Vaibhav Sharma

A new partnership aims to give Yale athletes a platform to receive NIL deals, even after the Ivy League opted out of an antitrust settlement that allows schools to pay players directly.

The deal with Opendorse, a marketplace that connects athletes with sponsors, allows Yale players to create profiles and receive paid requests for endorsements, appearances, and personalized messages. Announced on Monday, the partnership comes weeks after the Ivy League opted out of a $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that would provide back pay to former athletes and allow schools to share up to $20 million annually with current players starting in 2025.

“Partnering with Opendorse allows us to provide best-in-class NIL resources that empower our student-athletes to make the most of the opportunities available to them in this evolving landscape,” Athletic Director Vicky Chun said in the press release. 

The platform, founded by former Nebraska linebacker Blake Lawrence, allows athletes to create profiles where businesses and fans can offer payment for personalized videos, social media promotions, autographs and event appearances — similar to services offered by celebrity video-messaging platforms such as Cameo. 

The site has partnerships with numerous college teams and professional athletes, including Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić, whose prices reach into the thousands. Listings for Yale athletes mostly range from $10 to $50. 

Chun announced the new partnership in an email to Yale athletes last week, calling it “game-changing NIL news.” Sign-ups have been uneven across Yale’s teams, with less than half of the football and men’s basketball rosters participating. However, this is still more than the men’s hockey team’s participation numbers, where just one player has joined.

It is unclear whether the marketplace — essentially a middleman for sponsorship inquiries — will generate significant deals for athletes beyond the top few players on marketable teams. 

Some Bulldogs, including men’s basketball point guard Bez Mbeng ’25, already have ongoing NIL deals — Mbeng with New Haven-based Farnam Realty Group. He is not currently listed on the Opendorse platform, which athletes may bypass in favor of NIL agents or direct negotiations with sponsors.

According to Richard Kent, a Connecticut-based sports lawyer who specializes in NIL, the partnership may be more about appearances than impact.

“It does nothing compared to where NIL is or what revenue sharing is going to accomplish,” Kent said, referring to the rejected NIL settlement. “I think it’s a palliative way for [Yale Athletics] to say they’re doing something.”

Yale Athletics did not immediately respond to comment. Two other Ivy League schools, Columbia and Princeton, have also partnered with Opendorse. 

The final approval hearing for the House v. NCAA settlement is scheduled for April 7.