LSU announces extension, new NIL program with Nike

BATON ROUGE — LSU not only announced it is reupping its long-term partnership with Nike ON Thursday but that the school will be at the forefront of a new Name, Image and Likeness venture through the global brand as well.

Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program will work with LSU athletes across many different sports.

Among the LSU athletes that have signed with Nike are Casan Evans and Derek Curiel (baseball), ZaKiyah Johnson (women’s basketball), D.J. Pickett and Trey’Dez Green (football), Jurnee Robinson (volleyball), Kailin Chio (gymnastics), Tori Edwards and Jayden Heavener (softball) and Dedan Thomas Jr. (men’s basketball).

“LSU and Nike are two of the top brands in sport and an ideal duo,” LSU athletics director Verge Ausberry said in a school release. “We are both continuously looking to innovate and stay ahead of the game, and that’s what we intend to do in the future with this extended partnership. LSU has always been at the forefront of NIL strategy, and as the launchpad for Nike Blue Ribbon Elite, we look forward to working with Nike to offer our student-athletes unrivaled opportunities to capitalize on their brands.”

The extension between Nike and LSU runs through 2036. The deal already in place between the two entities was set to expire this coming summer.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.