Clemson Baseball Pitchers Create New NIL Blueprint With Student-Athlete Brand

As Clemson Tigers baseball gears up for the NCAA tournament, two of their pitchers are trailblazing in the NIL space.

Credit: Cannon Gaines - Clemson NIL

The No. 11 Clemson Tigers are preparing to face the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament after falling short in the ACC college baseball championship. 

That’s led to a more adversity-riddled path than a win against the UNC Tar Heels would have awarded the Tigers with a coveted top eight seed.

Two of the pitchers on staff are offering a new way for fans to engage outside of home-field advantage, as the team does not have the opportunity to host a Super Regional if they advance from the regional stages.

Clemson pitchers Aidan Knaak and Justin LeGuernic have accomplished an incredible feat in the NIL space.

Clemson Pitchers Launch First-Ever Student-Athlete NIL Brand

On Tuesday, Knaak and LeGuernic became entrepreneurs and launched their new athlete-owned brand, Cardiak Cats.

The Cardiak Cats hats are available exclusively on their website, with a limited supply of the hats running ahead of the NCAA Regional Tournament.

The limited product launch features their personally designed baseball hats that have a unique style in the spirit of their on-field personalities and fan pride.

The duo came up with the brand name in ode to the exciting, come-from-behind style of play that the Tigers are known for.

“This whole thing started with an idea during a road trip: what if we created something that really felt like us?” Knaak said in a press release. “We wanted a brand that captured the energy of playing in big moments and gave fans something authentic to rally behind.”

 NIL deals can feel robotic sometimes, with star athletes pushing products they might not feel that strongly about. That can't be said for the product Knaak and LeGuernic are behind.

“We worked hands-on with a design team to make sure every detail felt right," LeGuernic said. "It’s about more than a hat… it’s about building something from scratch and putting our name behind it, literally.”

Most of the talk in the NIL space focuses on college football and basketball, with the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement expected to bring revenue sharing to schools with those teams prioritized.

College baseball has been lost in the shuffle, and the NIL deals aren't as readily available or prominent for these players.

Perhaps the pitching duo has stumbled upon a new blueprint for student-athletes.

It's the first-ever independent student-athlete-owned apparel venture in college sports, making it a historic launch for a quieter sport in the landscape.

There's an importance in the name, image, and likeness world of knowing one's branding and how to self-promote. The more student-athletes find avenues to innovate and become entrepreneurs, the better the state of college sports is for it.