Beyond NIL: The Business of Athlete Influence
The sports landscape is changing, creating new opportunities for athletes, businesses, schools, and communities to work together. In this session, Pickerington Central graduate Jamie Wood will explore how athlete influence, social media, and Name, Image, and Likeness are reshaping the relationship between athletes and local businesses.
Jamie played football at The Ohio State University from 2009 to 2013 and later spent seven years working within Ohio State Athletics in compliance, athlete education, and sport administration. He then served as Assistant Athletic Director for NIL at Texas A&M, where he oversaw NIL education, strategy, and operations.
Drawing from his experience as an athlete, administrator, educator, and advisor, Jamie will help attendees understand the evolving landscape, identify practical entry points for athlete partnerships, and consider how businesses can create authentic relationships that support marketing, community engagement, professional development, and local impact.
Key Takeaways
- What NIL is, what it is not, and how the landscape has evolved since 2021
- Why athlete influence extends beyond endorsements and follower counts
- How athlete and creator partnerships differ from traditional marketing
- Practical ways local businesses can activate partnerships beyond a single post
- How to evaluate alignment among the athlete, business, audience, and objective
- Important compliance, contract, and execution considerations
Jamie Wood
Founder-CEO
Hyphenated Athletics
“Connecting Passion & Purpose for Impact Through Sport”
Jamie Wood is a Pickerington Central graduate, former U.S. Army All-American and Ohio State football student-athlete, and Founder of Hyphenated Athletics.
Jamie played football at The Ohio State University from 2009 to 2013 before beginning a career in college athletics administration. From 2016 to 2023, he worked within Ohio State Athletics across compliance, athlete education, agent relations, and sport administration. He later joined Texas A&M as Assistant Athletic Director for Name, Image, and Likeness, overseeing NIL education, strategy, and operations for the athletic department.
Today, Jamie helps athletes, families, schools, brands, businesses, and sports organizations navigate the evolving athletics landscape and build more thoughtful connections across sport, business, and community. He believes sport is a vehicle for development, a pathway to opportunity, and a catalyst for connection, growth, and meaningful impact beyond the field.