Beyond the Court: NIL, Student Managers, and the Expanding Definition of Marketability in College Sports

When the NCAA made the groundbreaking decision to allow student-athletes to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”), it introduced an entirely new dimension to collegiate athletics. In doing so, the NCAA also opened the door to an unpredictable and constantly evolving marketplace. Since the rule change, athletes around the country have signed NIL deals worth significant sums of money in exchange for their commitment to programs, a new layer to recruiting that has been likened to the “Wild West.” However, the recent March Madness appearance by the McNeese State Cowboys, and their subsequent exit at the hands of the Purdue Boilermakers, introduced a novel and unexpected twist to the NIL landscape.

Amir “Aura” Khan, the Cowboys’ student manager, led the team onto the court in a custom yellow Under Armour tracksuit emblazoned with his nickname “Aura” across the back. He was also seen carrying his signature pregame boombox, now adorned with two prominent Buffalo Wild Wings logos.[i] Khan’s rise to fame may appear perplexing at first glance. He is not a player. He doesn’t score points, block shots, or make any in-game contributions on the stat sheet. Instead, Khan spends his basketball seasons on the sidelines, ensuring players remain hydrated and energized throughout games. Khan’s relative anonymity changed on February 24th, when a video of him rapping the lyrics to “In & Out” by Lud Foe went viral, unexpectedly launching him into the national spotlight.[ii]

While the total number of NIL deals signed and the compensation Khan received remain undisclosed, reports indicate that his month of visibility led to at least 12 agreements with major companies, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Insomnia Cookies, TickPick, and TurboTax.[iii] Some estimates place the total value of these deals in the six-figure range. Khan, a senior at McNeese, is expected to graduate this spring, with speculation swirling as to where he will go next.  This is a level of career intrigue yet to be seen for a student manager at any program.

Under current NCAA NIL rules, student-athletes are permitted to engage in endorsement opportunities and other revenue-generating activities.[iv] However, these rules do not directly address non-athletes, leaving individuals similarly placed to Khan in an ambiguous position. To be clear, Khan does not fall under the NCAA’s definition of a student-athlete. Under Bylaw §12.02.14, a student qualifies as a student-athlete only if they are recruited with the intent to participate in intercollegiate athletics under a particular institutions athletic department.[v] As a student manager, Khan does not engage in on-court competition or practice and therefore falls outside this definition. However, his role raises important questions about the current NIL framework. He is publicly associated with the team, featured on the program’s official website alongside other student workers, and, as of late, has played a visible part in the team’s culture and identity.[vi] While he does not step onto the court, Khan has clearly become a face of the McNeese State Cowboys basketball program prompting a discussion about whether the NIL policy should evolve to reflect the influence of non-athlete contributors in collegiate athletics.

This issue is not unique to student managers. A similar situation arose earlier this month when “Cy,” the mascot of Iowa State University, signed what was termed an “UN-NIL” deal with the brand Duke Cannon.[vii] Mascots are traditionally anonymous during their collegiate tenure, with many only revealing their identities upon graduation. The details of the agreement with Duke Cannon remain unclear, though it presumably included promotional products, and while the individual behind the costume is permitted to benefit from their own personal NIL, most fans would not even know who they are. Despite that lack of visibility, the mascots these students portray play an integral role in school spirit and athletics culture. For example, in 2017, Brigham Young University’s “Cosmo the Cougar” captivated national audiences with a dance performance during a timeout against Boise State.[viii] The video, posted to Cosmo’s personal YouTube channel, has since garnered over 13 million views. Like Khan, Cosmo is an example of how roles peripheral to the on-screen competition can still drive significant fan engagement and exposure.

At present, institutions such as the University of Wisconsin advise that students seeking NIL deals outside of official athletic department affiliation should obtain legal counsel. However, UW and similar schools explicitly prohibit the use of university trademarks or campus imagery in promoting commercial products.[ix] This guidance reflects a growing tension: while universities aim to protect their intellectual property and maintain compliance with NCAA regulations, they may simultaneously be curbing the visibility and entrepreneurial potential of students who help elevate their programs in non-traditional ways.

As the lines between athlete, entertainer, and influencer continue to blur, particularly among younger and more online generations, it is increasingly likely that schools and governing bodies will need to reevaluate their NIL policies. Whether it’s a student manager with viral charisma, a mascot with millions of YouTube views, or another previously overlooked contributor to college sports culture, a new era of marketability is taking shape.

With the transfer portal now open, NIL deal speculation is once again beginning to ramp up. While Khan will soon graduate and pursue new opportunities, his story presents a compelling question: what’s to stop the next viral student manager, cheerleader, or other school representative from entering the transfer portal in search of their own NIL payday? The genie is well out of the bottle — and college sports may never look the same.

Andrew Majka-Sunde is a graduate of Western New England Law School ’21 and most recently served as Corporate Counsel for the Moses-Weitzman Health System in Middletown, CT.  He can be reached at LinkedIn here.

Sources:

[i]   @John_Fanta, X (March 22, 2025, 12:05pm), https://x.com/John_Fanta/status/1903478171707556339

[ii]  @Phill-UpOnMe, X (February 24, 2025, 11:12am) https://x.com/Phil_UpOnMe/status/1894057776357236862

[iii] @reed_vial3, X (March 15, 2025, 8:04pm), https://x.com/reed_vial3/status/1901062054145823114

[iv]  Division I 2024-2025 Manual, § 22.01.1, at 413 (2024).

[v]   Division I 2024-2025 Manual, § 12.02.14, at 35 (2024).

[vi]  2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster, https://mcneesesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster, (Last Visited Mar. 25, 25).

[vii] Andrea Surnit, Duke Cannon Breaks Tradition With UN-NIL Deal With Iowa State Mascot, DesignRush, https://www.designrush.com/news/duke-cannon-breaks-tradition-un-nil-deal-iowa-state-mascot (last visited Mar. 24, 2025).

[viii] BYU Cougarettes, Cosmo the Cougar and Cougarettes | Dance Performance | BYU vs. Boise State, YouTube (Oct. 14, 2017), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUoD-gPDahw (last visited Mar. 25, 2025).

[ix] University of Wisconsin–Madison, Name, Image, and Likeness – Non-Student Athletes, Office of Strategic Partnerships and Licensing, https://licensing.wisc.edu/name-image-likeness-non-student-athletes/ (last visited Mar. 25, 2025).