NIL Content Educator Sam Green Launches AthleteCon Event
As NIL approaches three years old this Summer, student-athletes continue to have the opportunity to reinvent themselves off the field and court as brand ambassadors and content creators. However, with a major learning curve across the country, most college athletes today are not armed with the resources and tools to succeed long-term in NIL - until now.
NIL content educator Sam Green - who has worked with more than 200 Division I athletes and attended well over a dozen NIL events - noticed a common gap: NIL hasn’t been tangible for student athletes across the country. So, to celebrate NIL turning three, she is hosting her own NIL conference that will bring college athletes from across the country together to experience content workshops, collaborate with brands, secure NIL deals and produce their own breakthrough content.
Green's inaugural AthleteCon powered by athletes.org, will take place June 1 in Charlotte and will feature student-athletes, brands, universities and collectives all in one room to explore together the future of NIL and how best to empower athletes and connect authentic dots between them, brands and consumers.
“Since Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) was legalized in July of 2021, student-athletes instantly transformed into creators,” said Green, who danced in college and the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets was most recently a content advisor for Meta’s NIL Empower 3.0 incubator. “Yet, there's a gap in the industry: athletes aren't recognized as creators, NIL deals are hard to come by and brands aren't satisfied with content quality. AthleteCon is the solution.”
“AthleteCon is a game-changer for us student-athletes,” said SMU volleyball player Alex Glover, “It's like this golden opportunity to dive deep into understanding how we can make the most out of our Name, Image, and Likeness. Getting hands-on with actual brands is such a great way to learn, and I'm genuinely excited about it. Sam Green leading the charge adds that extra layer of excitement – her passion and hard work are exactly what we need for guidance in this space.”
AthleteCon is free for student-athletes to attend with flights and hotel accommodations provided for the first 45 student-athletes whose event applications are accepted.
"AthleteCon is going to be a phenomenal event for athletes to attend for so many reasons," said LSU gymnast Savannah Schoenherr. "First off, the opportunity to connect with a diverse selection of companies and secure potential NIL deals is an incredible time for athletes to continue building their brand. This is also a great chance for athletes to expand their knowledge around NIL, content creation, growing their brand, and so much more. This event is simply genius. There are truly no other events out there similar to this and it is going to be such a privilege to attend."
Speakers confirmed for the event so far include Green, Players Health CEO Tyrre Burks, Athletes.org CEO Brandon Copeland, LinkedIn's Athletes and Sports Lead Adriene Bueno and Basepath CEO Thomas Thomas Jr., whose platform will facilitate all on-site NIL deals.
"The majority of NIL deals are based around brands paying athletes to make content," added Green. "But who is teaching these athletes how to create content that brands are willing to pay for? A lot of people say NIL is only for the top 1% but some of my athletes that provide value to brands through their content are making the most money. That’s why I’m bringing in industry experts from META, CANVA and more to teach these athletes how to do the work instead of just telling them to go do it.”
Green announced AthleteCon on Thursday night and 20 minutes later, the event's student-athlete application queue was so popular, that the server crashed.
AthleteCon kicks off on June 1 in Charlotte.
