Nike has made its first name, image and likeness deal in all of college sports, selecting Reilyn Turner — a sophomore forward on the UCLA women’s soccer team — as its first student-athlete sponsorship. Turner, who was named 2020’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, scored 10 goals in 2021, including a hat trick in September.
As part of Turner’s sponsorship, Nike and Turner will team up to work with Los Angeles-based community partners. Nike says its agreements with college student-athletes will include an element that connects back to their local communities.
“Off the field, I’m proudest of the person that I’ve become,” Turner said. “I hope to be a role model for those around me and those after me. I want to inspire little girls and little boys to pursue their dreams, too.
“As a Black woman, I think about those who have paved the way for me — people like Serena Williams, Michael Jordan and Jackie Robinson. Seeing how they used their platforms to create so much change even beyond sport, it’s crazy to think about even coming close to following in their footsteps.
“What keeps me humble is knowing that I’m playing for something bigger than myself. It’s not about me. It’s about my team. My family. My community.”
(Photo: Katharine Lotze / Getty Images)
Why Nike chose Reilyn Turner for its first NIL deal
Meg Linehan, women's soccer writer: The choice of Turner feels like a very intentional move on Nike's part for their first NIL deal. According to data from Opendorse, only 4.5 percent of all NIL deals involve women's soccer, well behind college football.
It's more than just the choice of the sport itself though. Turner's not just a standout sophomore player; she's now the prototype for Nike's decision to tie larger community efforts to their NIL sponsorships.
What this means for women's soccer
Linehan: Over the past few weeks, Nike's significantly upped their investment in women's soccer here in the United States. Between renewing their sponsorship of the NWSL, noted as the "most substantial" sponsorship in the league's history, reupping with U.S. Soccer and today's NIL deal with Turner, the company has signaled they plan to take a more involved approach at multiple levels of the sport.
There's plenty of potential here well beyond the well-known demand for jerseys from fans. If Nike truly goes all in, it could be a major inflection point for women's soccer.
Will Nike entering the NIL space impact the type of deals we see?
Bill Shea, sports business senior writer: Since Nike is one of the largest sports businesses and a brand long known for its athlete endorsements, this deal should help set a baseline for an NIL space that is still so new it has a Wild West feel to it.
Every company has its own ROI and success metrics for endorsement partnerships, but this could bring some order to the early days of NIL deals.