One Year In, Tar Heels Capitalizing On NIL Opportunities

A year into the NCAA's NIL era, the opportunities presented to student-athletes by the ability to promote their Name, Image & Likeness have only grown. In an effort to learn more about maximizing their NIL potential, two UNC student-athletes – Kennedy Todd-Williams from women's basketball and Kamari Morales from football – recently attended the inaugural NIL Summit in Atlanta.

Held June 13-15 at the College Football Hall of Fame and inspired by gatherings like TED and SXSW, the event aimed to inform, educate and celebrate student-athletes. It included three days of workshops, panels, and networking opportunities, with more than 50 speakers covering a wide range of topics. Breakout sessions dealt with areas from entrepreneurship to NFTs to using social media to be part of societal change.

"I didn't know what to expect and obviously this was the first time for this event so I'm very glad I went," Todd-Williams said. "I would definitely do it again. It was great to talk with a range of organizations and companies that offer NIL opportunities and learn more about branding. I had a chance to connect with other student-athletes to hear how they're managing with their NIL journey. Those connections were valuable as well. It was an amazing experience and I look forward to it next year."

More than 350 student-athletes from across the country attended the event after being nominated by their schools. For both Tar Heels, meeting a diverse group of student-athletes who are also navigating NIL was a huge benefit of the experience.

"The experience was a great one," Morales said. "They had a lot of great speakers, and it was awesome to be around so many athletes that are just like you. The event is definitely going to get better each year."

Sending two student-athletes to the NIL Summit was part of UNC's ongoing efforts in the ever-developing NIL space. Since the legislation went into effect on July 1, 2021, Carolina Athletics has worked to educate and empower student-athletes in the NIL space. LAUNCH, UNC's comprehensive NIL program, provides Tar Heels with industry-leading resources, expert education and hands-on branding and legal support.

"What a great opportunity for Kamari and Kennedy to represent UNC at the NIL Summit," UNC football coach Mack Brown said. "People around college athletics have spent the last year navigating all of this new information. We've done a great job here at UNC of educating our athletes and providing the tools to succeed in the NIL space. This is another avenue for them to learn more about how to best take advantage of NIL, and we're thrilled they had the opportunity to attend."

"UNC has been a national leader in NIL education and implementation since the very beginning," UNC women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart said. "We have invested in partnerships that will help our student-athletes learn to best market themselves and take advantage of the incredible opportunities the NIL legislation has opened up. This NIL Summit is one such example of investing in our student-athletes and I know they're so grateful for having had the opportunity."

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