Flagship Set To Serve Razorback Student-Athletes In NIL Era
Led by Arkansas Athletics, the multi-faceted program includes working relationships with the Walton College of Business and Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship – which includes the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub and McMillon Innovation Studio – as well as global influencer marketing company Captiv8 and comprehensive NIL platform NOCAP Sports to give Razorback student-athletes the best opportunity to maximize their personal brands. Paired with Arkansas Athletics’ existing relationship with INFLCR, a leading content platform that aids in student-athlete brand building, Flagship is set to elevate Arkansas student-athletes’ personal brands, social media influence, and earning power.
“Just as we prepare and train our student-athletes to compete and succeed in the classroom and on the fields of athletics competition, we are committed to positioning them for personal success with the new opportunities associated with Name, Image, and Likeness,” Vice-Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “Arkansas Athletics was one of the first programs in the nation to add a senior staff position to lead those efforts and help Razorback student-athletes maximize their potential. By utilizing valuable resources within the Sam M. Walton College of Business and partnering with a variety of other industry leaders, Flagship will effectively serve our 465-plus Razorback student-athletes and serve as a model for other intercollegiate athletics programs.”
Arkansas student-athletes represent one of the most unique and loyal brands in all of the sports worldwide, reaching to all corners of the globe on and off the field through traditional and social media platforms. The Razorbacks’ social media accounts have over one million followers combined with the team accounts being some of the most followed in all of collegiate athletics. In 2020 alone, Arkansas Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook account received over 10.5 million interactions with the Razorbacks’ men’s basketball accounts picking up over one million interactions in March during the team’s journey to the Elite Eight.
“There is only one Razorback, and the reach of our program extends well beyond the borders of our state, making an impact throughout the country and around the world,” Yurachek said. “Not only are Razorback fans the most passionate fans in college athletics, but they are also among the most active fanbases in the nation in online interaction. That helps us to continue to expand the influence of the Razorback program as well as create opportunities for student-athletes to build their personal brands.”
Flagship will launch this month with 25 returning Razorback student-athletes participating in a progressive, five-week program in June with the second group of student-athletes participating in July. The curriculum for both programs will focus on:
- Entrepreneurship Basics
- Name, Image, and Likeness Legislation
- Influencer Marketing and Personal Branding
- Business Fundamentals
- Storytelling and the Art of the Pitch
Housed under the newly created Office of Athlete Brand Development, Flagship will serve all Razorback student-athletes as an in-house resource for all things related to NIL in addition to collaborating in career development programming.
“By their very nature, student-athletes are ambitious, driven, and resilient – all qualities that make them natural entrepreneurs,” Dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business Matthew A. Waller said. “The Sam M. Walton College of Business is thrilled to be part of this collaboration to equip our student-athletes with the skills, mentors, and resources that will allow them to achieve their personal and professional goals during their time as athletes and across their careers.”
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Arkansas’ distinctive program is boosted by the partnerships involved to give Razorback student-athletes the most comprehensive program for success.
Captiv8, the leading global influencer marketing platform, champions the power of authentic storytelling. Captiv8 is an end-to-end solution that enables enterprises and brands to discover creators, analyze real-time audience data, launch and scale influencer campaigns, manage workflow and measure performance success through its AI-powered platform. Through the Captiv8 Collegiate curriculum, students will learn the ins and outs of influencer marketing, from its history and recent trends to increasing one’s brand value and understanding platform metrics.
Flagship’s thoughtful program provides Arkansas student-athletes opportunities to be connected with resources on a local, national and global level to ensure the best for their personal brand.
To read the full press release from the Arkansas Razorbacks on student-athlete NIL, click here.
