Learning For Life

The University of Maryland is committed to providing the best possible resources for its student-athletes. Maryland partnered with Advance NIL in September 2023. Since then, the pair have worked to provide Name, Image, and Likeness education, consulting, and athlete development programs for those navigating the NIL space.

Most recently, representatives from Advance met with the Maryland men’s basketball, field hockey, football, women’s golf, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, and wrestling teams to discuss crucial elements of NIL on Feb 14 and 15.

They held workshops that provided real-world, practical education and taught student-athletes how to navigate, market, and protect themselves in NIL effectively. The sessions focused on financial management, taxes, and contracts with interactive and relatable teaching. 

Cody Gambler, the associate athletics director for compliance at Maryland, explained the importance of providing such resources to student-athletes. 

“It benefits student-athletes who are navigating NIL for the very first time,” he said. “Just like with anything else, we have the best interest of the student-athletes, whether that's providing sports medicine resources or academic support. This is just one more layer to that.”

The sessions for each sport were structured to a personal level. This ensured each student-athlete was proactively engaged and understood how the lessons could be applied to their NIL experience and spending decisions. 

Ashley Wechter, the director of collegiate partnerships at Advance, praised Maryland student-athletes for participating in the workshops.   

“We're excited Maryland athletics is prioritizing education for their student-athletes,” she said. "The students are also highly engaged when we come to campus, which means they're interested in learning more.”

The Maryland football team participated in an interactive financial simulation with Advance called “The Money Game.” Each football student-athlete filled out a personal budget and financial game plan as they navigated various stations where they made spending decisions. 

Advance incorporated existing partnerships and resources available to student-athletes in the lesson. For instance, SECU is the official banking partner of the University of Maryland. Student-athletes who went over their budget had real conversations with the bank and learned how to approach taking out a loan.

Taxes were also an important topic covered in the simulation. The football players determined the money they had left over when it came time to file taxes. They learned about qualified business expenses, which can be written off when filing taxes. 

“We're helping them build a lifelong habit that they're going to have for the rest of their lives,” Wechter said. “If we can teach them the foundations and even understand taxes…they're hopefully going to make smarter decisions in life.”

The workshop even allowed the student-athletes to sharpen valuable skills that can be used to secure deals with popular brands in the NIL space. They practiced elevator pitches and storytelling skills through improvisation, self-awareness, and effective communication.  

Advance is a national leader in the NIL space with partners at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. They empower over 40,000 athletes and their families by providing access to comprehensive NIL protective education, such as the workshops they held in February and continue to supply at Maryland. 

Advance and Maryland will continue to work together to provide customized resources to student-athletes and help them fulfill their NIL opportunities and experiences. 

“A lot of these students haven't ever gone through something like this previously,” Gambler said. “It is our responsibility to provide them with the knowledge and the tools to better themselves and make them aware that decisions they make could have life-long implications.”