Skip to content
Demo
Contributors›Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski photo

Marketing Strategist, Author, Speaker

Maribeth Kuzmeski

Maribeth consult and deliver keynote presentations to financial services companies, Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial minded corporations, women’s organizations, and industry associations on the topics of marketing strategy, sales, persuasive communications strategies and branding. She conduct live and virtual interactive training sessions designed to guide participants to create their own powerful marketing messages, and facilitate large group sessions where participants create and share business development strategies. She is also the founder of The Brand Squad, a group of top-tier business students at Oklahoma State University who have been trained and certified to assist other student-athletes with their NIL efforts. Each Brand Squad member is matched with student-athletes to help them generate deal opportunities, assist with their social media, develop entrepreneurship opportunities, and work on ideas to monetize their NIL. To find out more and start your own Brand Squad: www.Brandsquad-osu.com.

1 articleLinkedIn ↗X ↗
Contributor Brief·Maribeth Kuzmeski · 1 article
Updated Sep 5, 2023

College Athletes Must Demand Data-Backed Compensation for Measurable NIL Value

Kuzmeski argues that college athletes possess quantifiable market value through their digital likenesses and personal brands, yet institutions systematically underpay them by orders of magnitude compared to their demonstrable ROI. She advocates for athletes to weaponize transparency—demanding compensation proportional to engagement metrics, audience reach, and conversion data—rather than accepting institutional pittance based on arbitrary valuations.

pittance

Current standard NIL offers relative to measurable athlete market worth

“If a college athlete proves their NIL marketing worth, show them the money.”

If a College Athlete Proves Their NIL Marketing Worth, Show Them the Money

Core tension in NIL compensation market

Athlete's demonstrable digital engagement value9
Institution's initial compensation offer2
Market rate for comparable influencer licensing8
Athlete bargaining power when data-backed7

SHARE

35%Athlete's demonstrable
Athlete's demonstrable digital engagement value
Institution's initial compensation offer
Market rate for comparable influencer licensing
Athlete bargaining power when data-backed

Data transparency

Required lever to shift power dynamics in athlete-institution negotiations

Athletes accepting below-market offers without engagement metrics validation surrender future negotiating power.

If a College Athlete Proves Their NIL Marketing Worth, Show Them the Money

Digital likeness licensing demands the same ROI justification as brand partnerships elsewhere.

If a College Athlete Proves Their NIL Marketing Worth, Show Them the Money

“Measurable market proof eliminates subjective valuation excuses.”

Themes:Data-backed athlete valuationInstitutional compensation asymmetryNIL market professionalization

What is MarketScale

These experts publish through MarketScale, a content platform that turns industry knowledge into articles, video, and audience. Want the same for your team?

Book a Demo →