According to the Chicago White Sox, they have signed eight student-athletes who are from Illinois to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and two of those student-athletes are Michigan wide receiver, A.J. Henning and Michigan Women’s basketball player, Cameron Williams.
The other six student-athletes who signed deals are Ahamad Bynum, Anaya Peoples, Kylie Feuerbach, Terrance Shannon Jr., Kiki Van Zanten, and Temi Thomas-Ailara.
Michigan WR A.J. Henning signs NIL deal with Chicago White Sox
Here is what Sports Business Journal has to say about this great opportunity for Michigan WR A.J. Henning and the other student-athletes, thanks to the Chicago White Sox.
From Sports Business Journal:
The White Sox are venturing into the NIL space with a new program that includes deals with eight D-I athletes from across Illinois, marking the second time an MLB club has launched an NIL initiative. ChiSox Athlete will provide the new White Sox ambassadors with branding opportunities, financial incentives for social media promotion, access to professional resources within the organization’s front office and personalized career mentorship.
The initiative was led by three members of the White Sox front office: Dir of Marketing and Promotions Mike Downey, Dir of Marketing & Advertising Gareth Breunlin and SVP and Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer Brooks Boyer. Boyer said the White Sox “wanted to do something that would help these student-athletes build their brands by creating an association with a major professional sports franchise.” Downey and Breunlin compiled the list of brand ambassadors before Boyer gave final approval. The eight members of the inaugural class — five women, three men — are all Illinois natives, signed to one-year agreements and being paid equally. Six universities and five collegiate sports are represented, not including baseball or softball, which are prohibited NIL sports for MLB clubs under league policy.
🚨 THIS JUST IN 🚨
The #WhiteSox are proud to introduce CHISOX Athlete – an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) program created to help empower student-athletes, their voices and careers both on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/ZVyhDngB8m
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2022