Marquette’s booster-led collective, Be the Difference NIL, agreed to a partnership with the Golden Eagles men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Travis Diener, the Be the Difference NIL Executive Director, told On3.com that the collective launched back in May and over the past few months, leaders from the collective have tried their best to sign deals with players from both rosters.
“All the men’s and women’s players have signed,” said Diener, who played at Marquette and was a member of the 2003 Golden Eagles team that reached the Final Four. “So far, we’ve kicked off with some team events. We’ll get some other opportunities for individual appearances and small group appearances. Our main focus has been to get everyone involved, get everyone on the same page, and do some good in the community.”
Both men’s and women’s basketball players participated in back-to-school events at the Boys and Girls Club in Milwaukee. Through the collective, players gave away school supplies, they shared food and played games with kids who are from the community.
On Sept. 17, the men and women basketball players will help support AI’s Run, which is a Milwaukee tradition and the largest fundraiser for the Children’s Wisconsin Hospital that honors Marquette legendary coach al McGuire.
“Any student-athlete right now that has a chance to be compensated for Name, Image and Likeness – and obviously we’re in a new day and age – it’s all excitement,” Diener said. “There’s some shock. It hasn’t been here. They’re like, ‘Wow, we can do this and get this. And we can provide good in the community? We can go to these events and get compensated for it?’ You win on both ends.
“You win by these athletes being in the community, doing what’s right, being leaders and being examples for younger kids. And they get the reward of being compensated for being who they are.”
