Gmtm Logo
SIGN UP
Gmtm Logo
ACTIVITIES
Download Our App
Sign in
Sign up

Which HBCU Athletes Have Signed NIL Deals This Summer

ByAria Modirmassihai

2 min read

Which HBCU Athletes Have Signed NIL Deals This Summer

On July 1st college sports saw a long-awaited change that shocked the foundation of amateur sports forever. Finally, college athletes could begin profiting off of their name, image, and likeness. Right away the top college, and even some high school, stars began signing deals worth hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. And while many of these athletes are playing at Division I NCAA schools, many athletes enrolled at HBCUs have also begun cashing in on the new rules.

HBCUs have seen a huge increase in attention in the media, spearheaded by professional athletes such as Chris Paul and Lebron James, over the past 2 years. For too long, the athletes and programs at these schools had been overlooked, not anymore.

The first HBCU athlete to sign an endorsement deal was Ky’Wuan Dukes, a star wide receiver at Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina. Dukes, a Freshman Redshirt, signed a deal with famous Charlotte-based fried chicken fast-food chain Bojangles. Both Dukes and Bojangles are very excited about the new partnership.

Other players that have signed deals include Alabama A&M receiver Zabrian Moore and running back Gary Charles, who signed deals with Boost Mobile. In addition to Moore and Charles, Jackson State University star defensive end Antwan Owen inked an agreement with Three Kings Grooming, a Black-owned, hair product shop based in New York. Norfolk State University’s Rayquan Smith also signed a lucrative deal with popular athletic brand Eastbay. The star Runningback was the featured athlete in their #Betheone campaign, showcasing his elite footwork in the main video ad.

The largest deal signed featuring an HBCU athlete was earned by incoming Tennessee State Freshman Hercy Miller. The incoming college hoops star has signed a 4 year, $2 million endorsement deal with tech company Web Apps America, according to his father and hip hop legend Master P. Miller will become the first HBCU athlete, and one of the first college athletes, to sign a multi-million dollar deal. Miller chose to sign with Tennessee State despite receiving offers from top NCAA schools such as UCLA, USC, LSU, and Missouri. Demonstrating how the recent increase in media coverage has made HBCUs a more competitive alternative to NCAA programs to top recruits.

Florida A&M has taken the first step in response to the new NIL rules to help their players put themselves in the best position to succeed. FAMU announced a 5-year partnership with INFLCR and Teamworks to help prepare its student-athletes with marketing, education, and resources to help build their personal brands. As players are finally able to profit off their abilities, it is very important that they are given the proper tools to help manage their money. It is nice to see an institution like FAMU address those priorities for its players.

As HBCUs continue to rise in fame, more players will choose them as their next step after high school. This means that larger names will be playing in these conferences and bringing large endorsement deals with them.

Are you an Athlete?

Create a free profile to access the largest network specifically designed to connect athletes to opportunities. Get started.

RELATED ARTICLES
College Gymnastics: NIL Changes Dynamic For Young Olympic Gymnasts

College Gymnastics: NIL Changes Dynamic For Young Olympic Gymnasts

All the pressure in the world used to be on teenage gymnasts leading up to the Olympics. The...

ByAndrew Pistone | Fri May 05 2023
Which Elite 11 Alumni could be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Which Elite 11 Alumni could be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft?

For years, the Elite 11 quarterback camp has been the premier destination for high school...

ByJoey Grant | Thu Apr 27 2023
Auburn Gymnast Suni Lee’s NIL Deals are Gold Medal Worthy

Auburn Gymnast Suni Lee’s NIL Deals are Gold Medal Worthy

The 2020 Olympics were a challenge for all involved, considering the ever-changing logistics and...

ByAndrew Pistone | Fri Apr 07 2023
Name, Image, & Likeness: March Madness Offers Rare NIL Opportunities

Name, Image, & Likeness: March Madness Offers Rare NIL Opportunities

For college basketball fans around the country, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year....

ByAndrew Pistone | Tue Mar 07 2023
When Values Clash: Tackling the Alignment Problem for Sports Organizations and Athletes

When Values Clash: Tackling the Alignment Problem for Sports Organizations and Athletes

More than a century ago, Teddy Roosevelt Jr's injury during an amateur football game resulted in...

ByJoey Grant | Thu Mar 02 2023
Name, Image, Likeness: Do high school athletes have NIL rights in your state?

Name, Image, Likeness: Do high school athletes have NIL rights in your state?

We are well over a year into a new era of college sports. Back in the summer of 2021, the Supreme...

ByScotty Jenkins | Thu Jan 26 2023
New XFL Draft Picks use GMTM to be seen by coaches and fans

New XFL Draft Picks use GMTM to be seen by coaches and fans

In just under a month, the XFL will be taking yet another crack at creating a competing...

ByScotty Jenkins | Fri Jan 20 2023
Unlocking Billions: How World-Class Sports Organizations Manage Talent for Success

Unlocking Billions: How World-Class Sports Organizations Manage Talent for Success

What is the thing that has driven the $90 billion Sports industry? Talent Without talent, Sports...

ByJoey Grant | Thu Jan 19 2023
World Cup 2022: How social issues have taken global attention off the pitch in Qatar

World Cup 2022: How social issues have taken global attention off the pitch in Qatar

Qatar has taken center stage in the sports world in recent weeks as it welcomed soccer fans for the...

ByScotty Jenkins | Mon Dec 19 2022
How GMTM Helps Athletes Get Discovered

How GMTM Helps Athletes Get Discovered

At GMTM, we believe that Athletes shouldn’t be limited in what they can achieve based on their...

ByScotty Jenkins | Thu Nov 10 2022
Will Universities And Gambling Platforms Ever Join Forces?

Will Universities And Gambling Platforms Ever Join Forces?

There’s an interesting dichotomy between sports and gambling. They’re natural partners, and...

ByAndrew Pistone | Tue Oct 18 2022
Johnson V NCAA: The Next Case That Can ReShape the future of the NCAA

Johnson V NCAA: The Next Case That Can ReShape the future of the NCAA

By now we are all familiar with the Alston case that shifted the dynamics of college sports, as...

ByScotty Jenkins | Thu Oct 06 2022
College Football: Five Stars Who Could Have Benefitted Most from NIL Ruling

College Football: Five Stars Who Could Have Benefitted Most from NIL Ruling

The NCAA's Division I Board of Directors announced a new...

ByBryan Armetta | Sat Sep 24 2022
How Continued Legalization of Sports Betting Affects College Sports

How Continued Legalization of Sports Betting Affects College Sports

In recent years the taboo of sports betting has started to come down and gambling on your favorite...

ByJamison White | Sun Sep 18 2022
EA Sports To Create College Football Video Game With These Updates

EA Sports To Create College Football Video Game With These Updates

After FOX Sports released a documentary on Christmas Day chronicling the life and career of the...

ByAndrew Pistone | Sat Sep 17 2022
Trending Up: High School Football Athletes on GMTM - Week 2

Trending Up: High School Football Athletes on GMTM - Week 2

Football is back and tens of thousands of high school football players are on the field making...

ByScotty Jenkins | Thu Sep 15 2022
College Football: Three Transfer Portal Players to Watch in 2022

College Football: Three Transfer Portal Players to Watch in 2022

It's not even four years old, but it's hard to even remember what college football was like before...

ByBryan Armetta | Sun Aug 28 2022
Can Group NIL Deals Help Create Earning Potential Balance?

Can Group NIL Deals Help Create Earning Potential Balance?

The landmark decision to allow student athletes in college to profit off of their name, image and...

ByAndrew Pistone | Mon Aug 22 2022
Zach Soskin on Name, Image, Likeness: "It's building a brand. It's not going after every deal."

Zach Soskin on Name, Image, Likeness: "It's building a brand. It's not going after every deal."

"It was honestly just right place, right time," Zach Soskin says, recalling the chain of events...

ByScotty Jenkins | Sun Aug 21 2022
NIL In High School: Which States Give HS Athletes Name, Image, Likeness Rights?

NIL In High School: Which States Give HS Athletes Name, Image, Likeness Rights?

In only a few months since legislation passed in early July, the ability for college athletes to...

ByScotty Jenkins | Sun Aug 14 2022
College Soccer: Explaining how the best collegiate players turn professional

College Soccer: Explaining how the best collegiate players turn professional

For soccer players who want to play professionally, the path differs greatly from other major...

ByScotty Jenkins | Wed Aug 03 2022
Name, Image, & Likeness: Duke, Kentucky remain popular destinations for college basketball recruits

Name, Image, & Likeness: Duke, Kentucky remain popular destinations for college basketball recruits

The name, image, and likeness of college athletes has been a topic of discussion for several years,...

ByScotty Jenkins | Tue Aug 02 2022
Major League Baseball: What Caused The Major Player Contracts In The MLB?

Major League Baseball: What Caused The Major Player Contracts In The MLB?

The highest-paid baseball player in Major League Baseball is pitcher Max Scherzer from the New York...

ByAmanda Tylka | Fri Jul 22 2022
How to Make Money as an Athlete

How to Make Money as an Athlete

As College Athletics test the limits of Name Image and Likeness (NIL) to funnel money directly to...

ByLeland | Thu Jun 02 2022
Why Athletes Hoping To Benefit From NIL Should Start Filming Everything They Do

Why Athletes Hoping To Benefit From NIL Should Start Filming Everything They Do

Between the ability to focus more on the sport they play and begin to take care of themselves and...

ByScotty Jenkins | Fri May 13 2022
Men's College Basketball: Five Stars Who Could Have Benefitted Most From NIL Ruling

Men's College Basketball: Five Stars Who Could Have Benefitted Most From NIL Ruling

In the aftermath of a July ruling by the NCAA allowing for athletes to profit off of their name,...

ByBryan Armetta | Sun Apr 17 2022
Student-Athletes Develop For The Future At NCAA Leadership Forum

Student-Athletes Develop For The Future At NCAA Leadership Forum

For some student-athletes, leadership comes innately in different ways. Some may have a gift when...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Mar 09 2022
How Much Do Collegiate Olympic Athletes Make For Winning? Not Much

How Much Do Collegiate Olympic Athletes Make For Winning? Not Much

Imagine being in college student athlete sitting in a dorm room, dreaming about competing at their...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Feb 23 2022
College Hockey: One HBCU Looks To Break The Ice

College Hockey: One HBCU Looks To Break The Ice

All it takes is for one person, institution or faction to break through and achieve history that...

ByAndrew Pistone | Sat Feb 19 2022
Top DC-Area Quarterback Recruit Chase Williams Commits To HBCU

Top DC-Area Quarterback Recruit Chase Williams Commits To HBCU

Chase Williams from St. Albans High School shocked the DMV on signing day when he signed his Letter...

ByScotty Jenkins | Fri Feb 18 2022
Ranking the Top 5 Division III Football Conferences

Ranking the Top 5 Division III Football Conferences

In 2019 a CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) and a WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate...

ByDrew Staczek | Sun Jan 30 2022
Name, Image, Likeness Benefits In Division II and III College Sports

Name, Image, Likeness Benefits In Division II and III College Sports

Now that the NCAA has taken the step to allow players to earn money off their image and likeness,...

ByJamison White | Fri Jan 21 2022
Sportico Launches College Athletics Financial Database

Sportico Launches College Athletics Financial Database

As the landscape surrounding dollars and cents in college athletics has been significantly impacted...

ByAndrew Pistone | Thu Jan 06 2022
College Soccer: Breaking Down UCLA Forward Reilyn Turner’s NIL Deal With Nike

College Soccer: Breaking Down UCLA Forward Reilyn Turner’s NIL Deal With Nike

Some thought it might’ve been the University of Alabama’s football star Bryce Young. Other might...

ByAndrew Pistone | Fri Dec 31 2021
The Ten Most Followed College Sports Programs on Social Media

The Ten Most Followed College Sports Programs on Social Media

In the 21st century, having a strong social media following is one of the most important parts of...

ByAria Modirmassihai | Thu Dec 23 2021
College Football: Jack Coan’s Unlikely Path To Notre Dame

College Football: Jack Coan’s Unlikely Path To Notre Dame

Sometimes, life takes you in directions that you don’t expect. That could certainly be said for the...

ByAndrew Pistone | Mon Dec 20 2021
NCAA Creates Championships Channel For LG Smart TV Streaming

NCAA Creates Championships Channel For LG Smart TV Streaming

The end product on the field of play is usually a sight to behold. Collegiate athletes putting...

ByAndrew Pistone | Fri Dec 10 2021
NCAA, ESPN Will Broadcast More Women’s Gymnastics In 2022

NCAA, ESPN Will Broadcast More Women’s Gymnastics In 2022

With the momentum of the Summer Olympics [gmtm.com/articles/tag/summer-olympics/] behind it, NCAA...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Dec 01 2021
Can College Athletes Be Considered Employees?

Can College Athletes Be Considered Employees?

There’s been a whirlwind of change surrounding the rights of college athletes that has taken place...

ByAndrew Pistone | Mon Nov 29 2021
How Will Trading Cards Factor Into The NIL Era?

How Will Trading Cards Factor Into The NIL Era?

Growing up, it is always fun to collect trading cards of your favorite professional athletes. For...

ByAndrew Pistone | Tue Nov 09 2021
Standardized Test Score Importance To Be Reduced By NCAA?

Standardized Test Score Importance To Be Reduced By NCAA?

We often focus on the “athlete” portion of the student-athlete designation, but the educational...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Nov 03 2021
College Football: Why Desmond Ridder Should Win the Heisman

College Football: Why Desmond Ridder Should Win the Heisman

The unexpected reigns supreme this college football season. Three of last year's playoff teams...

ByBryan Armetta | Sun Oct 31 2021
Name, Image, Likeness: What's Really Going On In The NCAA

Name, Image, Likeness: What's Really Going On In The NCAA

There has been a lot change happening within the NCAA the past couple of weeks. Let's break it...

ByLily Ford | Sat Oct 30 2021
Team Impact: Bringing Smiles To Kids’ Faces Through College Sports

Team Impact: Bringing Smiles To Kids’ Faces Through College Sports

In the heat of athletic competition, players are doing everything they can in order to bring home a...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Oct 27 2021
First Point Volleyball Foundation Focused On Growing The Sport

First Point Volleyball Foundation Focused On Growing The Sport

As we continue to return to life as we knew it before the pandemic began, fans, coaches and...

ByAndrew Pistone | Wed Oct 27 2021
What An Athlete’s Death At Fort Scott Community College Means For College Football

What An Athlete’s Death At Fort Scott Community College Means For College Football

JUCO football has long been an incubator for some of the most recognizable talents in football....

ByLeland | Thu Oct 21 2021
Santa Clara Women’s Soccer Begins Partnership With ChiliSleep

Santa Clara Women’s Soccer Begins Partnership With ChiliSleep

The reigning NCAA Division I women’s soccer champions appear to be getting all of the perks...

ByAndrew Pistone | Sun Oct 17 2021
College Football: BYU Walk-ons Receive Surprise NIL Deal

College Football: BYU Walk-ons Receive Surprise NIL Deal

We’re still in the infancy of the NIL era in college sports, but there have already been some very...

ByAndrew Pistone | Sat Oct 16 2021
Athletes are Leaving High School Early to Cash In

Athletes are Leaving High School Early to Cash In

Can high school athletes make money? How is it that big name athletes cannot yet make money off of...

ByGrace White | Tue Oct 12 2021
Will NIL Rule Changes Lead To Players Staying In School?

Will NIL Rule Changes Lead To Players Staying In School?

It’s common knowledge that the landscape of college sports has potentially changed forever with the...

ByAndrew Pistone | Tue Oct 12 2021