A new "athlete" is earning big bucks in NIL. He's a citrus.

Hey there,

Thanks for reading NIL Wire! Today, I have a fun story about mascot NIL deals. It’s a small market that could be growing, especially after Syracuse’s initial success with Otto the Orange. I hope you enjoy the piece. This is a topic we’ll continue to monitor.

Today is the relaunch of NIL Wire's all-access premium subscription. Our goal is to deliver the best newsletter possible, and I will use my 15 years of experience and connections in the college sports industry to bring unique, informative and instructive stories to your email inbox. We hope you've enjoyed the stories from the past month — on rivalry game sponsorships, the wild ways schools are generating revenue and college basketball's version of "The Bachelor" — and that you’ll upgrade your subscription so you can keep reading coverage you won't find anywhere else.

Your support will help us continue to invest in making this newsletter essential reading for college sports fans, athletes and professionals. We appreciate all of you very much, and we’re offering a special 20% discount for new members, available here.

Also, don't forget tonight's fun event: Extra Points founder Matt Brown and I will host a free videoconference chat. It will be an informal conversation where NIL Wire subscribers can ask questions, get to know us a little better and network with one another. This event is free to all NIL Wire subscribers!

Join us this evening using this link. We can’t wait to talk more.

— Kyle

A new "athlete" is earning big bucks in NIL. He's a citrus.

Flip on your TV on a Saturday in the fall or during March Madness, and odds are you’ll see a mascot dancing before your first bite of pizza or sip of beer. The probability is about as high as Shohei Ohtani reaching base in the World Series.

Everyone loves mascots. Kids. Parents. Grandparents. They are the furry cousins who link generations. Mascots are the great unifiers of college sports — hugging strangers, dancing awkwardly and making all of us smile in the process. 

Brutus Buckeye, Puddles and Sparty are household names, as recognizable in college sports as Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney and Rick Pitino. So it makes perfect business sense for a company to strike a deal with a mascot. They’re harmless, kid-friendly, lovable figures you won’t read about in the local police blotter. (Hopefully.) 

When Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud was involved in conversations about leveraging Otto the Orange’s brand, previous dialogue with NIL Store about launching an Otto the Orange apparel line sparked an idea. 

Earlier this month, the two sides struck an NIL deal — just the fourth college mascot NIL agreement. Proceeds from the sale of Otto shirts will benefit the Syracuse mascot program, which spends tens of thousands of dollars each year. (Fun fact: One Otto suit costs between $10,000 and 15,000, more than a used Honda Civic.)

Become a paying subscriber to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content with an All Access Subscription. It's 20% off today!

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.