MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In the ever-changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes could soon have the opportunity to capitalize financially from their name, image and likeness. College athletes stand to benefit greatly and now more than ever, they have the opportunity to build their profiles beyond the teams that they play for.
WVU head coach Neal Brown announced Thursday that his team is partnering with brand marketing consultant and author Jeremy Darlow on what is being dubbed the ‘5th-Quarter Program’. It is designed to assist players in character, leadership and career development and social responsibility.
“Our football players will be learning how to build their own brand from a person who wrote the book on the subject and is an individual who has worked with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment,” Brown said. “We’re excited to provide that level of expertise to our players.”
WVU is the first Big 12 Conference school to partner with Darlow, who is the author of best-selling books ‘Brands Win Championships’ and ‘Athletes are Brands Too’. Darlow is a former marketing director for Adidas baseball and football.
I’m very excited about this partnership and service for our student-athletes! #TrustTheClimb https://t.co/eI7jFPBLLc
— Neal Brown (@NealBrown_WVU) May 7, 2020
“Today, more than at any other point in history, athletes have the opportunity to build personal brands that transcend the sports they play,” Darlow said. “Thanks to the exposure and influence offered by social media, these young men and women can now control their own brand destiny.”
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Introducing the FIRST @Big12Conference team accepted to the DARLOW Athlete Brand Development Program:
It’s bigger than ? at WVU ➕ I could not be more proud to call this program a partner. If you want to build a brand, you know where to find me. #HailWV pic.twitter.com/vWlFxYPQvj
— Jeremy Darlow (@JeremyDarlow) May 7, 2020
The NCAA is expected to vote on proposed legislation regarding name, image and likeness no later than the end of January, 2021. If approved, student-athletes could capitalize on endorsement deals, public appearances and social media.
“What we did was try and get in front of this,” Brown said. “It’s about education and educating our players on how to take advantage of that. What is a brand? What does it look like?”
“My mission is to teach athletes how to create a personal brand and reputation that sets them up for life after sports,” Darlow said. “I’m proud to work with West Virginia, which believes in preparing their student-athletes for life after college.”