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Earlier today, Citius Mag was the first to report that Nike has signed nine different NCAA distance athletes from three different schools to Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) deals.
The signees include...
Parker Wolfe (North Carolina)
Ethan Strand (North Carolina)
James Corrigan (BYU)
Jenna Hutchins (BYU)
Meghan Hunter (BYU)
Maddy Elmore (Oregon)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
Elliott Cook (Oregon)
Matthew Erickson (Oregon)
Nike's latest series of NIL signings sends a massive shockwave throughout the rest of the NCAA in-college sponsorship realm. An area that has mostly been dominated by the likes of On and Hoka, as well as occasionally New Balance and Adidas, has now become even more competitive (and saturated) following Nike's latest move.
It should be noted that Nike previously signed Florida megastar Parker Valby to an NIL deal when she was in college. According to an article from RunnersWorld, Nike originally had a "right of first refusal" clause in Valby's contract.
That same clause theoretically explains why Valby didn't officially turn pro until earlier this month, recently signing with New Balance rather than Nike.
Nike's ability to land top-tier stars such as Parker Wolfe, Klaudia Kazimierska and James Corrigan will likely better position the Swoosh to sign those same athletes to professional contracts when their time in the NCAA ends.
Many of those possible pro signings would align with news from the summer that current Northern Arizona Coach Mike Smith will be leading his own Nike-centric pro group at the conclusion of this academic year.
Parker Wolfe's partnership with Nike is particularly interesting given a recent quote from Parker Valby's newest coach for New Balance, Mark Coogan. In a Q&A piece with LetsRun, Coogan noted that he, "...want[s] the other Parker now, Parker Wolfe."