College sports marketing agency, Learfield, and Opendorse have formed a strategic partnership to give college athletes the opportunity to build and monetize their name, image and likeness value through a free, dedicated NIL platform. 

The partnership will see Opendorse become the new NIL marketplace provider for Learfield college sports clients in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

The agreement will increase the number of opportunities for student-athletes interested in NIL deals, allowing them to apply to participate, approve terms, and receive payments for campaigns brought forward by corporate brands within the Opendorse app.

Founded by Blake Lawrence and Adi Kunalic, since its launch in 2012, Opendorse has acquired 70,000+ athletes, 3,000+ sports marketers, 2,000+ sports organisations and 1,000+ sports agents.

Opendorse chief executive and founder, Blake Laurence, expressed his support for college athletes.  

Lawrence said: “Learfield is unmatched in its support of the college athletics ecosystem.”

“Today’s announcement ushers NIL forward with increased opportunity and support for college athletes everywhere. 

“There are nearly 500,000 student-athletes who are at the centre of our business, and this new collaboration brings the necessary players together to truly impact those athletes through greater visibility and ease-of-use when identifying new NIL opportunities,” said Lawrence.

Last Year, Learfield also launched Compass NIL, a comprehensive student-athlete education, disclosure, compliance, and monitoring platform, followed by the launch of Learfield Allied.

Learfield chief executive, Cole Gahagan, said the evolving NIL space and commitment to college athletes provide opportunities for both the student and brand.

Gahagan said: “From the outset, Learfield’s commitment to school partners, brand partners and student-athletes has been providing structure to the evolving NIL space in a manner that maximises opportunities for each and every stakeholder.”

“In meeting that commitment, we are extraordinarily proud to partner with Opendorse to both widen the funnel of demand for NIL deals, and provide a streamlined solution for participating brands,” Gahagan said.