Ole Miss Athletics Launches Next Level NIL Program

From Archie Manning to D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss student-athletes are some of the most recognizable in sports, and soon, current Rebels will have the opportunity to capitalize on their personal brands through the Next Level program.
 
Through an enhanced partnership with INFLCR, Ole Miss Athletics is launching Next Level, a comprehensive name, image and likeness program that will empower its student-athletes with the knowledge and resources to elevate their brand and platform.
 
When the state of Mississippi’s NIL bill takes effect July 1, Ole Miss student-athletes will have the tools, content, curriculum and infrastructure to maximize the benefits that arise from the legislation.
 
“We are excited to launch this robust program and put our student-athletes in an optimal position to advance their personal brand to its full potential,” said Keith Carter, Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “The student-athlete experience is ever evolving, and with INFLCR’s technology and the dedication of our staff, we are expanding our commitment to developing our student-athletes with the education and resources to take advantage of these new opportunities.
 
“The Ole Miss brand has never been stronger, and its global impact coupled with the Next Level program sets up our student-athletes not only for success in college but in their time after graduation and beyond.”
 
A clear example of the reach of the Ole Miss brand is in social media, where its channels produce some of the most engaging content in college athletics, garnering 420 million impressions during the 2020-21 season. While Lane Kiffin has the most Twitter followers among SEC football coaches, the Rebels’ team Twitter has also experienced extreme growth with the fifth-largest increase in interactions in all of college football in 2020. Ole Miss Baseball has consistently boasted some of the most popular social media accounts in the sport, including the largest TikTok audience in the nation with more than 221,000 followers and 3.4 million likes.
 
The brand development opportunities for Rebel student-athletes are further strengthened by Ole Miss’ extensive national media exposure, including the SEC’s television agreements with CBS, ESPN and the SEC Network, and the university’s powerful alumni network of more than 150,000 living members around the world, connecting Rebels with influential business and community leaders.
 
As the Next Level program helps student-athletes leverage that reach, INFLCR’s platform, mobile app and dedicated INFLCR Plus team will play a central role, offering educational support, social media measurement tools, fair market value assessments and other critical elements for brand growth.
 
Once equipped with Next Level, Ole Miss student-athletes will be able to measure, assess and analyze data related to their personal brand in addition to receiving best practices for growing their reputation. They will also continue to access videos, photos and graphics provided by Ole Miss’ content team to effectively communicate their story on their own social media channels. Utilizing the INFLCR app, Rebel student-athletes received 51,000 pieces of content from Ole Miss athletics staff in 2020-21 and gained 31,000 Instagram and 11,000 Twitter followers.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports