In the world on NIL in collegiate sports, we have seen big-name college athletes accept deals with some of the biggest companies in the country. But on Wednesday, Nike dove into the college ranks for the first time with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, who is among the biggest names in college football with impressive stats last season to back up his already big personality, has signed an NIL deal with Nike, according to Front Office Sports.
Nike has signed Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to an NIL deal 🦬 pic.twitter.com/gELZobKUHM
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 28, 2024
This is specifically a big deal because Nike has not yet agreed to an NIL deal with any other college football player in the history of the company, making Sanders the first to do so.
It’s also of course significant because Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, is obviously quite synonymous with the show brand in his own right.
It seems like the lack of team success early on in Shedeur’s career at Colorado has not impacted his marketability in any way. Colorado notably finished with a 4-8 record after collapsing down the stretch last season, losing each of their final six games in 2023.
If Colorado is more successful as a team this coming season, we could see Sanders become an even bigger star with potentially more deals lining up for him in the future. But as is, his new deal with Nike shows just how popular he has become.
