Quinnipiac has officially launched an online marketplace for student-athletes to maximize their name, image and likeness (NIL) potential, the athletic department announced Wednesday afternoon.
The marketplace, powered by Opendorse, will be an online shop for Quinnipiac fans and brands to select any student-athlete for NIL information and activities in one single platform.
“We’re excited to announce our Opendorse marketplace to help maximize NIL support for our student-athletes here at Quinnipiac,” wrote Greg Amodio, director of athletics, in a press release on Aug. 16.
Opendorse provides technology, services and endorsements to the athletic industry. Student-athletes at Quinnipiac are now able to use Opendorse to monetize their name, image, and likeness with the help of local and national brands and supporters. It is used by over 100,000 student-athletes, per Opendorse’s website, and helps with any financial-related information surrounding NIL deals.
“Opendorse has been an industry leader in institutional support regarding NIL, and has found ways to creatively stay ahead of the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics,” Amodio wrote. “We are committed to giving our student-athletes the resources that they need to succeed, and we believe this is an efficient platform that will allow companies and fans to connect directly with student-athletes and engage them in NIL activity.”
Last August, Quinnipiac began to partner with Opendorse after multiple student-athletes started receiving NIL deals. Former women’s ice hockey goaltender Catie Boudiette and women’s golfer Kaylee Sakoda signed with Pliable, according to an email sent to the Chronicle.Pliable, founded by former Quinnipiac student Greg Glynn, allows student-athletes to market themselves and create branding opportunities through their name, image and likenesses.
Other former Bobcats, like Lexie Adzijda (women’s ice hockey), McKenna Haz (rugby) and CJ McGee (men’s ice hockey), have also entered the world of self-sponsorships, something that has overtaken the college athletic world since the Supreme Court decision in 2021 that unanimously decided that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by not allowing athletes to make “education-related benefits” off themselves.
Recently, men’s basketball head coach Baker Dunleavy stepped down from Quinnipiac to take a job as Villanova’s new general manager of both the men’s and women’s programs. According to Dunleavy’s staff profile, he assists the coaching staffs with opportunities and education around Name, Image and Likeness; the transfer portal; student-athlete brand-building and marketing; and advancing institutional fundraising in partnership with University Advancement.”
The marketplace can be accessed at https://opendorse.com/quinnipiac-bobcats.
