Oklahoma Forms NIL Partnership With Learfield’s Sooner Sports Properties

By OU Media Relations/Learfield

Oklahoma will partner with Learfield to make Sooner Sports Properties the exclusive, centralized Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) marketing partner for OU athletics.

Sooner Sports Properties, Learfield’s local team managing multimedia rights for Oklahoma Athletics, and 1Oklahoma, OU’s current NIL partner, are merging all OU NIL operations into a single entity backed by Learfield. This combined team will continue under the 1Oklahoma brand and build upon the momentum that Sooner Sports Properties, 1Oklahoma and OU Athletics have realized with innovative Learfield Impact NIL programs. Streamlining NIL operations into one organization will allow Oklahoma Athletics to maximize NIL dealmaking efforts for its student-athletes.

“As the landscape and rules governing college athletics continue to evolve, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve and create significant NIL growth opportunities to our student-athletes," said University of Oklahoma Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "Centralizing efforts through our trusted partner, Learfield/Sooner Sports Properties, allows us to immediately expand what we already have in place and deliver pioneering NIL opportunities that build long-term value for our athletes and our program.”

Consolidating NIL operations will deliver organizational efficiencies for all involved. The integrated team will enable streamlined marketing and communications efforts and standardized processes for NIL partners, fans and athletes. All the highly successful 1Oklahoma initiatives, including the membership program and Inspiring Champions Fund events hosted in partnership with OU’s Sooner Club, will continue to support OU Athletics through the merged organization.

Under the leadership of Kelly Collyar, Vice President and General Manager of Sooner Sports Properties, OU has experienced significant NIL momentum, including groundbreaking programs with several local and national corporate partners. Sooner Sports Properties helps brand partners integrate student-athlete storytelling with school intellectual property, including OU marks and logos, leading to next-level brand engagement with Sooners fans.

Sooner Sports Properties will leverage Learfield Impact NIL services centered around three foundational pillars: people, content and technology. The culmination of these pillars delivers Oklahoma Athletics the greatest NIL opportunities for its organization and athletes. Sooner Sports Properties will further tap into extensive existing partnerships and leverage Learfield’s Compass NIL platform to facilitate NIL dealmaking with brand partners.

“Oklahoma Athletics and Sooner Sports Properties have implemented best-in-class NIL marketing campaigns over the past four years with Fowler Automotive, State Farm, Devon Energy and many other brand partners positively impacting hundreds of Sooner student-athletes,” said Solly Fulp, Executive Vice President, NIL Growth & Development at Learfield. “Our new centralized partnership with Joe and his team will allow Oklahoma to maximize student-athlete marketing opportunities through our industry-leading people, content and technology solutions.”

With this expanded partnership, Sooner Sports Properties will add more dedicated NIL resources to its award-winning team. Bobby Nash, an accomplished college athletics executive, will join the Norman operation as NIL business development director, cultivating new partnerships and generating incremental NIL opportunities for the Sooners. Nash earned both his undergraduate and master's degree at the University of Oklahoma and held various, external positions at OU, The University of Colorado, and most recently served as Deputy Athletic Director of External Engagement at Utah State University.

The centralized team will continue delivering powerful student-athlete storytelling campaigns through on-campus Learfield Studios personnel who develop custom NIL content with brand partners. Creating these original content campaigns for OU student-athletes helps to build their brands by connecting them with more fans through social media and digital channels.

“It’s an incredible honor to return home to the University of Oklahoma with Sooner Sports Properties," said Nash. "OU has played a deeply meaningful role in my life and career, and I’m thrilled to contribute to the unified NIL strategy that will create long-term value, for our student-athletes, brand partners and the university. Oklahoma’s tradition of excellence is unmatched, and I look forward to building impactful, authentic partnerships that elevate the NIL experience.”