The University of Alabama is upping its Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) game.
Big time.
UA Athletics is expanding a long-time partnership with sports technology company Learfield to open The Advantage Center in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The duo are building a real home for the Crimson Tide’s more than 650 student-athletes across 21 sports programs. The center will showcase local and national NIL brand/sponsor relationships as they look to maximize their NIL opportunities.
? NOW OPEN! ?
Alabama Athletics and LEARFIELD open The Advantage Center at Bryant-Denny Stadium – a unique NIL facility to provide resources, education & support to Crimson Tide student-athletes.
Read More: https://t.co/Y8HO8bWgPa#RollTide | @Learfield pic.twitter.com/hJ2ycL7Y8t
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) September 22, 2023
“We’ve been looking forward to opening the doors of The Advantage Center from the day we started discussing this concept,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “Having a dedicated, multifunctional space for our student-athletes to do things like record podcasts, film videos in a green room, engage with brand partners and participate in educational workshops was very important to us, and we’re appreciative of Learfield for taking this idea and making it come to life.
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“The University of Alabama offers a great academic, athletic and social experience and provides a stage and, now with the addition of The Advantage Center, a structure around it to support our student-athletes at the highest level when it comes to NIL.”
The center will feature Learfield staff helping student-athletes create original content for their NIL activities. There will also be access to social media content specialists, a production studio and meeting spaces for brand engagement and planning, along with other amenities to enhance the NIL experience.
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The center was designed and built by Alabama-based firms Davis Architects and Harrison Construction, which was recently recognized by the Alabama State Chapter of the Association of Builders and Contractors with the 2023 Excellence in Construction Award for its work on the Advantage Center.
“The University of Alabama is a long-time Learfield partner, and it’s been an honor to collaborate with Greg and his team to deliver one of the most innovative NIL resources in college athletics,” said Learfield President and CEO Cole Gahagan.
“NIL is evolving by the day, and the launch of the Advantage Center is just one more example of how the Learfield team is leading on practically every front – creating more opportunities for student-athletes, school partners, and brand sponsors.”
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