From USF Athletics:
When the state of Florida’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Bill takes effect on July 1, University of South Florida student-athletes will be well-equipped with best-in-class education, brand-building and compliance tools all under one umbrella to empower them to capitalize on their personal brands while competing in the dynamic and fast-growing Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
Through an enhanced, multi-year relationship with continuing partner INFLCR, USF is launching the BOOST program for all 19 Bulls teams and nearly 450 student-athletes as part of the highly successful Lee Roy Selmon Mentoring Institute within USF Athletics. BOOST is a comprehensive suite of NIL programs that will empower Bulls’ student-athletes with brand-building and management assets, education and financial literacy, and a streamlined fair market value evaluation and compliance exchange.
We have had a relationship with INFLCR for several years and have seen our student-athletes successfully leverage their content delivery application,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “With USF student-athletes competing in the dynamic and thriving Bay area, we are excited to expand our relationship with INFLCR’s technology, educational resources, knowledgeable team and streamlined delivery system to further enhance our student-athlete experience and provide our Bulls with access to additional resources to elevate their brand and take advantage of the new opportunities open to them.”
INFLCR serves more than 1,000 collegiate and professional athletic teams and is used daily by more than 40,000 athletes to access content from competitions, practices, travel and more to help build their brand. As a Teamworks partner, USF is leveraging relationships and digital technology to provide tools and education to student-athletes in the NIL era.
“USF has one of the most cross-departmental name, image and likeness strategies we’ve seen,” said INFLCR CEO Jim Cavale. “From marketing, to communications, to compliance, every member of the University of South Florida athletic department has rallied around providing resources for their student-athletes to maximize their brand value, and do it compliantly in the NIL era. We’re really excited about launching our INFLCR Verified technology with USF, and providing INFLCR Plus to assist coaches with recruiting and showcasing South Florida’s brand impact for recruits to understand.”
USF student-athletes compete in the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area, home to more than 4 million people and the 13th largest television market in the nation. The Bay area is home to the major population, business and tourism hubs of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota and Bulls’ student-athletes benefit from regular coverage from five major television stations (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC & Bay News 9) and the Tampa Bay Times, the largest newspaper in Florida and second-largest in the southeast. Bulls also receive extensive national media exposure, including the American Athletic Conference’s television rights agreement with ESPN, which includes numerous appearances on linear networks and the broadcast of nearly all home USF athletics events.
Ranked among the fastest-growing and most desirable locations to live in the United States, the Bay area is home to seven Fortune 500 companies. It is also one of the most vibrant and successful sports hubs in the U.S. with the Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers, Stanley Cup Champion Lightning, American League Champion Rays and USL Champion Rowdies calling the Bay area home and USF carrying the regions banner as the lone NCAA Division I program in the area.
With a university student population of more than 50,000 and an alumni base of over 300,000, USF student-athletes also connect with a large and dedicated following through their personal social media accounts and USF Athletics accounts.
The BOOST program will provide USF student-athletes with access to tools to leverage their reach, while INFLCR’s platform, mobile app and dedicated INFLCR Plus team will provide educational support, social media measurement tools and other critical elements for brand growth.
“INFLCR Plus will be a valuable resource to further educate student-athletes on the things they can do to grow their brand value and realize it in the NIL era,” Cavale said. “We’ve been using INFLCR together for the past few years and had a lot of success, and those building blocks will only take things to the next level as we go into the new era.”
Equipped with BOOST, USF student-athletes can measure, assess and analyze data related to their personal brand and receive education on best practices for creating growth and dealing with finances. Bulls will continue to access photos, videos and graphics created by the USF Athletics content team to elevate their communication and storytelling on their social media channels.
Utilizing the INFLCR app, USF student-athletes had access to more than 27,000 pieces of content from Athletics staff in 2020-21 and made more than 13,000 downloads to post content on their social channels. USF Athletics social media channels generated more than 53 million impressions, 2.6 million engagements and 3.4 million video views in 2020-21 and saw growth of more than 35,000 followers.
About INFLCR
INFLCR is the leading content and compliance software platform for college athletic programs, educating and preparing staff and student-athletes for new opportunities and guidelines from upcoming NIL legislation, all powered by best-in-class content delivery via the INFLCR mobile app. INFLCR works with more than 1000 collegiate and professional sports teams with a network of over 40,000 athlete users. Visit www.inflcr.com for more information.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 55th season in 2020-21. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 23 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 127 conference titles overall. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the sixth straight year in 2020-21 and have posted a program record 13 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had nearly 450 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
Follow USF Athletics on Twitter (@USFAthletics) and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.
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