Maryland Athletics established the school’s first Name, Image, Likeness marketplace in an effort to better support Terps athletes in the NIL space, the school announced Monday in a news release.
The school partnered with Opendorse, an organization that focuses on helping college athletes navigate the endorsement landscape to create Maryland Marketplace.
The site features all current Maryland players across the school’s 20 athletic programs and former players who already use Opendorse. Those interested in athletes’ services can “browse, book, pitch and pay” the players for NIL activities through the marketplace, per the release.
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“We strive to be a national leader in the NIL space and the launch of the Maryland Marketplace powered by Opendorse is another example of Maryland leading,” athletics director Damon Evans said in the release.
Each athlete receives a customizable Opendorse profile. Interested parties will offer them NIL opportunities, giving the athletes the choice to accept or decline the opportunity. Upon completion, the athlete is paid and their compensation is automatically disclosed to Maryland Athletics. Thirty-three other colleges have similar school-specific platforms, per Business of College Sports’ tracker. Four other schools: Oregon State, Memphis, Oregon and Wisconsin have also partnered with Opendorse for their marketplaces.
“With the launch of this marketplace, every Terps fan and alumni can now find, pitch and support every Maryland student-athlete with one proven platform,” Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence said in a statement. “Year two of NIL is here, and University of Maryland student-athletes are poised to benefit in a big way.”
Through Maryland’s partnership with Opendorse, athletes can share photos and videos from games and practices, according to the release. They can also receive on-demand education sessions from industry leaders at companies including Meta, Overtime and the Players’ Tribune.
“We are working daily on education and opportunities for our Terp student-athletes to prosper in the NIL era,” Evans said in a statement.
