Limitless opportunities? Say less. Athletes being allowed to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) has given them new doors to open. With these new opportunities, athletes have taken it upon themselves to become entrepreneurs and help others throughout the process. One of these athletes? Sean Clifford from Penn State. Here's how this Penn quarterback has created a new company to help athletes throughout their NIL process.
Related: How Universities Are Equipping Athletes with NIL Tools
Who is Sean Clifford?
Sean Clifford is a current Football player at Pennsylvania State University and is currently a Redshirt Senior. He is entering his 6th season with the Nittany Lions and his 4th season as Penn State's starting QB. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Sean has earned his first major in Public Relations and is currently pursuing his 2nd degree in Journalism. He is the current CEO and Founder of Limitless NIL.
What is Limitless NIL?
According to their website, “Limitless NIL's mission is to build cutting edge personal brands with like-minded student athletes through the roots of education.” As Sean is still a current football player at the collegiate level, he believes that he will be able to offer a more approachable perspective for the company's clients and be a person that has more personalized resources for current student athletes looking to pursue NIL contracts. In an interview with ESPN, Clifford says, “It's the agency that I was looking for that I couldn't find. It's for the players, by the players. I wanted to do something to leave even more of a legacy than just on the field. And I thought this was kind of the way I wanted to go.”
Launching Limitless NIL, can help represent college athletes and aid them through maximizing their opportunities under the NCAA's new NIL rules. Clifford believes that current agencies lack the experience in dealing with college students as they mostly deal with professional athletes, therefore, the creation of Limitless NIL. The three main pillars of his company are talent representation, brand and content creation, and financial literacy. Singing with Limitless NIL will allow for student athletes to have access to financial advisers at Beacon Pointe, a financial advisory firm.
Related: Managing Your Money as a Student-Athlete with NIL Contracts
This startup idea was brought up to life given Sean Clifford's experience last year with NIL. Clifford was able to make over $100,000 but had various different experiences with different professional agencies. Clifford says, “A lot of bigger agencies lack the strategy for content creation and the marketing specialty.”
Currently, Limitless NIL already has attracted five clients:
- Ji'Ayir Brown, Penn State football safety
- Myles Dread, Penn State men's basketball guard
- Anna Camden, Penn State women's basketball forward
- Ishaan Jagiasi, Penn State men's basketball guard
- Brendan Bates, Kentucky football tight end
Related: NIL Opportunities for Athletes with Smaller Platforms
How does this help current athletes?
This company is built to help current student athletes take advantage of everything that NIL offers. It will guide them through the process and advise them on what is the best path to take. Not only will it have personalized help by current athletes, but also professionals who can guide them through the right decisions. Plus, Limitless NIL can advise them on what to post day in and day out and how they should be interacting with the brand and their community.
That's what makes Clifford's company truly limitless–it sees the athlete's potential beyond just NIL.
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* Originally published on May 30, 2022, by Lilia Farach
