-Ranked 2026 Recruit Over Texas A&M, Texas, Miami

Great news, Tiger fans. Five-star high school recruit Lamar Brown, a defensive tackle, has committed to Louisiana State University, he announced on SportsCenter on Thursday afternoon. The sought-after prospect had been choosing between a final four of Texas, Texas A&M, Miami and LSU. Brown kept viewers on their toes by opening his remarks by giving […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Great news, Tiger fans.

Five-star high school recruit Lamar Brown, a defensive tackle, has committed to Louisiana State University, he announced on SportsCenter on Thursday afternoon. The sought-after prospect had been choosing between a final four of Texas, Texas A&M, Miami and LSU.

Brown kept viewers on their toes by opening his remarks by giving thanks to God and his support system, but soon moved on to the big announcement.

“Hard choice, but I decided to do it. With that being said, for the next three to four years, I’ll be committing to Louisiana State University.”

After briefly donning an oversized LSU hat, the DT unzipped his jacket to reveal a Tigers jersey, further signifying his commitment.

Watch that fun moment below:

5 recruit Lamar Brown and No. 1 prospect on the @SCNext 2026 ESPN 300 commits to LSU pic.twitter.com/1reCNjMP47

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2025

Brown, who is from Louisiana, is the No. 1 prospect on the ESPN 300 for 2026. He is also the third five-star to commit to the Tigers for the 2026 cycle, including defensive tackle Richard Anderson and wideout Tristen Keys.

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

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NIL

Bueckers Is NIL Store’s Top-Earning Female for 15th Straight Month

CHICAGO (July 10, 2025) – For the 15th consecutive month, UConn’s Paige Bueckers was the top-earning collegiate female athlete on the NIL Store. Joining Bueckers as June 2025 leaders were Duke’s Cooper Flagg as the top-earning male athlete, and the University of Connecticut as the top-selling school. The NIL Store supports more than 25,000 athletes […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO (July 10, 2025) – For the 15th consecutive month, UConn’s Paige Bueckers was the top-earning collegiate female athlete on the NIL Store.

Joining Bueckers as June 2025 leaders were Duke’s Cooper Flagg as the top-earning male athlete, and the University of Connecticut as the top-selling school. The NIL Store supports more than 25,000 athletes and 115 institutions nationwide.

June marked the end of Bueckers’ illustrious NIL Store run as a collegiate representative with the 2024-25 academic calendar officially coming to a close.

Bueckers’ gear will remain available for sale, however, thanks to the NIL Store’s partnership with the WNBPA which provides WNBA athletes a platform to earn proceeds on their collegiate gear.

Bueckers’ collegiate legacy gear is available alongside other WNBA legends including Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Angel Reese, Alyssa Thomas and more.

June ’25 Top-Selling Schools

UConn
Arkansas
UCLA
Duke
Louisville
Tennessee
Syracuse
LSU
Texas Tech
Florida

June ’25 Top-Earning Male Athletes

Cooper Flagg – Duke Men’s Basketball
Gage Wood – Arkansas Baseball
Roch Cholowsky – UCLA Baseball
Wehiwa Aloy – Arkansas Baseball
Kade Anderson – LSU Baseball
Kiyan Anthony – Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Liam Doyle – Tennessee Baseball
Blake Balsz – UCLA Baseball
Steve Angeli – Syracuse Football
Roman Martin – UCLA Baseball

June ’25 Top-Earning Female Athletes

Paige Bueckers – UConn Women’s Basketball
Azzi Fudd – UConn Women’s Basketball
Karlyn Pickens – Tennessee Softball
NiJaree Canady – Texas Tech Softball
Sarah Strong – UConn Women’s Basketball
Bri Ellis – Arkansas Softball
KK Arnold – UConn Women’s Basketball
Jordan Woolery – UCLA Softball
Hailey Toney – Texas Tech Softball
Megan Grant – UCLA Softball

ABOUT CAMPUS INK AND THE NIL STORE

Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools across the country. The NIL Store operates with the firm belief that every student-athlete has an opportunity to capitalize on their NIL and should earn industry-leading payouts. Campus Ink was founded in 1947 on the campus of the University of Illinois and was reimagined in 2015 with an office in downtown Chicago and a production facility in Urbana, Ill., where the company handles all of its own production and fulfillment.

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