USC’s student-athletes got a chance to test the NIL waters.
Trojan athletes gathered at Galen Center on Monday for an opportunity to learn more about Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and how they can capitalize on their brands at the 2025 USC NIL Brand Summit.
USC’s NIL General Manager Lyndsey Lopes opened the event with a brief session for student-athletes. She shared tips about defining core values, identifying an audience and aligning unique values with brands of interest.
Students then had the opportunity to put what they learned into action by introducing themselves to brand representatives from companies like Lululemon, Chick-fil-A, Red Bull and Yeti.
“The goal was really to focus on athlete and brand interaction,” Lopes said. “We really wanted to make sure that this was an opportunity to practice… those pitches and… network directly with the brand.”
One brand that many student athletes seemed drawn to throughout the evening was Power Relief Pain Cream, a patented formula that takes a “natural back door approach to pain”, according to a brochure available on the table for the company. The all-natural, science-based and patented product can be used for pain relief and performance recovery. In addition, because it blocks inflammatory enzymes and nerve signaling for pain, athletes can also use it before practicing or competing.
“We want to meet athletes who are into all natural pain relief and health and wellness and healthy living,” CEO Felice Soule said. “And those are the kind of athletes we want to work with.”
The student-athletes recognized the value in building confidence and learning how to best represent themselves to potential partners.
“I think it’s really cool to have all of these diverse brands come and set up to help every USC athlete and their future,” men’s water polo goalie Charlie Mills said. “I’m excited for the opportunity NIL has brought to USC… and how USC is embracing NIL and providing all of these opportunities for its athletes.”
NIL was established in 2021 and is an ever-changing influence in the world of college sports. The NCAA is currently in the process of settling a case that would financially reimburse former Division I athletes for lost NIL opportunities, establish a revenue-sharing model for all Power Five schools, increase scholarship spots and implement roster cuts.
Safe to say, there’s a lot to keep up with.
“I think what [USC has] always leaned on was developing the student-athlete to make sure that they’re supported throughout the process,” Lopes said. “While this is an extremely exciting opportunity, it can also be overwhelming to balance all these things, but the opportunities are endless.”
While USC has embraced the NIL space by hosting educational events like Monday’s summit, some athletes believe there is still more work to be done to provide equal opportunities between sports.
“I’m on the women’s water polo team,” junior women’s water polo goalie Jada Ward said. “We don’t really have many NIL opportunities, so I think it was important for me and my teammates to come out and meet all the brands.”
Many people are familiar with the multi-million dollar brand deals that sweep media headlines, but Lopes emphasized the importance of partnership authenticity that might not come from a large social media presence or celebrity status.
“What we try to teach at USC is that everyone has a story, everyone has a unique alignment to a brand,” Lopes said. “You never know what a brand is looking for… they’re not necessarily looking at the [social media] following; they could be maybe looking at the type of athlete, the testimony and the storytelling.”
USC Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications & Brand Advancement Cody Worsham spoke about the unique advantages that USC athletes have when going to negotiate NIL deals for themselves.
“The advantage that they have is they get to partner with the USC brand, which is timeless, which is traditional, which is global,” Worsham said. “And then they get to come meet these other brands and do NIL deals with them. So it’s really a trifecta and it’s a perfect relationship between all three brands. So it’s exciting to see that.”
Because of the opportunities USC athletes have, many are looking to see how they can utilize their personal brand and partner with companies in collaborative ways.
“We see what they have and then see what I have, and my personality, my platform, and just see how we can combine and how we could grow both of our brands together,” freshman women’s basketball forward Vivian Iwuchukwu said.
Beach volleyball freshman Kennedy Coakley echoed Iwuchukwu’s thoughts about what she hopes to find in an NIL partnership.
“What I’m looking for in an NIL partner is a brand who really embodies how I play on the court, my character, my values, my morals, just a brand that’s all around good,” Coakley said. “Someone that I can really connect to, but can also respect who I am and how I play my sport.”
Coakley is represented by KVA Sports and hopes to take advantage of her agency to grow the connections that she made during the summit.
The USC men’s volleyball team signed a team deal with TravisMathew at the end of January, becoming the first ever college sports team to ink a partnership with the apparel company. As a result, the team received a line of apparel ahead of their trip to Ohio State. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Riley Haine had a connection with TravisMathew that helped make the deal possible.
“That was really cool,” Haine said. “My friend there, Evan [Ponce] is the guy who does NIL stuff, and it was cool to just get him in contact with our team and our coaches, and he made the whole thing happen. It was super cool to bring all the gear to the guys: new backpack, new shirts, new polos. Their stuff is great too, so it was awesome.”
Women’s water polo redshirt sophomore Caitlin Cohen is the founder and owner of Pomp Clothes, a clothing line described as “Fashion for Fans”. The USC attacker hopes to see how she can use Pomp to strategically partner with brands.
“I’d definitely love to work with different brands and different people,” Cohen said. “I’m definitely just learning, and I have an entrepreneurship minor, which has taught me to tell my story and the meaning behind Pomp. So I guess moving forward, collaborating with people would be super awesome for me to learn and grow.”
With all of the exciting opportunities for student-athletes, USC hopes to see many of them realize their potential off and on the field or court.