College Sports Just Went Pro

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

Most fantasy leagues lose steam halfway through. Here’s one tweak that keeps fans locked in until the end.

When you’re looking for content inspiration, don’t just study your peers in sports—look outside the industry, too.

I recently came across a smart fan engagement strategy from Survivor Season 48 contestant Shauhin Davari.

In this TikTok, he explains how his Fantasy Survivor League works. Most leagues lose participation halfway through—if your early picks get voted off, you’re out.

But in his league, players can use the points they've earned to bet on who they think will be eliminated next. That simple mechanic keeps everyone involved because success isn’t just about preseason picks—it rewards weekly game knowledge, too.

If you’re launching a fan competition that runs for weeks or months, or even throughout the season—like the Chicago Blackhawks x United Airlines Most Mileage Program—consider a structure like this. A small rule change can make a big difference in keeping fans engaged from start to finish.

In Today’s Edition:

• Winning The NIL Era 💸 

• Nats’ June Call pUP 🐶 

• NHL Puts Momentum On Tilt 🧊 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
College Sports’ New Digital Revenue Playbook

Starting July 1, 2025, college athletes can finally get paid—legally, directly, and with a cap of $20.5 million per school.

That’s thanks to the House v. NCAA settlement, a multibillion-dollar class-action case that was approved by a federal judge two weeks ago. It’s a seismic shift—and it was the talk of NACDA, the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators, held last week in Orlando.

I was there to speak on a Sports Business Journal panel about leveraging social media and influencer partnerships in college athletics.

Talk about timing.

With direct athlete compensation now on the horizon, schools will need to unlock new revenue streams to stay competitive. And the biggest untapped opportunity? You guessed it—digital media and content.

I continue to see two common patterns when it comes to digital monetization in college sports:

1. Most programs are driving little to no revenue through digital partnerships.

2. When they do, it’s either logo slaps with no clear brand connection—or branded content that feels more like an ad than something fans genuinely want to engage with.

College sports is now pro sports. That means new rules, new expectations, and a new playbook.

Here are five lessons schools can learn from the pros to help them win in this next era of digital partnerships.

1️⃣ The Most Important Hire for Digital Revenue

If digital revenue is now a priority, you need to staff for it.

Yes, that means growing your content team to deliver more across social, email, paid media, your app, and website—but it also means hiring someone who lives and breathes partnerships.

A digital partnerships specialist bridges the gap between content and partnership teams, filling a key role that traditional athletics departments often overlook.

Here’s the problem:

• Partnership teams usually lack a true digital expert.

• Content teams don’t have the time to ideate for sponsors.

The result? Frustration all around:

• Content teams are stuck executing bad ideas.

• Sales and activation teams are frustrated by the lack of strong concepts to pitch.

• Digital gets pitched less.

• Everyone feels burnt out.

So, what happens when you bring in a digital partnerships specialist?

You get:

More time to focus on relationships, prospecting, real-time content, and strategy.

More money by building a sellable digital inventory and ensuring content is priced properly.

More confidence that your team can pitch and activate content that delivers for both fans and sponsors.

More knowledge with an expert who knows what’s possible on every platform.

More speed by implementing processes and proactively developing ideas.

More inclusion with someone who advocates for both content and partnerships, attending meetings and giving both teams a voice.

More collaboration—and honestly, more fun. When both sides are heard and supported, good sponcon becomes a shared win.

2️⃣ You Need Way More Digital Inventory

When it comes to digital partnership inventory, you need as many ideas as possible—more than you can sell.

And not just more ideas, but more variety. Sales teams are pitching brands across every category imaginable. One day it’s dog food. The next, it’s crypto. Your content lineup has to be flexible enough to meet them where they are.

Besides not having a digital partnerships specialist (yet), two big challenges often get in the way:

• Content teams worry that if they provide too many ideas, too much will get sold—and they’ll get buried in execution.

• There’s not enough time to dedicate to digital partnership ideation both in-season and especially with all the other internal requests content teams handle.

Aside from adding headcount (which we all know isn’t easy), here are four processes you need to install to build an always-on ideation process—without adding more meetings:

1. Follow the golden rule of digital inventory. Every asset must be reapproved before it’s pitched—regardless of past use. Algorithm changes, in-season bandwidth, new learnings, and timing can all impact what the content team is comfortable activating.

2. Build naming variety into your content series. A single series can have multiple sellable formats with different names, tones, or angles tailored to different brand types.

3. Test in-season. Try new content types with no sponsor attached. The best way to build inventory is to test it live and see what sticks.

4. Invite partnerships into content meetings. It’s the easiest way to surface ideas in real time—and helps both teams understand each other’s needs.

Important: Scaling inventory doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. You should be monetizing content you’re already creating—especially on gameday—by shifting from a built-if-sold approach to a built-to-sell model.

Additional Resources

👉 [Built to Sell vs. Built If Sold: Strategy Breakdown]
👉 [The Secret to Maximizing Sponcon Inventory]
👉 [How to Take Ideas from Inspiration to Monetization]

It’s worth remembering that scaling content doesn’t have to rely on game highlights or increased player access. Sponsored or not, you can add inventory by creating content with alumni, creators, fans, staff, or even remixing archival footage.

3️⃣ Not All Sponcon Is Created Equal

Logo slaps have their place in a broader partnership strategy—but wherever possible, aim for deeper content integrations.

Even small tweaks can turn a basic placement into something that feels thoughtful and custom:

• A strong name can instantly clarify the brand’s role (e.g. USC Football x The Joint Chiropractic: Halftime Alignment).

• Strategic logo placement can make a brand feel essential to the content (e.g. Alabama Football x Gatorade cinematic recaps, Oklahoma State Athletics x Monster Energy dual logo carousels).

• Extending in-venue moments to digital ensures all fans see the connection (e.g. Chicago White Sox x Rush University Medical Center: home run sponsorship in-venue + cRUSHed content series online).

👉 [Click here for a complete breakdown of the three levels of sponsored content—and how much of each you should be pitching.]

Don’t Just Pitch What. Pitch Why.

It’s not just what you pitch—it’s why you’re pitching it.

Start by asking these eight questions in every brand or prospect conversation to align your recommendations with their goals and KPIs.

And remember: not every asset needs to do everything. One asset should support one goal. Sure, it might move the needle elsewhere—but it should be built to achieve one clear objective.

That’s where channel strategy matters. For example, if a brand wants middle- or lower-funnel outcomes, organic social content won’t cut it (please, no more sweepstakes posts on your main feed).

If your goal is to drive traffic, generate leads, or increase sales, try these channels instead:

• Email

• SMS

• Paid media

• Broadcast reads with QR codes

• Custom audience sharing from prior organic sponcon for targeted paid retargeting

And when done right, your partners can also use your digital IP on their channels to hit those mid- and lower-funnel goals.

Additional Resources

👉 [The Ultimate Guide To Successful Sweepstakes]
👉 [Maximize Your Partnership With Digital IP Rights]

4️⃣ NIL Isn’t Just For Short-Form Video

It’s time to rethink NIL content beyond day-in-the-life and get-ready-with-me videos.

Let’s go back to a conversation I had in 2024 with AthleteCon Founder Samantha Green. When asked why brands should get involved in the NIL space, here’s what she said:

That quote still holds true.

Not every athlete is a traditional content creator. They might not be able to deliver the kind of short-form video brands usually expect in influencer campaigns. But with the built-in support of their community, athletes can still create valuable sponsored content—especially when it aligns with their strengths and available time.

Here are just a few alternative options where brands can be impactfully integrated:

• Host sponsored AMAs on Reddit

• Use a Q&A format in a conversational style (like Instagram’s own Adam Mosseri—check out his AMA Highlight)

• Livestream, whether it’s gaming, reacting to games, or something else, it can be done while answering fan questions

• Host a podcast, especially if they’re more comfortable talking than filming

• Post about hosting in-person events, from fan meetups to expanding community service initiatives

• Write a newsletter, like Russell Westbrook’s Word of Westbrook, spotlighting interests on and off the court

And don’t underestimate the talent already on campus.

Hire journalism, digital media, or AV majors to help athletes shoot, edit, and produce NIL content (like ghostwriting that newsletter)—turning big ideas into real content without overwhelming the athlete.

5️⃣ You’re Not One Team—Start Selling Like It

Most pro teams are single entities. College athletics programs? They're a different beast—with dozens of teams under one umbrella.

The good news? Almost everything outlined above can be replicated across all your teams.

Pro tip: Don’t limit sponsored content to your main athletics accounts.

Yes, brands are often most interested in digital partnerships with your football and basketball programs because of their larger audiences—but there’s still real value in your other sports.

Here’s why:

• It’s a more level playing field in 2025. In the For You Feed era, follower count doesn’t determine reach. Even smaller sports accounts can deliver the scale brands want—especially when you use tools like the Collab post feature to co-publish with your main accounts.

• Smaller audiences can still be highly engaged. That engagement matters—a lot—for brand exposure and affinity. (Personally, I was surprised not to see more sponsored content during the Men’s and Women’s College World Series.)

The variety of teams you manage is an advantage, not a challenge. It allows you to serve brands of all sizes.

Think about it like stadium seating: premium seats drive most revenue, but there are still accessible options at lower price points. The same applies to your digital inventory.

Big-budget brands will likely show up most often on football and basketball content. But brands with smaller budgets can get real value from your other sports—and when you give them a surprise appearance on a football or basketball post? They’ll be thrilled.

The Takeaway

Direct athlete compensation is coming—and with it, pressure to grow new revenue streams. Your digital strategy can no longer be an afterthought.

Collegiate programs need to staff for it, scale inventory, sell smarter, rethink NIL content, and unlock the value across all their teams. Pro sports have been building this muscle for years.

Now it’s your turn.

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

The Washington Nationals gave a paws-itively adorable twist to a player call-up. Rochester Red Wings manager Matthew Lecroy told Bruce the Bat Dog he was headed to the big leagues — followed by a “Welcome to the Show” graphic. The perfect sponsor? Greenies.

The German Women’s National Team played bottle flip tic-tac-toe with Powerade Active Water — a fun off-field moment with clever product integration.

Marriott Bonvoy partnered with the Mercedes F1 Team to launch The Secret Concierge, a content series starring comedian Jack Whitehall. With help from creators @ItalianBach and @GeorgeClarkeey, each episode spotlights curated city itineraries in Barcelona, Silverstone, Singapore, and Las Vegas.

The Seattle Sounders teamed up with Rudy Willingham to create one of his iconic paper cutout videos, promoting their FIFA Club World Cup matches with creative flair.

Gallagher Insurance, the Official Title Partner of Premiership Rugby, delivered a heartfelt moment by surprising players with their childhood teachers and mentors. The video launched the Gallagher Touchline Academy — a new program offering free training and lesson plans to help educators confidently teach rugby in schools.

The US Men’s National Team created a feel-good series with AT&T called Connecting To Say… where players (Matt Freese | Mark McKenzie | Pat Agyemang and more!) watched surprise video messages from family on a phone.

The NHL and AWS worked with @_sportsball to break down Ice Tilt, a new stat that tracks average player position over rolling two-minute stretches to show where the action is really happening.

And Hypebae Beauty found out what’s in Ellie the Elephant’s bag. Spoiler alert: It’s loaded with Fenty Beauty products — courtesy of the New York Liberty’s new official beauty partner.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Must Read: Chelsea’s Jon Scammell dropped his first white paper on how clubs and rights holders can reach, retain, and monetize remote fans.

Ad Hack Alert: Shoutout to Scott Goodacre and The Online Rule — I just learned you can see what ads a LinkedIn page is running at any time. It’s a must-add to your partner research toolkit.

Social Standouts: STN Digital released its 2025 League Social Performance Report — breaking down the teams with the highest engagement, fastest follower growth, and top-performing formats across TikTok, Instagram, and more.

AI Assist: Sarah Adam, Wix’s Head of Partnerships and Influencer Marketing, shared a helpful prompt and tutorial on how to use Gemini Gem to generate influencer briefs.

Creator Call: Visa Cash App RB is searching for a rising talent to capture content from their Budapest race weekend through its Creator Platform.