Stukent, Inc., a leader in education technology, has built a first-in-the-world simulation and accompanying courseware for higher education: Mimic NIL and Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski’s “Name, Image & Likeness: Personal Branding Strategies for Student-athletes.” These materials teach NCAA student-athletes how to capitalize on their new name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities.
Mimic NIL is a groundbreaking simulation that helps student-athletes build their NIL portfolios. Its complementary courseware, Kuzmeski’s “Name, Image & Likeness,” is a complete NIL curriculum that prepares students to define their personal brands, attract sponsorships and deals, engage their social media followers, and so much more.
No other educational publisher has created materials of this caliber for higher education.
“I looked for turnkey course materials that contained name, image, and likeness resources for student-athletes,” says Dr. Kuzmeski, “but I came up empty-handed. I couldn’t find anything on the market that addresses the unique opportunities these athletes have.”
For decades, the NCAA prohibited student-athletes from monetizing their NIL. But recent pressure from state legislatures forced the NCAA to reconsider its regulations. On July 1, 2021, student-athletes in the United States gained the right to profit from the commercial use of their NIL. Now, student-athletes may monetize social media promotions, licensing rights, personal appearances, merchandise, sports camps, and more.
With 480,000 NCAA student-athletes across 24 different sports, universities all over the country are considering ways to support their athletes’ NIL endeavors.
That’s where Stukent comes in, creating materials on the industry’s true cutting edge.
“No other publisher has materials like this,” says Garrett Brock, Stukent’s vice president of marketing. “When we say that Mimic NIL is a ‘first-in-the-world’ simulation, we’re not kidding. Nobody else has built a product that gives students experience developing their NIL like Stukent’s simulation and courseware do.”
Stukent’s NIL materials are the first products in their class — not only was Stukent the first publisher to create NIL materials, but it was the first one to build materials for higher education courses, too. The Mimic NIL simulation and Kuzmeski’s “Name, Image & Likeness” courseware are intended to be taught at accredited universities. Educators can request free access to the groundbreaking courseware and simulation.
“The courseware [and simulation are] designed with student-athletes in mind,” Dr. Kuzmeski says. “The resources are customized for their needs and address the current Division I name, image, and likeness regulations.”
As a sports enthusiast, award-winning professor, and creator of Oklahoma State University’s Brand Squad, Dr. Kuzmeski is uniquely qualified to author NIL materials. Her Brand Squad is a select group of business students trained and certified to assist student-athletes with NIL branding efforts. Dr. Kuzmeski is also the president of Red Zone Marketing, a top consulting firm that helps businesses identify impactful marketing opportunities in the final “20 yards” before closing a deal.
“My discovery in working on NIL issues is that the student-athletes, even those in not highly promoted sports like equestrian, track and field, and soccer, can gain traction in NIL,” says Dr. Kuzmeski.
NCAA student-athletes are now in the “red zone” regarding their NIL opportunities, which is why Stukent created Mimic NIL and Kuzmeski’s “Name, Image & Likeness.” Together, these materials give student-athletes real-world, hands-on experience with NIL concepts, preparing them to make the most of their opportunities. With Mimic NIL, student-athletes can practice new skills and gain industry perspectives without impacting their public brand or reputation.
“Stukent’s proprietary Mimic simulations ask students to step into professional roles,” says Brock, “and they pack months or even years of on-the-job training into a matter of weeks.”
The groundbreaking, first-in-the-world Mimic NIL and Kuzmeski’s “Name, Image & Likeness” help student-athletes build the skills they will need to take advantage of their new opportunities, helping them succeed on and off the field.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the courseware and simulation, book a demo with your course consultant!
