College athletes like D’Eriq King aren’t leaving any deals on the table.
Thanks to the recent move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow players to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), players across the nation have been making power moves on and off of the field.
According to ESPN, the latest athlete to score big when it comes to brand deals is the University of Miami’s D’Eriq King. In a new deal with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Miami Panthers, King will work alongside the team to develop a merchandise collection, co-branded art as well as his own exclusive concession menu that will be available at all of the team’s home games and events during the forthcoming season.
King will also engage with fans both online and in-person by attending Panthers games and events and producing digital content for social media.
Making moves ✍️
D'Eriq King (@DeriqKing_) has signed as our first-ever FLA Athlete, becoming the first collegiate athlete to sign an NIL agreement with a pro sports team!
📝 » https://t.co/3dZAMi8rlX pic.twitter.com/sr85OmTfPq
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) August 9, 2021
“D’Eriq is a superstar both on and off the field and we are excited to reach and engage South Florida sports fans in new ways through this collaborative partnership,” said Panthers’ chief strategy officer Sam Doerr.
As the first U.S. major pro sports team to devise a plan to partner with college athletes, the Panthers are making history with King as one of the most sought athletes to sign deals this month alone. His latest contract with the Panthers is the sixth known deal that the quarterback has entered into this summer.
“The whole NIL thing, I think it’s really good for college football,” King said last month at ACC media days. “My thing was work with good companies. You can’t work with everybody. You want to work with companies that align with your core values. You don’t want to go out there and work with that company, that company, that company.”
The financial terms of King’s latest deal with the Panthers have yet to be disclosed.