FLIGHT for Student-Athletes

Educate Hawkeye student-athletes on the rules and regulations on NCAA legislation, Big Ten Conference, and University rules, as well as applicable federal and state laws, to help them understand their rights and responsibilities to ensure compliance with the various regulations.

Educate Hawkeye student-athletes on the strategies and techniques needed to increase the awareness of their NIL and social media activities through positive brand associations, images, and personal brand identity. UI campus experts, UI athletics staff, existing UI partners, UI alumni student-athletes will collaborate in providing insight.

Educate Hawkeye student-athletes on the assets needed to become their own personal small businesses including general business planning, understanding tax implications, wealth management, and elements of licensing. Partners will include UI alumni, UI campus experts, UI community partners.

Educate Hawkeye student-athletes on how to connect NIL activities into networking, interviewing skills. UI Academic Services and UI campus experts will collaborate in providing education.

Educate Hawkeye student-athletes on the agent/advisor relationship, key partners in the industry, contract negotiations and rules education. Partners with UI Professional Sports Counseling Panel to provide feedback on any potential professional service agreements that student-athletes may enter for NIL purposes.

No, you cannot utilize any photos and videos from the UI Athletics Department in paid partnerships without approval from the Trademark and Licensing Office.  This includes content provided via INFLCR or gathered from any other outlet.  You cannot make any alterations to photos and videos generated by the UI Athletics Department.

No, it is impermissible to receive pay for play.

Yes.

No.

It is not permissible to sell items that the university has not deemed expendable.

No, you must wear team-issued apparel during all practice and competition activities and other team-sponsored activities/appearances.

No, Iowa policy does not allow student-athletes to miss class for practice or NIL activities.

You may sell autographs, but must obtain proper approval through the Trademark and Licensing Office if university marks and logos are included.

Athletic scholarships will not be impacted; however federal pell grants and need-based aid may be impacted due to increased income. Be sure to contact the Office of Financial Aid for further information.

Right now, the best advice we can provide is to wait. SEVP (the program which oversees F and J students) is still determining how NIL rules would work with F and J status and that they will issue guidance in the future. Until we have that guidance, we advise students to hold off on doing anything which might later be determined to be unauthorized employment. As soon as the guidance comes out, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Yes. Based on income requirements, you may need to file state and federal taxes.

Yes. If the camp/lessons occur on campus, you must follow university policy including facility rentals.

Yes. It must be disclosed through the INFLCR app and can only include NIL activities, they cannot advise on potential professional sports opportunities.

Yes, it must be disclosed through the INFLCR app.

Yes, subject to University of Iowa Athletics approval.

No. Athletics coaches and staff may not be involved in the arrangement of NIL activities.

Prior approval from Trademark & Licensing is required. A licensing fee may also be required if compensation is received.

Yes.

Yes, each post is separate from each other. If a sponsored post contains university marks and logos you must obtain proper approval through the Trademark and Licensing Office.

A UI trademark can be any word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, or a combination of these things associated with UI goods or services. Individuals (fans, customers, alumni, etc.) identify with UI trademarks in the marketplace and distinguish the UI from others and competitors.

The UI requires permission when its trademarks are used to both protect and manage its brand. UI trademarks are the intellectual property of and thus owned by the University. Using trademarks without the owner’s permission is considered trademark infringement and is a violation of the owner’s intellectual property rights, which are protected by state and federal law.

Requests for use of the UI trademarks takes many forms and evaluated per existing policies and according to branding guidelines and strategies. Permissions are primarily managed by the UI Trademark Licensing Office through UI Trademark Licensing Contracts with vendors who are licensed to make specific items in specific product categories for the marketplace. Third party association with UI trademarks in the form of business sponsorships and promotional use is managed by Hawkeye Sports Properties who is contracted by the UI to monetize those opportunities with UI approval. Please contact uilicensing@hawkeyelicensing.com for more information.

NIL is your personal identity and does not include use of UI trademarks in association with a third-party entity. This could be a business, charity, political, cause related, etc., and does not need to involve compensation. All these scenarios imply association, advocacy, endorsement by the University when UI trademarks are involved and are not permissible. Third party use of UI trademarks requires a promotional agreement with the University. Promotional opportunities are available through Hawkeye Sports Properties. For more information, contact Hawkeye Sports Properties at (319) 338-7474 or UI Trademark Licensing at uilicensing@hawkeyelicensing.com or (319) 384-2000.

You can use an INFLCR picture per the terms of the agreement you signed with INFLCR. Those terms do NOT permit commercial use.

Yes. Any item bearing UI trademarks must be licensed by the UI. Licensed products are produced by UI licensed vendors (Licensee) per the terms of their licensing contracts with the UI and can be purchased either directly from the Licensee or from retailers reselling licensed products sourced from UI licensed vendors. View the list of licensed vendors.

This would require that the product come from an existing licensed vendor of the UI who is approved for the applicable product/product categories. In these scenarios, we would simply treat this as any other product artwork submission from the Licensee. Approval status is based on our current standard branding guidelines and strategies. View the list of licensed vendors.

The vendor is this instance would be welcome to apply for a license. The application process is intentionally thorough and can take a fair amount of time and cost involved. There is no guarantee that the process will result in a license being issued.