NIL
Essential HR Compliance Tools
Owners of small businesses generally go into business because they are passionate about a certain kind of product or service. This is very true for restauranteurs and retailers, as well as for providers of services like landscaping, marketing, website development, printers, and others that work in very specific fields. But often reality sets in and […]


Owners of small businesses generally go into business because they are passionate about a certain kind of product or service. This is very true for restauranteurs and retailers, as well as for providers of services like landscaping, marketing, website development, printers, and others that work in very specific fields. But often reality sets in and a small business owner is then faced with also being the accountant, HR Director, marketing director, and analyst. But rest assured, the CHQ Chamber can help with some HR needs and essential compliance tools.
In partnership with the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier, the CHQ Chamber provides a variety of tools through the Zywave Performance Suite that can help business owners with compliance and risk management, education and training, and people management. These tools can be essential for businesses that have employees, but don’t have the capacity to hire a full-time HR person.
Included in the compliance and risk management toolkit are a professionally curated content library that is frequently updated with new information as laws and regulations change at the federal and state levels, as well as an OSHA log, compliance apps such as a benefit document builder, job description builder, compliance poster builder and more.
The education and training section features a client portal and the Zywave Learning Management System. Through Zywave LMS, all members of the CHQ Chamber and MAST can easily comply with the New York State requirement to fulfill sexual harassment prevention workplace training annually, and track employee completion of the program.
Managing employees becomes easier when members use the employee handbook builder, performance review builder, sample job descriptions and more. There is an HR Hotline available as well for use when specific issues arise in your workplace.
The sexual harassment prevention compliance tool is built into the Chamber’s Main Street I base tier of membership. Additional tools are available at the Main Street II and higher membership levels. The complete Zywave Learning Management System course catalog is available to view through our website at www.chqchamber.org/human-resource-tools.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT THE ATHENAEUM HOTEL
The next CHQ Chamber Business After Hours will be held Wednesday, April 30 at the grand Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution. You can enjoy this beautiful setting along with complimentary appetizers and a cash bar from 5-6:30pm.
All local businesspeople are welcome. CHQ Chamber Business After Hours events are free for two people from each Chamber member organization. The price is just $10 for non-members or anyone above the two-person limit. Registration is appreciated for our planning purposes but is not required. Registering in advance gets you on our “Who’s Who in the Room” list. Registration is open now through our web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.
Business After Hours at the Athenaeum Hotel is sponsored by the Athenaeum Hotel, Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua Marina, Kinetic Business, M&T Bank, Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, Observer, and The Post-Journal.
PARTICIPATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The first quarter of 2025 has flown by, and here at the CHQ Chamber we have been focused on programs and events that make a difference for local businesspeople. Our calendar for this year is almost full as we finalize dates and venues for a handful of remaining events, including working with some partner organizations on some new ventures.
The first weekend in May we will work with the Small Business Development Center to recognize all local small businesses during National Small Business Week. We are planning a series of walk-abouts in communities all over Chautauqua County featuring some fun ways to thank small businesses and show them they are valued.
Business After Hours networking events are set for the rest of the year now and will be held all over the county including the Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua, kicking off the Jamestown Tarp Skunks season in Jamestown, Cabana Sam’s and Sunset Bay Beach Club in Irving, Liberty Vineyard in Sheridan, Full Strength Coffee in Westfield, and Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood.
The annual Chamber Golf Tournament is set for August at Peek ‘n Peak in Clymer, our Awards Banquet will be held once again at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia in October, and our Annual Meeting this year will be at Wicked Warren’s in Jamestown in December.
Blend all of this with a variety of community events including CHQ Chamber at the Fairgrounds in July, First Fridays in Westfield throughout the summer, Made in Falconer in early October, Small Business Saturday in November, and much more, and it’s a pretty full year. What does all this mean for you as a local businessperson? It means you have lots of occasions to gain some recognition. Showing up makes a difference. By attending CHQ Chamber events you can meet fellow businesspeople to expand your personal and professional network, develop potential partnerships, and learn more about other businesses in Chautauqua County. The opportunities are endless, and while we do need to cover costs for some events many are free for our members to participate. Chamber members can send two people to each Business After Hours for free. That can be any employees, it does not have to be the owner or manager. Chamber Business Builder Workshops are also free and are both a chance to learn some skills and tips and also network with others.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter and email bulletins about upcoming events at www.chqchamber.org/stay-up-to-date and check our online calendar for all the details on upcoming CHQ Chamber events, and join us when you can!
NIL
New rules
It’s a mess. I don’t think this is a correct fix. I think NIL is going to try turn this into something that is frowned upon if you try to take the Audit clearing house to court. I think there will be some sort of team rules or expectations that if you come to this […]

It’s a mess. I don’t think this is a correct fix.
I think NIL is going to try turn this into something that is frowned upon if you try to take the Audit clearing house to court. I think there will be some sort of team rules or expectations that if you come to this university than you are expected to follow and respect the process.
I am not a fan of that. I am not a fan of Ohio State following the rules to a T because our AD is leading the NIL board. I think that kind of relationship is a double edge sword. I hope the plan works and college football follows the Buckeyes example, but so far the SEC and other programs aren’t.
I believe in the Buckeyes, but all this mess takes the fun out of recruiting for me. I used to get fired up about following a kid from HS to signing day to draft day, and now a days that passion is slipping away for me.
NIL
Texas launches new Longhorn Sports Agency to bolster NIL efforts
Texas is estimated to be one of the top spenders on NIL in 2025. AUSTIN, Texas — As a new era of revenue sharing sweeps across the college sports landscape, the University of Texas has launched a new agency to help with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. On Monday, the university announced the creation […]


Texas is estimated to be one of the top spenders on NIL in 2025.
AUSTIN, Texas — As a new era of revenue sharing sweeps across the college sports landscape, the University of Texas has launched a new agency to help with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals.
On Monday, the university announced the creation of the Longhorn Sports Agency, an NIL agency created in collaboration between the school’s athletic department and Longhorn Sports Properties, which is run by college sports marketing firm Learfield.
The in-house agency will help the school facilitate NIL deals for its athletes, which comes as the university is estimated to be one of the top spenders on NIL in 2025.
“Everything we do at Texas is about setting a high standard, and NIL is no different,” UT Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said in a Monday news release. “The Longhorn Sports Agency reflects our commitment to building an industry-leading infrastructure that supports our student-athletes and strengthens the Texas brand.”
According to a news release from the university, the new agency will be led by Lucas Motta, who is the current vice president of Longhorn Sports Properties. It’s main focuses will be on building and monetizing student athlete brands, as well as on-campus NIL leadership and deal facilitation through the Compass NIL platform.
The agency will also employ various executives, including a director of NIL business development, an associate of business development and an NIL marketing partnership manager.
The full release from the school can be found here.
NIL
BREAKING
The University of Tennessee athletics department is making a switch. One that should ignite plenty of debate amongst fans. The Vols have used Nike as their official apparel supplier since 2014. This is set to change when their contract with the major brand expires in 2026. Sources tell Local 3 Sports Director Ben Bobick Tennessee […]


The University of Tennessee athletics department is making a switch. One that should ignite plenty of debate amongst fans.
The Vols have used Nike as their official apparel supplier since 2014. This is set to change when their contract with the major brand expires in 2026.
Sources tell Local 3 Sports Director Ben Bobick Tennessee is switching back to Adidas after the university could not reach an agreement with Nike to extend its current contract.
The Vols had a deal with Adidas from 1995-2014. The football team sported the Adidas logo when they won their last national championship in 1998.
This new deal could play a major part in this new NIL era of college athletics. Adidas may have offered Tennessee a deal they couldn’t refuse that would aid in the school’s revenue sharing for athletes.
NIL
5-Star WR Cederian Morgan Commits to Alabama over Colorado, Florida, Georgia
Alabama has a long line of superstar wide receivers, and the university added a potential future star to the mix on Wednesday. Per Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, 5-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Morgan is the No. 2 receiver and No. 12 overall player in 247Sports’ composite, and he […]

Alabama has a long line of superstar wide receivers, and the university added a potential future star to the mix on Wednesday.
Per Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, 5-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Morgan is the No. 2 receiver and No. 12 overall player in 247Sports’ composite, and he chose Alabama over offers from Colorado, Florida and Georgia, among others.
Per 247Sports, Morgan is the third five-star recruit in the class of 2026 to commit to the Crimson Tide, joining edge rusher Xavier Griffin and cornerback Jorden Edmonds. The commitment fulfills the Alabama native’s goal to stay home.
“I get to stay home and play for the in-state school that I grew up a fan of,” Morgan told Rivals’ Chad Simmons (h/t Keegan Pope of On3.com). “It is a great feeling. This was like a dream for me. I have been there so many times and Alabama is home for me.”
A 6’4″, 210 prospect, Morgan stars for Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama. As a junior, he produced 70 catches for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch.
In addition to his prowess on the football field, Morgan is a multi-sport athlete who also plays basketball and competes in track and field. On the basketball court, he averaged 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds during his junior year. He’s also a two-time state qualifier in the high jump.
Still, the football field is where Morgan thrives the most, and he appears to be a polished prospect who can make an immediate impact at Alabama. 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks described him as a “uniquely gifted pass-catching target with outstanding physical tools and athletic chops” who “projects as a high-major impact player with traits that suggest long-term NFL Draft high-round potential.”
Crimson Tide fans are surely going to be excited to see Morgan paired with star receiver and fellow Alabama native Ryan Williams in 2026.
NIL
Should Texas Longhorns join LSU and sell advertising on jerseys?
To help come up with the $20.5M to pay their athletes, LSU is planning to sell advertisements on all its teams’ jerseys. I think this is a terrible, unforgivable mistake not worth a fraction of what they’d get in return.https://t.co/S8UPjpcMNY — Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) July 2, 2025 Searching for a potential NIL edge, the LSU […]

Searching for a potential NIL edge, the LSU Tigers have announced they will sell a sponsorship patch on their iconic jerseys. The Baton Rouge Advocate reports LSU “hopes the NCAA will allow schools to sell patches on their jerseys.” In the event the governing body clears it, the Tigers project they can generate “multiple millions of dollars a year” doing so.
The report says LSU has already identified an advertising partner and has decided out where the patches would go on every jersey, from cross country to football. LSU deputy AD for revenue generation Clay Harris says the program can generate millions a year. But he also says the ad emblem won’t go overboard. “We don’t have this as some crazy, NASCAR-like situation,” Harris said.
Not everyone is pleased with the plan.
Of course, college football jerseys already have a couple forms of advertising on them already. First, there’s the apparel maker’s patch. Be it Nike, or Adidas or Under Amour, the jersey manufacturer makes sure their logo is easily visible. Adidas has even increased the size of its logos on jerseys in the English Premier League.
Each college team also carries their conference logo. While that patch shows unanimity among conference member schools, make not mistake – it is an ad.
International soccer clubs are the real trailblazers in jersey sponsorships. Almost all European teams have a jersey sponsor and it is front and center, the biggest logo on the entire jersey. The team’s logo is typically relegated to a small patch on the left side. London club Arsenal, for example, makes $68.25 million dollars a year from Emirates Airlines.
In the US, the NBA has had jersey advertising for eight years now. The NBA allows teams to sell one sponsorship patch placed on the front left shoulder of player uniforms. Teams make significant money from the ads, averaging $10.88 million per year. New NBA Champion Oklahoma City, for example, has a Love’s travel shop patch.
The NHL doesn’t have jersey sponsors, but the league does allow helmet sponsors.
One decision that needs to be made is the size and look of the patches. Will the sponsor try to match the team colors? Will LSU have a patch that actually clashes with its purple and gold? Where will the logo go? LSU has not shared their exact plan.
Fans won’t like the new advertising space, but if it is successful in Baton Rouge, you can bet more, if not all, teams will adopt the idea. Tradition be damned. The additional revenue stream has been discussed by athletic directors for over a year.
NIL
NCAA gets it Right
CLEMSON — The NCAA got something right. On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief approved a one-time blanket waiver that allows designated student-athletes to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal outside of the standard transfer windows. The waiver applies to individuals identified as Designated Student-Athletes (DNA) under the House settlement and enables them to declare […]


CLEMSON — The NCAA got something right.
On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief approved a one-time blanket waiver that allows designated student-athletes to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal outside of the standard transfer windows.
The waiver applies to individuals identified as Designated Student-Athletes (DNA) under the House settlement and enables them to declare their intent to transfer between July 7-Aug. 5. The waiver creates a unique transfer portal window for DNA, distinct from the regular transfer periods.
An athlete is eligible to be placed on a DSA list if they were eligible for practice and/or competition on a team last year and if they lost their roster spot because of the new roster limits, as a result of the House settlement or was an eligible member of a team in 2024-25, such as walk-ons or was recruited and assured by their school of a 2025-26 roster spot.
Athletes put on a DSA list are exempt from roster limits at their current school and are exempt from roster limits at their new school should they transfer. The DSA tag remains with the athlete for their career, which was another piece negotiated in the settlement.
“I think it is the right thing to do,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said in May to The Clemson Insider at the ACC’s Spring Meetings when asked about the possibility of those DSA that walked-on in 2024-25 getting the opportunity to be grandfathered in. “It is a win for the young people that have sacrificed a lot to create an opportunity for themselves in life through doing the work.”
Tuesday’s action by the NCAA came about after federal judge Claudia Wilken informed the NCAA back in May that she would not approve the House settlement unless some changes were made regarding new roster limits.
The settlement agreement initially required schools to trim their rosters. Football for instance, which has as many as 120 players (85 scholarships + walk-ons) will be forced to trim down to 105 scholarship players by the start of the season.
“You grandfather all the kids that were on the roster, and you give them an opportunity to finish. That’s the right thing to do,” Swinney said. “And to me, it’s low-hanging fruit. It avoids a lawsuit, most likely.
“The crazy thing, we said this last summer, but now that it’s gotten to the finish line, it’s pretty obvious – you’re going to take an opportunity away that otherwise would be there. It might matriculate three or four years or so, but we’ve got some kids that are going on their fourth year or their fifth year that we’re going to have to cut. Now, the good news, we don’t have to cut till the first week of [the Aug. 30 season opener vs.] LSU, to 105.”
Still, making those cuts is something Swinney has admittedly been “dreading.” He has not been a fan of having to cut his walk-on program and has expressed how difficult it would be to cut players this summer to meet the requirement.
Swinney, though, pointed out that some of Clemson’s players have already “kind of cut themselves.”
“We haven’t cut anybody yet – we had some kids that cut themselves because they knew, well, I’ve got to go through mat drills, spring ball, summer workouts, fall camp, just to get cut,” Swinney said. “And that was really sad for me because it’s just unbelievably tough and committed young people that are chasing their dreams and just trying to be the best version of themselves, and relationships and all the things that come from being a part of a team.”
Swinney, of course, was a walk-on at Alabama, where he earned a roster spot and eventually a scholarship. He was a part of the Tide’s 1992 National Championship team. He then became a graduate assistant at Alabama and later an assistant coach.
He made his way to Clemson as Tommy Bowden’s wide receivers coach in 2003 and became the Tigers interim head coach in 2008 following Bowden’s mid-season resignation and earned the permanent head coaching title in December of the same year.
Since then, Swinney has compiled a 180-47 record at Clemson, winning two National Championships and nine ACC titles.
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