THE FLATS – Eight Georgia Tech student-athletes, three athletics staff members and a member of the Institute’s faculty were among the attendees at last week’s first-ever Name, Image and Likeness Summit, which was presented by INFLCR and held at the College Football Hall of Fame, located in downtown Atlanta, less than a mile from Tech’s campus.
The NIL Summit was convened to give student-athletes from across the nation the opportunity to share ideas about capitalizing on Name, Image and Likeness opportunities and build relationships with other influential individuals, organizations and brands. Events included a wide range of networking opportunities and educational sessions, presented by recognizable brands such as Invesco QQQ, Meta and World Wrestling Entertainment. Speakers included Heisman Trophy winner and ESPN personality Tim Tebow, who co-founded Campus Legends, an organization that presents student-athletes with opportunities to profit from NIL through the creation and sale of non-fungible tokens (NFT).
Georgia Tech’s representatives at the event included student-athletes Sarah Burwell (women’s track and field), Deebo Coleman (men’s basketball), Miles Kelly (men’s basketball), Jalon Moore (men’s basketball), Deivon Smith (men’s basketball), Kyle Sturdivant (men’s basketball), Lance Terry (men’s basketball) and K.J. Wallace (football). Tech was also one of a small number of institutions represented at the NIL Summit by staff members, as assistant athletics director/special projects Simit Shah, Total Person Program director Reid Ferrin and men’s basketball assistant coach Anthony Wilkins were in attendance, as well as Dr. Jacqueline Garner, a member of Tech’s faculty and the Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Trustees.
VIDEO: Georgia Tech at 2022 NIL Summit
“The summit organizers did a great job of bringing together representatives from across the NIL spectrum, providing our student-athletes a unique opportunity to learn and connect less than a mile from our campus,” Shah said. “As a staff member, it was a valuable platform to share experiences with our peers as we head into the second full year of NIL.”
Georgia Tech athletics oversees a number of initiatives aimed at providing student-athletes with NIL education and opportunities, including its 404 Academy, partnerships with INFLCR and Icon Source, and upcoming NIL opportunities for student-athletes that will begin this fall through Tech’s partnership with adidas.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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