Maryland 5-star commit Zion Elee signs historic NIL Deal
Maryland commit Zion Elee has made history as the first athlete to sign a deal with Next Level Sports & Entertainment Television (NLSETV) in an NIL agreement.
Next Level Sport and Entertainment is a premier destination for innovative sports and entertainment. MSBETV showcases pro basketball internationally and elite lacrosse and brings unique analysis, insights, and fascinating stories daily.
NLSETV is an Emmy-nominated, Telly Award-winning network with the tagline: Sports that matter. Every minute. Every day. Everywhere.
Elee’s school, Baltimore powerhouse St. Francis Academy Football, was featured in a story, “All In,” which aired in February 2024, which documented the team’s dedication, growth, and the pursuit of excellence not just in the game of football, but in all of life’s endeavors.
Elee (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) is the No. 2 overall prospect in the country on all recruiting outlets. He recorded 56 tackles (28 solo), ten sacks, seven pass breakups, and three forced fumbles on the way to an 8-3 record and being ranked the second-ranked team in the state of Maryland.
NSLETV is Elee’s first known NIL deal, which is surprising to some, but Elee has stated that he did not come to Maryland strictly for NIL deals; rather, he wanted to stay at home and build a legacy in his home state of Maryland, as he told reporters at the Under Armour NEXT Camp in May.
"It was kind of a personal thing for me, really," Elee said. "I just wanted to stay home. Out of nowhere, I really had that idea to stay at home. And then, on top of that, bring everybody who is home to home; you know what I'm saying?"
We will provide more details of the capacity of the NIL deal with Elee and Next Level Sports & Entertainment as they become available.
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Brandon is a lifelong sports long sports fanatic with over a decade in sports media. He's a Prince George’s County, Maryland native who has spent most of his adult life in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. After getting his start as an intern with Sportsradio 93.7 the fan in Pittsburgh, he covered high school sports for TribTotalMedia, covered Pittsburgh Athletics for Pittsburgh Sports Report, Pittsburgh Sports Now (Penn State coverage), and was credentialed for the 2022 season for the New Pittsburgh Courier. Brandon is now covering HBCU Sports for Urban Media Today, as well covering the Terps for Maryland on SI.