Photo Gallery | Corporate Ambassador Program
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thursday morning, the Ohio State Department of Athletics welcomed members of local businesses to the Covelli Center for the inaugural Name, Image, Likeness company event. The breakfast featured two panels for discussions around the new era of NIL in collegiate athletics.
The first panel featured Gene Smith, Ohio State Senior Vice President & Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director, Ryan Day, Ohio State head football coach, and Carey Hoyt, Ohio State Senior Associate AD, Sport Administration and Student-Athlete Development. Highlighting the conversation was information about the impact NIL has on student-athletes, businesses and the community and how the department of athletics can support the initiative, including education and resources.
A focus of the day was the Corporate Ambassador program, a marketing and advertisement opportunity that will allow Ohio State student-athletes to serve as corporate brand ambassadors for a company within the Columbus community. Participants will engage with the marketing department of each company to promote their brand through a variety of Name, Image and Likeness activities, thus serving as a mutually beneficial partnership for both parties. Additionally, the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute staff will enhance the experience for the student-athletes with professional development and brand building education.
The second panel included Mitchell Pehlke, a men’s lacrosse student-athlete, along with representatives from Express, Giant Eagle and Playa Bowls. The group talked about initiating NIL deals and the impact they have, both from the student-athlete perspective and the business perspective.
Pehlke and his fellow student-athletes have engaged in NIL activities with more than 900 deals executed to date, spanning all 36 Buckeye sports. Ohio State is No. 1 in NIL compensation and the number of student-athletes with at least one NIL activity, with total compensation nearing $3.5 million.
For more information on the Name, Image and Likeness program at Ohio State, and for information on how to engage with student-athletes on NIL opportunities, click HERE. Information on the Corporate Ambassador program is HERE.
