Winston-Salem, NC – Wake Forest Athletics has announced the creation of the Official DEACTOWN NIL Marketplace for the Demon Deacons, powered through a continuing collaboration with Opendorse that will create avenues for student-athletes to work with fans, alumni, brands and sponsors for NIL activities in one streamlined and compliant platform.
Through the Marketplace, Wake Forest student-athletes are able to engage in promotional and related opportunities from interested third-parties who can browse, propose, book and pay for NIL activities. Student-athletes can review opportunities, accept deals and receive compensation all in one place. Once a deal is completed, the activity is automatically disclosed to ensure compliance. Opendorse is the owner and operator of the platform.
“Wake Forest Athletics is proud of this cutting-edge collaboration with Opendorse which helps us continue to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience as our young men and women grow their individual brands while they easily, and compliantly, explore NIL opportunities,” director of athletics John Currie said. “We are proud to be one of the very first schools in the country to launch a branded marketplace for student-athletes, allowing easier access for companies to connect with our outstanding Demon Deacons.”
“Demon Deacon student-athletes will have a leg up heading into the second year of NIL,” said Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. “Wake Forest’s partnership with Opendorse displays a commitment to supporting student-athletes and empowering their financial freedom.”
Since 2020, Wake Forest has worked with Opendorse to help student-athletes build their personal brands and provide best-in-class assessment, education, and performance solutions built specifically to prepare the players and program for the future of college athletics.
Every Wake Forest student-athlete has an Opendorse profile which allows staff to share visual media and messages, including photos and videos, directly to the student-athlete that access on demand and publish via a single tap, allowing them to build their personal brands.
Opendorse, the NIL company, is the leading technology provider in the athlete endorsement industry. More than 75,000 athletes use Opendorse to understand, build, and monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) with support from thousands of brands, fans, sponsors, donors and partners including Team USA, PGA TOUR, NFLPA, MLBPA, WNBPA, LPGA, over 100 professional and collegiate sports teams.