Bojangles and ‘Big Nick Energy’: Inside Gamecocks’ creative assortment of NIL deals
Fast food. Furniture stores. T-shirts. Cell phone cases. Personalized videos.
South Carolina football players have taken a number of outside-the-box opportunities to cash in on the new NCAA policy allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. Since July 1, they’ve been able to sign endorsement deals, accept payment for appearances and craft personal brands.
Fifth-year tight end Nick Muse capitalized on the opportunity to make a few dollars from a goofy photo of himself that circulated on Twitter over the summer.
The shot, which shows Muse posing in his full football uniform with both hands on his hips, gained plenty of attention online. He said the photo was his idea, a “funny joke” with the photographer that he wanted to snap after a team shoot.
Muse was talking with one of his future sponsors (he isn’t able to say who yet) when the idea of placing the photo on T-shirts, phone cases and sweatshirts came up. The perfect match to print alongside such an image? An equally silly phrase: “Big Nick Energy.”
“It was one of those where it blew up on accident,” Muse said. “I didn’t really care if it did or not, but if people are gonna run with it, I might as well give them what they want.”
In the future, Muse hopes to design a logo for his merchandise. His teammate Dakereon Joyner has already done that, launching an Instagram page for his “Can’t Stop Cinco” brand.
Joyner’s shirts feature a personalized logo and a Bible verse on the front, and his last name with the number 5 on the back, laid out like a football jersey. An Instagram post on Aug. 8 said the first “small batch” of T-shirts have already sold out, with more to come.
Joyner immediately jumped onto the NIL train and has aligned himself with an eclectic group of partners, including a Charleston furniture store, an underwear brand and the website Cameo, where fans can pay for personalized video messages from public figures.
Where do these NIL deals originate anyway? For Muse, they’ve come from both channels -- he’s had brand ambassadors reach out to him, and he’s sent a few messages to organizations himself. He contacted Saturday Down South, an SEC football website, and was paid to post a promotional video for the site’s podcast on his Instagram story.
“If you think something might be too big, don’t be afraid to put your nose out there,” Muse said. “You never know who’s gonna answer.”
Senior defensive lineman Jabari Ellis is picky about which companies he chooses to partner with.
“I have to feel authentic or real,” Ellis said. “It’s got to be something I can get behind.”
When Bojangles’ reached out to him to advertise for the fast food restaurant’s new chicken sandwich, Ellis came up with a vision of how he wanted to promote the food. He ended up posting a tweet featuring a photo of himself enjoying two chicken sandwiches, Bojangles’ logos prominently displayed.
“It was funny to me,” defensive lineman Zacch Pickens said, laughing. “I like Jabari. Seeing that made me laugh. It made my day.”
Ellis isn’t the only Gamecock partnering with Bojangles’ — running back Kevin Harris and women’s basketball player Aliyah Boston posted their own promotional videos for the chain’s chicken sandwich.
Ellis said the football players involved in NIL deals will occasionally bounce ideas off of each other, but it isn’t a common topic among teammates. Running back MarShawn Lloyd told reporters that he isn’t even interested in partnerships at the moment.
“It can cause problems in the locker room, which it hasn’t here, but it can,” Muse said. “Like someone gets a better deal than you, you’re jealous, however the case may be. But for the most part, it’s nothing but healthy, positive stuff in our locker room.”
The South Carolina athletics department has aligned with Altius Sports Partners to guide athletes through the influx of contracts and agreements, as well as social media brand management and disclosure apps to help athletes keep track of deals. South Carolina also appointed an administrator, Hilary Cox, to oversee NIL efforts. Cox has worked in compliance with the athletics department since 2014.
Muse said inking endorsement deals isn’t his top priority, but the cash doesn’t hurt. He didn’t disclose how much money he’s made so far, but he estimated he’ll be above $10,000 by the time he leaves college.
“I think it’s a cool idea because you can market yourself more than just football,” Muse said. “You just got to be like, ‘I’m Nick Muse. Who wants to endorse Nick Muse?’ ”
