JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It has been two and a half years since college athletes have been allowed to profit from their name, image and likeness. At first, the majority of NIL dollars were invested into football or college basketball. Now, female athletes in other sports are equally receiving large sums in NIL deals, including a few female athletes who reside in Northeast Florida.
“Now that companies see how valuable women in sports are, you see a lot more NIL deals with female athletes,” University of South Florida lacrosse player Sofia Chepenik said.
This past summer we aired a story on Chepnik, an Episcopal graduate and Jacksonville native who became the first female college athlete to sign a lifetime NIL deal.
“I think it just goes to show that when you give women the platform to excel that they’ll use it and then they’ll exceed every expectation,” Chepenik said.
Now Chepenik joins five other female college athletes — all from different sports — to ink one of the single biggest investments by a brand in the NIL era. The deal is with Canadian sports apparel company, DRYWORLD.
“I get to stand by other female athletes that can empower a younger generation to show them that you can get the same opportunities as our male counterparts and you’re just as valuable in your sport,” Chepenik said. “With hard work and determination you can really accomplish anything.”
The six athletes signed a one-year deal with DRYWORLD with a two-year option. As part of the deal, athletes will join the DRYWORLD Ambassador Program. They will be compensated through shares in the public company as well as generating online revenue streams through affiliate marketing. Episcopal graduate Christian Addison is the CEO of Addison Sports and Entertainment and represents all six athletes.
“In this instance, the brand has given equity to these six girls and it’s to be dispersed throughout time,” Addison said. “Why is that? It’s so that the girls can really use their platforms to help grow the brand.”
University of North Florida beach volleyball player Caleigh Haetten joined Chepenik as one of the athletes in the deal.
“There’s no like cookie-cutter athlete and we all have our unique perspectives and our unique experiences that kind of help the relationship with the brand reach a larger audience and connect with more people through our different lenses,” Haetten said.
Haetten has signed many NIL deals, but chooses to only work with brands that align with what she represents.
“To me, life outside of volleyball is very important and like having my own identity outside of my sport is something that I really try to focus on,” Haetten said.
Another aspect of the deal is the option to start a clothing line brand with DRYWORLD merchandise, which Chepenik has taken advantage of.
According to numerous media outlets that track NIL legislation, Florida is one of 16 states that don’t permit NIL at the high school level. The Florida High School Athletic Association said in a statement to News4JAX last month that it is currently reviewing its amateurism policy and expected discussion on the topic at a later date. The Georgia High School Association voted last month to allow athletes there to earn money off their name, image and likeness.