Nike Signs Three High Schoolers to NIL Deals

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Nike signs three high schoolers to NIL deals

Jane Hedengren, Sophia Rodriguez, and Dana Wilson are the most recent high school athletes to sign NIL deals with Nike. Each competed at this past weekend’s Nike Indoor Nationals. Hedengren and Wilson are seniors committed to Brigham Young University and the University of Tennessee for the fall, respectively. Rodriguez is a sophomore from Mercer Island, Washington.

USATF signs media rights extension with NBC through 2028

USA Track & Field and NBC Sports have extended their media rights partnership through 2028, ensuring continued coverage of premier events like the USATF Indoor and Outdoor Championships, Prefontaine Classic, and the Millrose Games on NBC and Peacock. This agreement also includes NBC Sports' coverage of the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials and the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

IOC election to take place on Thursday

The International Olympic Committee is set to elect its 10th president on Thursday, March 20, during the IOC Session in Greece. Seven candidates, including World Athletics head Seb Coe, are vying to succeed Thomas Bach, who has led the IOC since 2013. The new president will face challenges such as establishing policies for transgender athletes, addressing Russia's Olympic ban, and adapting the IOC's business model amid evolving media landscapes and sponsorship dynamics. The election process involves multiple voting rounds, with the candidate receiving the fewest votes eliminated in each round until a majority is achieved.

Smith Gilbert urges Congress to act to protect university Olympic sport programs

University of Georgia’s director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert testified in front of Congress last week as part of a panel to the House Judiciary Committee. She argued that unlike revenue-generating sports, athletes in Olympic and non-revenue sports receive little to no NIL funding and instead depend on scholarships and university resources. She warned that without proper regulation, universities could eliminate Olympic sports program, which would deprive countless students from higher education opportunities brought through scholarships. She further argued that classifying student-athletes as employees would strip access to necessary resources fundamental to the livelihood of these programs.

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