The 2025 Syracuse Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Summit was the first of its kind, but not the last.
The inaugural NIL Summit, which was first NIL event organized by students for student-athletes at Syracuse University, was hosted March 28 by the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in partnership with the student-run Syracuse Sport Group and Syracuse University Athletics. The event brought Syracuse student-athletes together with corporate brands for networking, education, and NIL development.
The NCAA’s rules on NIL changed in 2021, allowing student-athletes to monetize their fame and popularity through endorsements, sponsorships, and other commercial activities. Since then, athletes who combine strong social media presence, business savvy, and prowess on the field have found partnerships with businesses from mom-and-pop stores to international brands.
“In this environment of collegiate sports, it’s critical that we provide student-athletes with as many meaningful NIL opportunities as possible,” Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack told the student-athletes and others gathered in Falk College’s Grant Auditorium for the NIL Summit. “Building the relationship between Falk College and athletics is one of the ways that’s going to benefit our student-athletes.”
GEN Agency and GEN NIL founder and CEO Rachel Maeng Brown presents to student-athletes at the 2025 Syracuse NIL Summit.
Starting July 1, Falk College will become the Falk College of Sport, the first college on a high-research activity (R1) campus dedicated exclusively to sport-related disciplines. Named after visionary benefactor and legendary sports agent David B. Falk, the new college will unite Falk’s distinguished programs in sport management, sport analytics, exercise science, nutrition, and esports (offered jointly with the Newhouse School of Public Communications) under one dynamic academic umbrella.
Led by students in Falk’s Department of Sport Management, the NIL Summit featured GEN Agency and GEN NIL founder and CEO Rachel Maeng Brown, the 2024 CEO of the Year in Influencer Management and NIL Education who presented brand deal case studies and led a content creation workshop with products from W by Jake Paul. Brown returned home to Central New York for the Summit as she is a 2014 graduate of C.W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville.
In addition to Brown’s content creation workshop, representatives from the Global Sports & Entertainment Wealth Management sector of Morgan Stanley hosted a session to educate student-athletes about financial literacy.
As a result of the workshops and networking with corporate representatives, student-athletes gained valuable insight into NIL deal structures, financial literacy, personal branding strategies, and partnership opportunities. For example, every student-athlete who visited the content creation station left the event having activated a unique NIL deal with W by Jake Paul.
“The Syracuse NIL Summit demonstrated the impact and innovation of Falk College and its students,” says Falk College Dean Jeremy Jordan. “This event was another example of the collaboration we have with Syracuse University Athletics to provide Falk students with learning experiences beyond the classroom, and it connected Syracuse student-athletes with NIL industry leaders at a time when NIL is redefining collegiate sports.”
