In this episode, Brenden Hill, Assistant Athletic Director at San Diego State University, dives into the rapidly changing world of college athletics. He explores how NIL is reshaping recruiting, shares lessons from his career in sports leadership, and offers perspective on what the future holds for student-athletes navigating this new era.

• NIL has shifted recruiting from relationship-driven to more transactional dynamics
• Misinformation is one of the biggest challenges in the NIL space
• Schools are building in-house NIL programs to better support athletes
• Personal branding is now essential, starting as early as high school
• Non-revenue sports may see new opportunities through NIL growth

00:00 Introduction to NIL and Brendan Hill
03:10 How recruiting has evolved in the NIL era
06:14 Early NIL challenges and building trust
09:07 Inside San Diego State’s NIL approach
12:12 Supporting athletes day-to-day
16:00 Common misconceptions about NIL
18:44 Advice for high school athletes
21:57 The future of NIL and college sports

Brendan Hill is the Assistant Athletic Director at San Diego State University, where he focuses on NIL strategy, student-athlete development, and navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics.

“Misinformation is a major hurdle in NIL.”
“Build your personal brand early.”
“We had to build a team of experts to navigate NIL.”

NIL Gameplan: https://nilgameplan.com
Brendan Hill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendenhill/

If you're navigating NIL or supporting someone who is, check out NIL Gameplan.

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How Athletics, NIL, and Relationships Shape Life After Sports

In this episode, professional lacrosse player and former Notre Dame standout Kasey Choma shares how being a Division I athlete shaped her confidence, career path, and identity beyond sports. She highlights the transition out of athletics, the power of relationships and networking, and how athletes can translate key skills into the workplace, while also touching on NIL’s growing impact beyond traditional sports.