Friday Focus: Innovation in Nanooks Athletics

Brock Anundson, director of UAF Athletics
UAF photo
Brock Anundson, director of UAF Athletics

Oct. 18, 2024

— By Brock Anundson, director of UAF Athletics

One of the most frequently asked questions around the NCAA is “What’s the deal with Name, Image, and Likeness?” Most notably for us at UAF has extended to, “What are the Nanooks doing to stay relevant and competitive in the world of NIL?” These sound like simple questions, which they are, but they can often have complex answers. My goal for you in this week’s Friday Focus is to provide clarity regarding our path forward and provide a quick dive into what our Alaska Nanooks have for opportunities.

The Alaska Nanooks athletics program has recently embraced an innovative approach to Name, Image, and Likeness by partnering with Influxer Merchandise. This collaboration aims to  provide student-athletes with opportunities to monetize their personal brands while ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations. Through this partnership, each student-athlete can opt-in at their discretion to facilitate the creation and promotion of merchandise in their respective sports, allowing them to capitalize on their influence while maintaining appropriate NCAA reporting standards. This strategy not only supports student-athletes in building their own brands but also positions the Alaska Nanooks at the forefront of the evolving landscape of college athletics. It’s a great start to providing not only the student-athletes with an opportunity, but also the fans to purchase personalized items with their favorite Nooks name or number included.

And soon, through our partnership with Teamworks Influencer (not to be confused with  Influxer), we’ll have an official marketplace. This represents a significant step forward in  enhancing the student-athlete experience and maximizing their potential in the NIL space. Furthermore, our approach focuses on creating a robust framework for student-athletes to  capitalize on their name, image, and likeness while ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations. Here’s how this strategy unfolds:

  1. Collaboration with Teamworks Influencer: Partnering with Teamworks allows the Nanooks to utilize a specialized platform designed to connect student-athletes with brands and opportunities, streamlining the NIL process. 
  2. Empowering Student-Athletes: The initiative provides resources and tools that enable athletes to effectively manage their personal brands, from contract negotiations to social media strategy. 
  3. NCAA Compliance: The program prioritizes adherence to NCAA regulations by offering guidance on permissible activities, ensuring that student-athletes understand the compliance landscape and their responsibilities. 
  4. Transparent Reporting: By integrating NCAA reporting tools within the Teamworks platform, the Nanooks can facilitate accurate and timely reporting of NIL activities, minimizing the risk of compliance issues. 
  5. Education and Support: Providing workshops and training sessions helps student athletes develop essential skills in branding, marketing, and financial literacy, empowering them to make informed decisions. 
  6. Innovative Marketing Initiatives: Leveraging influencer partnerships and digital marketing strategies keeps the program competitive in the evolving NIL space, allowing athletes to reach broader audiences and enhance their visibility.

Once fully implemented, any Nanook supporting business or group wishing to engage UAF student-athletes in NIL opportunities will have a fully integrated and NCAA compliant platform (Influencer) to use in engaging UAF student-athletes with potential NIL deals. This comprehensive approach not only supports student-athletes in monetizing their brands but also positions Alaska Nanooks athletics as a leader in the new era of college sports.

Many people will ask, will this make your student-athletes rich? My answer would be not necessarily, but it does provide a beginning to a bright future as an Alaska Nanook, and it has the ability to provide an added touch point within the community to build belongingness and a feeling of pride on both sides of the equation.

As I often tell our coaches and staff, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis

To learn more, please visit our website to see all our opportunities at https://alaskananooks.com.

Go Nooks!

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF's leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.