Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) provides student-athletes the opportunity to receive compensation for commercial purposes. The Office of Trademark Licensing and Brand Management provides guidance when these opportunities intersect with the Oregon brand.

NIL for Marketing and Promotional Activities

Companies often partner with Oregon student-athletes to promote products or services. It is important to be clear about which rights can be granted through these deals and which cannot.

General Guideline

An NIL deal grants rights to use the student-athlete's NIL to market or promote your business. The specific scope of rights depends on the individual agreement. However, these agreements do not and cannot by themselves grant rights to use the university’s intellectual property as part of the NIL deal. These rights are granted by the Office of Trademark Licensing and Brand Management.

What You Can Use

• The student-athlete's name, likeness, and image in a non-university context (i.e., not on-campus or at Oregon athletic facilities of any kind) 
• The student-athlete in personal, non-team issued, non-UO branded apparel. Apparel includes shoes, headwear, and accessories. 

Quick Test

If the student-athlete is wearing something Oregon branded that they were issued in their capacity as an Oregon student-athlete and your company isn’t a sponsor of Oregon Athletics, the student-athlete will need to change into something else.

Exceptions 

• Athletic sponsors: In the case of student-athletes working with corporate sponsors of Oregon Athletics, specific rights may be granted by Oregon Sports Properties. Please contact their team for additional information. 
• Oregon licensees: For companies who hold active retail licenses with the university, student-athletes may appear wearing or using the licensee’s officially licensed product. No additional Oregon branded products or team-issued apparel or accessories may be used. 
• Other: In special circumstances, Oregon Athletics may grant an exception for certain rights.

NIL and Oregon Co-Branded Products and Apparel

When NIL activity includes branded products or apparel that use the Oregon brand, including our names, logos, marks, or trademarks, a co-brand license is required. This ensures that any product featuring Oregon student-athlete NIL and Oregon marks meets the university's quality and brand standards. 

Applying for an NIL Co-Brand License

Companies interested in applying for a co-brand license can apply through Fanatics Licensing Management.  

• Please note, approval for an NIL co-brand license only provides rights for use of certain Oregon trademarks.  
• It is the responsibility of the licensee, if approved, to secure appropriate rights and approvals for the use of the student-athlete’s NIL. 
• Standard artwork submission and reviews by the Office of Trademark Licensing and Brand Management are required as part of the NIL co-brand license. 

Opportunities for Student-Athletes

The university partners with the below companies on NIL co-branded merchandise. Opportunities vary by company. If you have questions, please contact uobrand@uoregon.edu.

NIL Resources for Oregon Student-Athletes

Oregon Athletics and Oregon Sports Properties have additional resources and guidance for Oregon student-athletes. Please reach out to their teams for more information.

OneTeam

The university partners with OneTeam to support student-athletes pursuing NIL co-branded product opportunities. Oregon student-athletes interested in opting into the group licensing agreement managed by OneTeam can contact uobrand@uoregon.edu. 

University of Oregon Marketing and Promotional Materials

The same restrictions on third-party use of NIL also apply when the university markets or promotes itself.

General Guideline

Whether a student-athlete's NIL can be used without additional rights depends on how the image is used, not just when it was taken. 

• Editorial use: If the image was taken during competition and is used for editorial purposes, no NIL rights are required. 
• Advertising or promotional use: If the image (taken during or outside of competition) is used to advertise or promote the university, or appears on a licensed product, permission from the student-athlete and appropriate NIL rights are required. 

For clarity, the university in this context means the institution as a whole or any individual unit within or affiliated with it.

If you have questions about a specific use case, please reach out to the Office of Trademark Licensing and Brand Management at uobrand@uoregon.edu.