NIL is a hot topic in college football and the prevailing attitude is that if you don’t have any NIL money coming into your football team, you better be in the process of getting some. South Carolina State University, (SC State) is an HBCU deep in the heart of SEC country where the NIL money flows through the predominantly white institutions of the Southeastern Conference like river rapids.
If an HBCU like South Carolina State hopes to keep any of their local talent at home, they better be prepared to have some NIL dollars ready to compete with not only the power conferences like the SEC but also schools within their conference who may be further along in the NIL process.
Below is an article from the SC State athletic department announcing the launch of its first-ever NIL collective, the SC State Bulldogs Exchange.
Courtesy of SC State Athletics
ORANGEBURG, SC. — SC State Athletics, in partnership with INFLCR, is pleased to announce the launch of the SC State Bulldogs Exchange, a platform that will complement the department’s NIL program and help Bulldog student-athletes maximize their Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities.
The SC State Bulldogs Exchange is a custom-designed platform for local and national businesses to connect and engage directly with Bulldog student-athletes for NIL opportunities. Companies can find out information and register for the SC State Bulldog Exchange at scsuathletics.com.
“The new SC State Bulldogs Exchange will greatly enhance and streamline the process of connecting businesses with student-athletes in Orangeburg and the surrounding area,” South Carolina State Vice President of Athletics Dr. Nathan Cochran said. “We are excited to continue to provide our student-athletes with excellent resources to maximize their NIL opportunities and build their brand while representing South Carolina State’s growing national brand.”
A free service for both student-athletes and businesses, a business can register on the SC State Bulldogs Exchange and have access to a searchable database of student-athletes with the ability to filter that database through a variety of criteria. Each business that is compliant with SC State’s Athletics NIL guidelines can message the student-athlete directly in the application or request contact information to begin discussions about any potential NIL transaction.
“We’re excited to provide the technology for SC State Bulldog student-athletes to grow their NIL business and maximize their wallet share while doing it,” said INFLCR Founder Jim Cavale. “With the SC State Bulldogs Exchange, the Bulldogs and AD Dr. Nathan Cochran are staying ahead of the curve as NIL continues to evolve.”
By adding this resource, South Carolina State University student-athletes will be able to create business connections, streamline payments and reporting processes, consolidate tax information, and create appropriate separation between the University and each student-athletes pursuit of NIL opportunities, all within the INFLCR app. The SC State Bulldogs Exchange will also provide student-athletes with education on NIL issues, while also tracking social media engagement and growth.
About INFLCR & Local Exchange INFLCR, a Teamworks product, is the leading athlete brand-building and NIL business management app for over 270 elite collegiate and professional sports organizations. The INFLCR athlete app educates student-athletes, coaches, and staff for the NIL era in a safe and compliant environment, all powered by best-in-class content delivery for student-athletes to access and share content to their social media channels. INFLCR technology also includes the impactful INFLCR Local Exchange, a school-customized NIL exchange where schools can direct businesses, individuals, or collectives seeking to find, communicate with, pay, and report NIL transactions with its student-athletes. The INFLCR Local Exchange maximizes the student-athlete wallet share while streamlining compliance and tax reporting responsibilities.
INFLCR has partnered with several HBCU schools to provide NIL business management and continues to connect with HBCU brands that they feel have value in the NIL marketplace.