COLLEGE TOWN, FL (WTXL) \u2014 For FSU athletes, responsibilities don’t end when they leave the court or field. For many, building a personal brand has become part of the college experience and part of the plan for what comes next.<\/p>\n
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n
FSU athletes navigate NIL opportunities, personal branding alongside academics<\/p>\n
Carra Sassack, an FSU beach volleyball player, says NIL has opened doors beyond athletics, giving her a chance to connect with supporters who see her as more than just a player.<\/p>\n
“Just intrinsically motivating, meeting new people, and building those relationships have just been so rewarding. And I think \u2014 especially because student-athletes have a lot of pressure to perform on their own \u2014 having that outlet to have people that support them for who they are as a person and not just the athlete is super rewarding,” Sassack said.<\/p>\n
Sassack said she has worked with multiple NIL organizations and has even been approached directly by a company. She said she hopes to carry the skills she’s developed into life after beach volleyball.<\/p>\n
But not every athlete can take advantage of NIL right away. <\/p>\n
FSU punter Daniel Hughes says his F-1 visa prevents him from participating in NIL deals while he’s in school, so he’s focusing on growing his social media presence now to take advantage of opportunities later.<\/p>\n
“Because I don’t want to violate my visa or my eligibility, I’m just building a big social media brand right now, and then once I’m done with college, then I’ll exploit that. And then I will really dive into NIL, which will just be normal work,” Hughes said.<\/p>\n
FSU NIL coordinator Charlie Votey says the added layer of brand-building \u2014 which can include creating content, understanding contracts, and managing money \u2014 is a significant ask for students already balancing academics and athletics. Votey says Florida State is working to be a resource for athletes, particularly around financial literacy.<\/p>\n
“Before, obviously, NIL, they weren’t able to really, you know, create, generate wealth for themselves, and really now you see that with the student-athletes. And there’s a negative to that. You know, it’s young kids with a lot of wealth all of a sudden can have a negative effect. But again, that’s just why it’s so important with Florida State to be a resource for these athletes,” Votey said.<\/p>\n
Votey says NIL is still evolving and college athletes will likely face more challenges on top of their coursework, but those changes will also bring new opportunities.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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