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The Shipyard

The Shipyard is Portland State's multi-faceted NIL program that's focused on the education and professional development of all Viking student-athletes

What is NIL?

Oregon state legislation and NCAA rules granted student-athletes the ability to profit off their name, image & likeness (NIL) beginning on July 1, 2021. The new rules mean student-athletes can now be paid for social media posts, autographs, camps/lessons, or personal appearances among many other things.

The Business of NIL

All NIL deals with Portland State student-athletes should be run through the department's partnership with INFLCR. Businesses may register at the link below, at which point they can reach out to the student-athlete of their choice.

Student-Athlete Directory

Portland State has partnered with FanWord in order to ease the connection between the Vikings' student-athletes and interested businesses. Student-athletes may link all of their social media accounts as well as any entrepreneurial efforts through their FanWord profile. Businesses, meanwhile, may message student-athletes directly without getting lost among spam messages.

guest speaker series

Portland State student-athletes have special access to a four-a-year guest speaker series in which experts in their fields lecture on such NIL-related fields as:

  • Personal Branding
  • Connecting Your Brand with Your Values
  • Using NIL for Good
  • Negotiating
  • Financial Responsibility/Literacy
  • Pitching Businesses
  • Social Media Marketing

mentorship program

Student-athletes who want to go deeper on the topics covered in the guest speaker series may sign up for a mentorship program where they will be mentored by experts in NIL-related fields.

Mentors and mentees will meet at least once a month either virtually or in person. The first meeting will establish tangible goals for the student-athlete to achieve through the mentorship.

Interested student-athletes or mentors can fill out an introductory questionnaire via the links below:

nil advisory board

Student-athletes with questions related to contracts or finances related to NIL may submit a question to the department's NIL Advisory Board via the link below. The NIL Advisory Board is made up of working professionals who have a tie to the department. They include experts in finances/financial responsibility and legal/contracts.

NIL Policy

All Portland State student-athletes, staff, and coaches will be expected to adhere to the department's NIL Policy (linked below).

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutes an NIL deal?

An NIL deal is anything where a business or individual pays a student-athlete -- either in money or goods and services -- for use of their name, image or likeness in the promotion of a product, business, an individual, etc.

Are there limits to what a student-athlete can do under the new NIL rules?

Student-athletes may not participate in an NIL activity if it conflicts with class or official team activities. The activities also may not conflict with any team rules or with the terms of any contract between the University and a Third Party.

Student-athletes also cannot endorse any illegal activities or the use of illegal drugs, nor can they use University trademarks or logos without written permission. Incidental use of logos (e.g. wearing team-issued warm-up, practice, or travel gear) is allowed.

What are some examples of NIL deals?

  • Social media posts
  • Autograph sesssions
  • Camps/Lessons
  • Personal appearances
  • Group licensing deals
  • Entrepneurial efforts (e.g. merchandise, Etsy shops, artistic endeavors, music performances)
  • And more!

I'm a business owner, what rules do I have to follow when contracting a student-athlete?

All NIL contracts need to be disclosed to the athletic department at least seven (7) days prior to the start of the agreement.

All pay must come after the work is performed. Any NIL deal without quid-pro-quo is in violation of state and NCAA rules.

Can PSU donors or alumni contract a student-athlete for an NIL deal?

Yes. They just need to follow the same rules as everyone else regarding disclosure of the deal and ensure there is a return of service from the student-athlete for the pay they received.

Can PSU facilities be used in NIL deals?

Yes, though student-athletes will have to reserve the facilities themselves, and the scheduled times must be outside of class or official team activities. Their status as student-athletes won't give them preference in reserving those facilities, either.

Any further questions may be sent to either Andy Jobanek, Assistant Media Relations Director (ajobanek@pdx.edu) or Sean Kosecki, Compliance Coordinator (skosecki@pdx.edu)

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