The Kevin Durant-created media platform Boardroom has entered the collegiate NIL sphere with a partnership with St. John’s University.
The names, images, likeness partnership with the local university will provide opportunities for Red Storm student-athletes and is part of an already existing program at St. John’s called the UNLIMITED program. The new agreement will see Boardroom “serve as an exclusive editorial partner around select NIL announcements, help amplify storytelling, and content development, and provide unique access and experiences with Boardroom executives.”
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The new partnership will also strengthen the NIL resources available to Red Storm student-athletes. Boardroom will be maintaining a physical presence at St. John’s University through speaking engagements and participating in professional events.
“There is no question that our partnership with Boardroom will help take St. John’s UNLIMITED to new heights,” St. John’s Director of Athletics Mike Cragg said in a press release. “It will provide such unique opportunities for our student-athletes to maximize their NIL potential and leverage key networking and professional resources by connecting with the talented team at Boardroom right here in New York City.”
Boardroom, a sports business media network founded by Durant and Rich Kleiman, has become a leading source of sports, entertainment, and culture news.
The collaboration launched on Wednesday as part of St. John’s Student-Athlete Career Night at Carnesecca Arena.
“I’ve been a St. John’s fan my whole life, and it’s really important to what we’re building at Boardroom that we’re able to connect with the next generation of student-athletes and young entrepreneurial minds,” Kleiman said. “This is the beginning of Boardroom’s true connection with athletes at the university level.”
The NCAA finally allowed college athletes to begin making money of their names, images and likeness last year in a decision that massively changed collegiate athletics. Football has reigned supreme when it’s come to sports that make the most from NIL, followed by women’s basketball and then men’s basketball, according to NIL company Opendorse.
