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The $1 Billion NIL Boom

Last Updated on May 15, 2025 As we approach the fourth anniversary of name, image, and likeness, let’s examine the rise of its $1 billion-plus economy. This past year has brought notable changes to NIL, including deals with influential voices on and off the field and the landmark decision of the House v. NCAA legal […]

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The $1 Billion NIL Boom

Last Updated on May 15, 2025

As we approach the fourth anniversary of name, image, and likeness, let’s examine the rise of its $1 billion-plus economy. This past year has brought notable changes to NIL, including deals with influential voices on and off the field and the landmark decision of the House v. NCAA legal settlement, which will allow athletes to participate in revenue sharing with their respective institutions. 

SponsorsUnited, an innovative global sports and entertainment platform, released a NIL Endorsements Report for 2024-25. The report spans from March 2024 to March 2025 and incorporateed roughly 2,000 brands, 3,000 deals, and over 4,000 social media posts. Further, SponsorUnited’s proprietary social media tracking metrics were used to collect the data around total engagement across athlete-controlled accounts on TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. A critical component is that this report includes athletes with a combined following of over 10,000 followers across the platforms above for the social analysis portion. Below are some of the key findings that stood out about the report. 

Top Brands Leading the NIL Market

Five brands lead the way among the athletes tracked in this report: EA Sports, Raising Cane’s, Powerade, Epsilon, and Adidas. EA Sports has claimed pole position on the NIL brand scale with the launch of their highly anticipated College Football 26 video game. Over 14,000 FBS collegiate players received $1,500 for appearing in the game, a $600 increase from last year’s edition. Moreover, Epsilon took a page out of EA Sports’ book and created a similar campaign, ensuring every athlete had a chance to monetize their NIL through a $500 Instagram campaign on teamwork. Raising Cane’s has cemented itself as a NIL mainstay, partnering with National Championship collegiate athletes to surprise customers and utilize high-traffic advertising areas like Times Square to market its apparel. 

Dec 31, 2024; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) makes a catch while Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) pushes him out of bounds during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Photo courtesy: Matt Pendleton via Imagn

Technology and Beverage Deals on the Rise

Technology and non-alcoholic beverage deals saw a surge in activity amongst top athletes. Technology partnerships increased by 29%, while beverage deals increased by 19% year-to-year, prioritizing athlete-led partnerships. In addition to EA Sports’ influence on the technology side of things, Nintendo and Epic’s Fortnite video game drove key partnerships with some of college football’s top stars, including Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. Additionally, athletes took part in Prime Video’s exclusive content, which promoted products and Prime trials to other athletes and adults. The campaigns highlighted the parallels between the athletes’ lifestyle and Prime’s ease across music streaming, entertainment, and retail. 

The Surge of Energy Drink Partnerships

Energy drink companies led a new influx of partnerships, accounting for a quarter of the 39 new non-alcoholic beverages that made new deals, which energy drink companies represented. Behind them was water at 20% and a three-tier system between sports drinks, juices, and carbonated beverages. According to the report, what led to the increase in the amount of non-alcoholic beverage deals is the brands’ focus on tailored content experiences. These include content centered on taste tests and health, further strengthening the relationship between athletes and fans. 

Retail NIL Deals Experience a Decline

Retail NIL brand deals have decreased by 9% year-to-year. Companies like Urban Outfitters and Champs Sports have taken a step back. The move by brands is not due to one-off content campaigns but to reevaluate their NIL strategies as we advance. 

TikTok: An Untapped NIL Opportunity

The biggest area of opportunity lies within TikTok. On the social side, Instagram leads the way for branded posts across the major NIL categories. TikTok represents an underutilized social vehicle despite its potential for optimal engagement. TikTok dominates in engagement in categories like Food and Consumer products, where brands see more than 10,000 engagements on average. Further, the report examined the top 150 most engaging social posts and identified that they included characteristics such as humor, personal updates with authentic tones, subtle call to action, and show don’t tell integrations where the featured athletes were the central theme in the campaigns. 

  • Darian Kelly

    Darian is a Sports Industry Management graduate of Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. Darian hosts The Jersey Podcast and is a sports documentary fanatic who loves to talk professional and college football and basketball.

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NIL Collectives’ Fate Hinges on Interpretation of House Settlement

The House settlement was supposed to bring clarity and calm to big-time college sports, but attorneys who negotiated the deal already disagree on what it means for NIL collectives. The disagreement won’t imperil the multibillion-dollar truce, but it’s an early test of an arrangement crafted by attorneys who may have agreed on language but not on what […]

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The House settlement was supposed to bring clarity and calm to big-time college sports, but attorneys who negotiated the deal already disagree on what it means for NIL collectives.

The disagreement won’t imperil the multibillion-dollar truce, but it’s an early test of an arrangement crafted by attorneys who may have agreed on language but not on what the words mean.

Last Friday, Yahoo Sports reported on attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Steve Berman—the duo representing the plaintiff athletes and class members—sending a letter to the NCAA and power conferences demanding retraction of a guidance issued last Thursday by the College Sports Commission (CSC). As Sportico detailed, the guidance clarified that an entity whose purpose is to pay athletes or colleges rather than to sell goods and services to the general public likely won’t satisfy a House settlement requirement that the payor of an NIL deal worth at least $600 use the athlete’s NIL for a valid business purpose.

The letter stated that the purpose of the requirement is to prohibit NIL collectives from “simply receiving donations and paying athletes for pay,” not to prevent them from paying athletes for use of their NIL such as to appear at a golf tournament or attend an autograph signing. The letter demands that the CSC “clarifies that the valid business purpose requirement applies to NIL collectives in the same manner as any other entity.”

At the heart of the debate is interpretative disagreement about NCAA Bylaw 22.1.3, which governs the involvement of so-called associated entities in NIL deals. 

As U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken explained in her June 6 order granting final approval to the settlement, an associated entity “is one that is closely affiliated with an NCAA member school for the purpose of promoting the school’s athletics program or its student-athletes.” 

In the pre-NIL era, entities closely affiliated with a school’s athletics program were sometimes labeled “representatives of an institution’s athletics interests” or “third-party entities that promote an athletics program.” Those terms include boosters who try to recruit athletes to attend a particular college. Boosters are still around and sometimes run afoul of NCAA rules by paying or otherwise providing benefits to recruits as inducements to attend a college. Boosters have been known to act as proxies for coaches, who accept NCAA rules prohibiting them from inducing recruits via compensation. 

Associated entities is a phrase that includes NIL collectives, which perform similar functions as boosters but under the guise of NIL. Collectives are groups formed by boosters and other supporters of an athletic program for the purpose of collecting or pooling money to facilitate NIL opportunities for athletes. Some collectives have arranged for “NIL deals” where recruits are only be paid if they matriculate to a particular school. Those types of deals resemble pay-for-play arrangements, which the NCAA continues to prohibit, since they’re designed to incentivize an athlete to commit to a school.

Inducing an athlete to attend a college performs a different function from the intent of NIL, which draws from the right of publicity. This right forbids misappropriation of the unique and marketable qualities of a person.  

When Ed O’Bannon sued over NIL, it was so that college athletes could be compensated for their likenesses appearing in video games—just like NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL players are compensated for the same usage. When a professional athlete is paid to endorse a shoe company in a TV commercial or to influence a brand on social media, that too is use of NIL. A company is paying the athlete to promote a product or service the company is selling to the public in hopes of securing a profit. 

Back to NCAA Bylaw 22.1.3. It requires a valid business purpose “related to the promotion or endorsement of goods or services provided to the general public for profit.” This language is designed to ensure that the payment reflects use of the athlete’s NIL to promote the sale of “something” that the public buys. 

The bylaw also requires “compensation at rates and terms commensurate with compensation paid to similarly situated individuals.” If a collective pays a recruit 10 times what a comparable endorser would normally be paid for the same activity, that’s a sign the payment is more pay-for-play than NIL.

The CSC’s guidance says that a valid business purpose for an NIL deal must involve an entity that is providing goods or services to the public for profit. This standard means that even if a collective pays an athlete to appear at a golf tournament or autograph show, paying the athlete (or other athletes) a share of the entrance fees is problematic, because the money collected would be intended to pay the athlete(s) and not sell a product or service to the public. The Kessler and Berman letter refutes this interpretation, arguing the settlement does not preclude a collective from paying athletes for use of their NIL in the entrance fee situation and related contexts. 

There are several ways the situation could play out. The CSC could alter its guidance to conform more to Kessler and Berman’s wishes, and the NCAA could modify 22.1.3 for the same purpose. The parties could ask U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins, who Wilken designated to oversee implementation of the settlement, to consider the dueling arguments and issue an order. Meanwhile, athletes and NIL collectives whose deals are rejected by the CSC could commence their own litigation. They could bring federal antitrust and state NIL statute claims, though those claims could face sizable hurdles. Alternatively, collectives could alter their structures so the sale of products and services to the public is a core part of their missions. Others could fold as athletic departments offer to share revenue with recruits.

In theory, one or more of the settlement parties could petition Wilken to terminate the settlement on grounds the parties incorrectly believed they had a meeting of the minds. If that sounds far-fetched, it’s because it is. Wilken would point out the parties negotiated the settlement for more than a year and had ample opportunity to clarify what words meant.

Many thousands of athletes, parents, college administrators and others have also relied on the settlement in making important life decisions. To unwind the settlement because of textual ambiguity could cause sizable harm. 

There’s also something called money. The settlement has a lot of it. There’s the $2.8 billion damages payout to D-I athletes in reflection of lost NIL, video game and broadcasting opportunities. There’s the revenue share of up to 22% of the average power conference athletic media, ticket and sponsorship revenue. And just last Friday, Wilken approved class counsel’s petition for $515.2 million in fees, plus $9.4 million in litigation expense and court costs. It’s hard to envision the deal collapsing with so much money on the line.

NIL collectives may be important industry players, but don’t expect the settlement to blow up over their fate.



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Deion Sanders sparks debate on college football uniforms

Deion Sanders has no shortage of opinions when it comes to the future of college football. But last week at Big 12 Media Days, Coach Prime made it clear he believes the sport has let certain standards slip — starting with the uniforms. “I’m sick of the biker shorts,” Sanders said bluntly during his media […]

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Deion Sanders has no shortage of opinions when it comes to the future of college football.

But last week at Big 12 Media Days, Coach Prime made it clear he believes the sport has let certain standards slip — starting with the uniforms.

“I’m sick of the biker shorts,” Sanders said bluntly during his media availability. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts, no knee pads, pants halfway up their thighs — and we’re allowing that?”

Coach didn’t stop there. He’s calling for fines for players who don’t wear their uniforms properly. It’s a move that reflects how Sanders believes college football should start mirroring the accountability structure of the NFL.

“I think there should be a fine implemented for that stuff,” Sanders said. “Let’s have more respect for this tremendous game.”

NFL standards in a college locker room

Coach Prime is no stranger to enforcing discipline. At Colorado, players are required to wear their pants to the knee — whether it’s practice or game day. There’s no wiggle room on that.

And while Sanders is known for letting players show personality — everything from gold cleats to social media handles on practice jerseys — he draws the line when it comes to honoring the game’s tradition through uniform standards.

“I played this game at a high level,” Sanders said. “I’ve been through the fines. I’ve been in that league. It’s about pride in how you carry yourself.”

In his mind, college athletes should be held to a higher standard — especially now that many are earning significant income through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.

“If you’re getting paid, you should be held accountable like a pro,” he said.

An unlikely battleground: Pants

To many, it may seem like a minor issue. But uniform violations have become a growing frustration among longtime coaches.

Sanders is far from the only coach who’s noticed the shift. But he might be the only one calling for an actual enforcement.

Currently, NCAA rules technically require players to wear full uniforms, including knee pads. But the enforcement is almost nonexistent.

Unlike the NFL, there are no uniform inspectors issuing fines or pulling players aside.

Sanders believes that’s part of the problem.

“You throw a flag, it’s whatever,” he said. “But hit them with a fine? Watch how quick they fix it.”

A bigger vision for the game

The uniform discussion is just one piece of a much larger picture for Sanders. Throughout the offseason, he’s advocated for a salary cap system in college football.

“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said. “Top-of-the-line players make this much. If you’re not that guy, you know you’re not getting that. That’s how the NFL does it.”

If you can remember back in March, he also pushed the NCAA to allow joint practices between schools — a staple of NFL training camps — and was denied.

It’s clear he’s trying to reshape the game in a way that blends tradition, NFL professionalism, and player development.

Fall camp begins July 28

Colorado opens training camp in two weeks and kicks off the 2025 season on August 29 against Georgia Tech in Boulder.

While the Buffs continue to chase improvement on the field after last year’s 9-4 campaign, the tone off the field has been set.

Expect clean, full-length pants on game day — because in Boulder, that’s not optional.

— Want more stories like this? Follow us on X for all things Colorado Football and Basketball.



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Lane Kiffin said what every coach is thinking about NIL and salary caps at SEC Media Days

Ole Miss Rebel Head Coach, Lane Kiffin, was one of the first coaches to speak at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta, GA. Lane Kiffin in now entering his 6th season as the Rebels head coach and has led the team to three ten-plus win seasons in that time span. As he is accustomed […]

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Ole Miss Rebel Head Coach, Lane Kiffin, was one of the first coaches to speak at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta, GA. Lane Kiffin in now entering his 6th season as the Rebels head coach and has led the team to three ten-plus win seasons in that time span. As he is accustomed to doing, he once again made a series of headline grabbing statements.

Kiffin has been one of the louder voices in the NIL space, and the Rebels have been one of the teams that have been most positively impacted by the changing landscape of college football. Kiffin has also previously signaled support for a salary cap in college football in past statements and interviews.

Today during his media day appearance, Kiffin was once again asked about a salary cap, particularly in relation to the impact of revenue sharing. The question was, “You mentioned the current cap in college sports. You’ve spoken about a salary cap before. Now that revenue sharing is underway, do you think college football should and can have a hard salary cap?”

Kiffin’s response was, “I think that’s what we attempted. Doesn’t seem like that’s working very well…That was the intention of what was going on because there were so many complaints when NIL started about, okay, everybody has different advantages, and different payrolls. Saw those a couple of years ago…So that was supposed to be being fixed, and now it’s not…So you’re not operating on a salary cap, so”

This is a notable exchange here from Kiffin. In early June a judge signed of a long awaited settlement that will allow, for the first time, schools to directly pay student athletes for the first time by sharing some of their athletic department revenue with athletes. There is a limit on how much they are allowed to share, essentially a cap.

However, the rules are still unclear on prohibiting additional payments to athletes through the use of third party entities, such as collective, that have become a staple of college athletics over the last few seasons. That is why Kiffin is saying the revenue sharing model has not created a salary cap, it has instead just created an additional avenue to pay players.

Just last week, a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders introduced a new bill aimed at creating a structured national framework for paying athletes in the NIL era.

Stay tuned here for more recaps of the Ole Miss appearances at SEC Media Days, including a full recap of Kiffin’s interview and the three Ole Miss players in attendance, Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee, and TJ Dottery.

Ole Miss Rebel Head Coach, Lane Kiffin, was one of the first coaches to speak at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta, GA. Lane Kiffin in now entering his 6th season as the Rebels head coach and has led the team to three ten-plus win seasons in that time span. As he is accustomed to doing, he once again made a series of headline grabbing statements.

Kiffin has been one of the louder voices in the NIL space, and the Rebels have been one of the teams that have been most positively impacted by the changing landscape of college football. Kiffin has also previously signaled support for a salary cap in college football in past statements and interviews.

Today during his media day appearance, Kiffin was once again asked about a salary cap, particularly in relation to the impact of revenue sharing. The question was, “You mentioned the current cap in college sports. You’ve spoken about a salary cap before. Now that revenue sharing is underway, do you think college football should and can have a hard salary cap?”

Kiffin’s response was, “I think that’s what we attempted. Doesn’t seem like that’s working very well…That was the intention of what was going on because there were so many complaints when NIL started about, okay, everybody has different advantages, and different payrolls. Saw those a couple of years ago…So that was supposed to be being fixed, and now it’s not…So you’re not operating on a salary cap, so”

This is a notable exchange here from Kiffin. In early June a judge signed of a long awaited settlement that will allow, for the first time, schools to directly pay student athletes for the first time by sharing some of their athletic department revenue with athletes. There is a limit on how much they are allowed to share, essentially a cap.

However, the rules are still unclear on prohibiting additional payments to athletes through the use of third party entities, such as collective, that have become a staple of college athletics over the last few seasons. That is why Kiffin is saying the revenue sharing model has not created a salary cap, it has instead just created an additional avenue to pay players.

Just last week, a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders introduced a new bill aimed at creating a structured national framework for paying athletes in the NIL era.

Stay tuned here for more recaps of the Ole Miss appearances at SEC Media Days, including a full recap of Kiffin’s interview and the three Ole Miss players in attendance, Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee, and TJ Dottery.



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Johnny Manziel

Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel made around $8 million in his NFL career, but he thinks that would have been dwarfed by what he could have made in college if he had played when players were allowed to make money off their names, images and likenesses. Manziel, who became the first freshman to win the […]

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Johnny Manziel

Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel made around $8 million in his NFL career, but he thinks that would have been dwarfed by what he could have made in college if he had played when players were allowed to make money off their names, images and likenesses.

Manziel, who became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 at Texas A&M, said in an interview with Greg McElroy that the NIL money for a high-profile player like him would have been substantially more than he made as the 22nd overall pick of the Browns in 2014.

“I would’ve taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” Manziel said.

Manziel entered the NFL draft with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, and he says there’s no way he would have done that if he’d been allowed to make money off his name.

“I think no matter what, being in the NIL era, if that would have been the equivalent of 2013, I would have stayed no matter what,” Manziel said. “Just because a couple million bucks in College Station goes a really, really long way. And, you go to the NFL, you’re a first round pick you sign for $10 million or whatever it is, that’s the two years that I had remaining at Texas A&M, to be able to make through NIL. So I think, for me, when I think back about it now, I definitely, if there would have been any real money involved, I definitely would have stayed no matter what.”

Manziel was forced to sit out the first half of one game at Texas A&M after an NCAA investigation into whether he had taken money to sign autographs. But the kind of money players were getting investigated for a decade ago was chump change compared to what starting quarterbacks at major football schools are getting paid legally now.

“You can be a four-year starter in the NIL world and set yourself up really, really nice whether you go to the next level or not,” Manziel said.

NIL has made football a different world, both because college players are getting rich, and because it’s viable financially for college players to stay in college if they’re not going to be a top pick in the NFL.

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Commissioner Greg Sankey casually flexes SEC's authority

ATLANTA — SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey managed to flex with a hint of humbleness during his opening remarks to kick off SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame on Monday. Sankey touched on the hottest topics facing the conference and college athletics while making it clear the powerful SEC would be playing […]

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Commissioner Greg Sankey casually flexes SEC's authority

ATLANTA — SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey managed to flex with a hint of humbleness during his opening remarks to kick off SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame on Monday.

Sankey touched on the hottest topics facing the conference and college athletics while making it clear the powerful SEC would be playing a leading role on those issues. Among them are the potential for expanding the College Football Playoff and the NCAA basketball tournaments; the future of revenue sharing and name, image and likeness; the NCAA transfer portal; and the percolating idea of an autonomous super conference.

“For all of you that like to speculate about a super conference, welcome to one,” Sankey said at one point. He also referenced one of the takeaways from the SEC spring meetings held in late May in Florida.

“One of the encouragements from our presidents during our time in Destin was that we should gather the four commissioners and two presidents from each of those four (“power”) conferences to talk about our future, as we may have a different role in the NCAA,” Sankey said.

Sankey, who is entering his 11th year as commissioner, said a recent memo of understanding regarding the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff very clearly gives the SEC and Big Ten a role in the decision-making authority and that he had spoken to Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti four out of five days last week.

“Ultimately we have to use that authority with great wisdom and discretion,” Sankey said. “But unless people want to tear up (the memorandum), we’re going to have 5 (conference champions) plus 7 (at-large berths), 5 plus 9, 5 plus 11.”

Sankey applauded the recent modification by the College Football Playoff to seed the teams in line with the selection committee’s rankings rather than reserving the top four seeds for the highest-ranked conference champions. That scenario last year led to Boise State and Arizona State being given the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds and having a bye before being eliminated by Penn State and Texas, respectively.

The revenue-sharing plan with college athletes, put into action on July 1 following a long-awaited settlement in the House v. NCAA lawsuit, will almost certainly face legal challenges and tweaking, but at least it provided a framework, Sankey said.

He brought up a metaphor comparing the ongoing issues in revenue sharing with running a marathon, of which he has completed 41.

“It’s been a while, but I do remember the importance of getting it off to the right kind of start,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you feel great in the first two miles, nor does it mean … that everything works perfectly in the first two weeks of settlement implementation.

“There’s been plenty of naysayers in the last 14 days, but the settlement went into effect July 1, and we’re here July 14 while working through historic and transformational change. We’re in the middle of change, and in the middle of anything significant, it will get messy. That doesn’t mean you leave. In a marathon it doesn’t mean you step off the course.”

Perhaps the hottest issue in the SEC is whether the conference will remain at eight league games or expand to nine games for 2026 and beyond. Sankey said a decision on that should be coming shortly.

“It won’t linger terribly much longer,” Sankey said. “We have to make decisions about the ’26 season and adjust.

“If we’re going to go to nine games, then there have to be games moved or rescheduled. If we stay at eight, probably a little easier on that part of the logistics. Once we make a decision, in the conference office we’re pretty much ready to go.”

Sankey said he’d prefer setting up a longer-term scheduling plan than the two-year setup for 2024-25 that accompanied the entries of Oklahoma and Texas into the league.

He also said the complaints of those who say the SEC should go to nine games to equal the Big Ten’s scheduling format rings hollow.

“I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by SEC conference teams in our conference schedule, be it eight or nine,” Sankey said.

Sankey did not propose any ideas regarding changes to the NCAA transfer portal that is vexing coaches across the country, but he did talk about the issue.

“I think the most frequent question I’m asked one-on-one, including in airports as late as yesterday, is, ‘What are you going to do about the transfer portal?’ ” Sankey said.

On the topic of expansion of the NCAA Tournament, Sankey said “in general we are supportive,” adding that nothing in college basketball is static.

“Tournament expansion is certainly worth exploring,” he said before touting the SEC’s record 14 teams in the men’s tournament last year. “As last season showed, the Southeastern Conference is going to be fine whether the bracket expands or not.”

Sankey’s first 10 years included massive changes in college athletics and he said it’s not slowing down.

“We’re living through a transformational moment across college sports,” he said. “In fact, if you take a step back and go look at the iterative changes over time, I don’t think there’s been a time in the last hundred years where so much change is in front of the college athletics enterprise as exists right now.

“It’s actually amazing and exciting to consider the importance of the time during which we lead and serve.”

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Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Joins History

Getty Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton walks on the sideline before a game against the New Orleans Saints. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is part of a “unique club,” and now, so is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II. Surtain became a Jordan Brand Athlete. He also got to […]

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Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Joins History

Sean Payton, Denver Broncos


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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton walks on the sideline before a game against the New Orleans Saints.

Denver Broncos

head coach Sean Payton is part of a “unique club,” and now, so is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II.

Surtain became a Jordan Brand Athlete. He also got to celebrate his addition to the club with the “G.O.A.T.,” NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. An image of Jordan and Surtain enjoying a celebratory cigar as the latter joins the noteworthy and exclusive group.

A post explaining the partnership and the picture shared on X earned a repost from Payton.

“It’s my understanding that @PatSurtainll is the newest Jordan Brand NFL player,” Guerilla Sports’ Brandon Krisztal reported on X on July 13. “So, in addition to Broncos HC @SeanPayton being a Jordan Brand Ambassador, PS2 now joins that unique club and will be rockin’ Air Jordan Cleats when camp starts.”

Zac StevensZac Stevens

Pat Surtain II hanging out with Michael Jordan.

Two 🐐

( 📸 @psurtain23 IG)

The Jordan Brand deal is the latest feat for Surtain in the past year. The 25-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in addition to his DPOY win for his 2024 season. He inked a four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Broncos in September 2024.

was already under the Nike umbrella, which is Jordan Brand’s parent company, though it indeed operates as a separate entity.

The Broncos’ duo, Payton and Surtain, grows an expanding list of NFL figures on the brand.


Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Part of Jordan Brand’s NFL Power Play

Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos

GettyPat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos reacts against the New York Jets.

Jordan Brand is naturally a power in the basketball world, and even beyond the NBA. It has also long had ties to the NFL before adding Surtain or the Broncos’ head coach. Payton joined in 2020 and is the only NFL head coach with a sneaker deal.

Former New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas, who Payton knows well, was on that list, too.

The company has expanded its influence with other high-profile additions such as Jalen Hurts of the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders, Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams, and Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers.

This is just another feather in Surtain’s cap. It further cements his stature in the league and the sports world at large.

The House Call SportsThe House Call Sports

Trending: Chad Ochocinco talks about how to beat Pat Surtain with Ja’Marr Chase, Jerry Jeudy, and more! 🤯

🎥 @2LiveCraig

Jordan Brand celebrated

its significant impact in the baseball world, too, with multiple ambassadors participating in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

The company has also created custom cleats for athletes in the Pro Bowl and Pro Bowl Games.


Broncos HC Sean Payton Touts Jordan Brand Perks

Sean Payton, Denver Broncos

GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton does an interview on the field during a game against the Green Bay Packers.

Surtain can look forward to perks with his Jordan Brand deal, many of which will be Broncos-themed. That includes footwear that the coach has been known to sport proudly. Payton got his deal from Jordan himself after the latter noticed the coach wearing his shoes.

“(Payton) brags about it a little bit, (saying) ‘You haven’t seen these in stores yet,’” Surtain told The Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden in August 2023. “Every day he’s showing off new shoes.”

Payton even received an exclusive pair of Jordans in Broncos colors that were not a signature model. They were not made available to the public either.

Payton is a Chicago native, and he played his college ball at Eastern Illinois from 1983 through 1986. That coincided with Jordan’s first year in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and his initial deal with Nike, both of which were in 1984.

Payton claims to be the “collection king,” per McFadden.

Surtain could soon give Payton a run for his money, but the Broncos star certainly has some catching up to do before that.

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