By Robbie Lastella
Alijah Martin Scores Big off the court
FAU is hard at work preparing for their NCAA tournament matchup with Northwestern on Friday, however Owls star Alijah Martin is also making sure to cash in off the court, recently announcing a slew of new NIL deals.
This week has been a busy one for Martin, as starting on Monday he announced partnerships with Powerade, Wellness Company I-Herb, Apparel Company Skims, and Medicare provider Elite Agency, who in his announcement was also partnered with Nick Boyd and Johnell Davis. He later announced that he had a partnership with Postgame.Official, who per their Instagram bio, manage the largest NIL campaigns in college sports.
This is the latest in what has been an abundance of NIL opportunities for Martin, as FAU has really been able to capitalize on NIL chances for their best players this year. And there is no better time to highlight the fact that the program is able to compete in this competitive NIL world than right before the team is displayed to the nation in the NCAA tournament.
Martin’s announcement of multiple NIL deals just days before the tournament starts may be odd timing to some, however it comes at an interesting time for a variety of reasons.
The transfer portal opened just days before, and it’s been noted that FAU is interested in a couple of players that have entered. NIL opportunities are something that recruits are considering at every level, and Martin is showcasing the fact that players at FAU have those opportunities the same way that players at bigger schools do.
Something else to consider is that by announcing it days before FAU is thrust into the national spotlight, he is putting it out there that he and his teammates are a hot commodity in the NIL market. Many large brands and their representatives will be watching the tournament, and if Martin and the Owls are able to put on a show, which they are more than capable of doing, it could be a great chance for The Beach Boys to continue to make the most out of their NIL opportunities.
FAU has been very forward thinking this year, as they jumped headfirst into the crazy world of NIL and have been able to thrive in a world where some schools struggle to compete. It starts from the top, and FAU Coach Dusty May has previously stated that his team opens any legal NIL opportunities, talking about it in his weekly presser a few weeks back when asked about a possible NIL involved in-season tournament.
“If there’s something in conjunction with our players being able to benefit from their Name Image and Likeness from being a part of this game then we are jumping in headfirst. We’ve said from day 1, anything that we are legally allowed to do to help our players monetize who they are and who they represent than we are all on board,” Coach May said.
Coach May built this program from the ground up starting 6 years ago, and following the Final four run last year he was able to keep his whole team from transferring, something near impossible for non high major programs to do in today’s world. That was possible because of a stark increase in the NIL opportunities available at FAU, and although Coach May might not be directly responsible for them, being open to your players engaging in those opportunities fosters a positive culture that allows for players to succeed both on and off the court.
It’s not just the Owls players and big brands capitalizing off NIL opportunities at FAU, small businesses such as Talia’s Tuscan Table and Seed Coffee House in Boca Raton have been all over partnerships with the basketball team. Creating a basketball culture isn’t easy, but it’s a grassroots effort, and getting small businesses involved with NIL is one way to spread the positive culture that Coach May has created with the team throughout the community.
Don’t think for a second however that these partnerships and NIL deals have distracted any players or coaches from focus and preparation for their NCAA tournament round of 64 matchup against Northwestern, as the first step to capitalizing on more NIL opportunities starts with winning the game on Friday.