For decades, the most a college athlete could legally earn from their talent was a scholarship and a meal plan. That changed in 2021, when new rules around Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) let athletes finally profit from their own fame — much like a creator or a professional. Within a few years, the question stopped being whether brands would sign college and even high school athletes, and became which brands, and how early.
No company answers that question more clearly than New Balance. While much of the NIL conversation chases the flashiest one-off endorsements, New Balance has quietly built a roster by signing athletes years before they turn pro — across basketball, track, soccer, and emerging sports. It’s the clearest example of NIL used as long-term talent strategy rather than a quick ad buy, and accessible-luxury house Coach and footwear giant Adidas offer their own fashion-crossover variations on the same idea.
The New Balance Blueprint: Signing Gen Z Before They Go Pro
If you want to understand how a brand uses NIL as a long-term talent strategy rather than a one-off ad buy, New Balance is the model. After re-entering basketball in 2018, the company has steadily built a roster of young athletes it can grow alongside.
In 2023, New Balance signed Stanford and WNBA forward Cameron Brink as its first women’s basketball NIL athlete. It later added University of Texas freshman Aaliyah Crump — the No. 5 recruit in the 2025 class — through Klutch Athletics, the New Balance subdivision led by agent Rich Paul. Then in October 2025, the brand signed UCLA freshman Sienna Betts, the No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class and the 2025 Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, to a multiyear footwear and apparel deal, alongside high schoolers Haylen Ayers (class of 2027) and Jordan Smith Jr. (the No. 2 boys’ recruit in 2026).
That same announcement was part of a broader nine-athlete NIL push spanning women’s basketball, soccer, and emerging sports like softball — a direct response to how quickly high school and college pipelines are forming across women’s sports.
New Balance’s track and field roster tells the same story even earlier. The high school NIL group includes Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson and high school mile record holder Sadie Engelhardt, plus Claire Stegall, Abby Faith Cheeseman, and Hanne Thomsen. In December 2024, the brand added five more prep stars: British sprinter Jake Odey Jordan, Stanford-bound Olivia Cieslak, Washington-bound Josiah Tostenson, Cole Boone, and Oklahoma State-bound Elyse Wilmes. Several athletes first signed as high schoolers — among them Drew Griffith and Allie Zealand — continue with the brand into college.
The strategic logic is consistent across both sports: identify talent early, build the athlete’s story over years, and prioritize fit over follower count. As New Balance’s head of basketball marketing, Desron Dorset, framed the Betts signing, the brand looks for athletes who are “a great individual from a great family” and markets them in key cities where their story can grow.
Why Authenticity Beats Reach for These Brands
The athletes describe the appeal in similar terms. In her first interview as a New Balance athlete, Betts repeatedly emphasized that the brand “likes me for who I actually are” and didn’t try to change her style or background — a “family-oriented” culture she contrasted with the pressure of typical brand camps.
That emphasis is deliberate. Younger consumers tend to value genuine, unfiltered content over polished perfection, so a brand benefits when an athlete’s real personality and everyday style fit naturally with its image. It’s why these companies invest in lookbook shoots, headquarters visits, and long-term relationships rather than just a logo on a billboard.
Coach, Adidas x Balenciaga, and the Fashion Crossover
New Balance isn’t the only fashion-adjacent brand in the space.
Coach — the accessible-luxury American house — was an early mover, signing LSU and WNBA star Angel Reese well before most fashion labels paid attention. Reese showcased Coach bags publicly as far back as late 2022 and even gifted her teammates Coach pieces, an organic, social-first activation that captures exactly the kind of authenticity these deals chase.
Adidas, meanwhile, signed what was reported as the first student-athlete NIL deal back in 2022, partnering with the world’s top female amateur golfer, Rose Zhang. That deal arrived alongside the brand’s high-fashion Balenciaga collaboration, making it one of the earliest genuine bridges between luxury fashion and college athletics.
The Takeaway
The brands actually reshaping athlete endorsements through NIL aren’t always the flashiest names. New Balance’s strategy of signing high schoolers and freshmen, Coach’s early bet on Angel Reese, and Adidas’s Balenciaga-tied golf deal are the real, verifiable crossovers between fashion, footwear, and amateur sports — and they reward authenticity and long-term fit over raw follower counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which brands actually sign college athletes to NIL deals? Many do, but among fashion and footwear names, New Balance is one of the most active — signing athletes from high school onward across basketball, track, soccer, and softball. Coach (accessible luxury) and Adidas have also signed notable athletes, including Angel Reese and golfer Rose Zhang, respectively.
Why does New Balance sign athletes while they’re still in high school or college? It’s a long-term talent strategy. By signing athletes early, the brand can build their story over years, establish loyalty before they turn professional, and grow alongside emerging stars rather than competing for established ones.
What do brands look for in an NIL athlete besides follower count? Authenticity and fit. Brands like New Balance prioritize athletes whose real style, personality, and background align naturally with the brand’s image, because younger audiences respond to genuine content over polished advertising.
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