Name, image and likeness (NIL) have been the three words uttered most in the sports world over the last three years, and it’s taken college athletics by storm.
What isn’t talked about as often is club sports athletes’ abilities to sign NIL deals as well, and a handful of Kentucky club lacrosse players have even signed some deals of their own.
For those athletes, this has been weight lifted off their shoulders, and, after a bit of back-and-forth with a few companies, defenseman John Kielczynski, goalie Bryce Moad and face-off specialist Clay Stambaugh have put pen to paper.
“It definitely relieves some stress,” Stambaugh said in regard to his deal with Fetch, an app where you take a picture of your receipts to earn points. “It was something that we did on our own, that was very rewarding.”
It’s not a straight road to the money though. NIL laws get tricky, and each state has different rules set. In July of 2021, the Kentucky Senate passed Kentucky Bill 6, which restored NIL rights to college student-athletes in intercollegiate athletic associations, allowing them to ink deals with any company that contacts them or vice versa.
The new law also prohibits schools from putting a cap on an athlete’s earnings and cannot deem an athlete ineligible for competition because they received compensation. Prior to these rule changes, all collegiate athletes were considered amateurs and were unable to receive any kind of compensation related to their athletic ability.
The Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), the league in which Kentucky will play this season, is, by law, deemed an intercollegiate athletic association, making any student-athlete in the league eligible for incentives.
Kentucky club lacrosse players may decide to enter into NIL agreements with organizations independently from the university. This means they do not represent the University of Kentucky when participating in NIL activities, but rather may sign deals representing themselves as an athlete.
For non-varsity players trying to earn NIL, finding the guidelines is harder than it seems. Kielczynski, who has deals with Roback, a higher-end clothing brand, and Unequal Tech, a chest protector company, had to reach out to the Office of Student Organizations and Activities for the blueprint to NIL.
Marc Garlock, the Assistant Director for Club Sports, Programming and Activities at Kentucky, broke down the steps club athletes had to take if they wanted to sign deals.
“It took a while for them to get, like, the okay to send it back to me that I could go ahead with the process,” Kielczynski said.
Upon hearing back from Garlock, he was able to enter into the NIL agreements independently from the university.
Garlock, who spent nearly 20 years as a teacher in Maryland, has held his assistant director role since Oct. 2023 and also hosts a show on student-ran radio station, WRFL, called “Men Without Ties”.
Regardless of the process, Moad expressed his gratitude to the companies that provided them with opportunities. Moad agreed to a deal with God Hears Clothing, a Christian clothing brand that incentivizes him for purchases made using his code.
“I think the biggest importance, though, is understanding that, hey, these deals aren’t going to be end all be all,” Moad explained. “The little payouts and anything that were able to receive, we’re extremely grateful for, and it’s helped us pursue as athletes.”
Moad, Stambaugh and Kielcyznski are the first of what could be many more Kentucky club lacrosse athletes benefiting from these deals in the near future, and, as college sports grow, so will the opportunities.
