Oregon's Bo Nix first college athlete to ink NIL deal with Google Shopping
When Bo Nix transferred out of Auburn, many fans were calling him a key problem in the offense.
Nearly two years later, he is on the cusp of winning the Heisman Trophy. The Oregon quarterback has balled out since making the jump to Eugene. Shedding some bad habits he developed early in his career, he’s quieted doubters and emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
Now the odds-on favorite to win college football’s most famed award, according to Bet MGM, Nix is coming off one of the best games of the season. He outdueled reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams last weekend, throwing for 412 yards and four touchdowns with a 74.2% completion percentage.
With his rising stardom status, Nix is a name plenty of brands are lining up to work with. The Oregon star has now added an NIL agreement with Google Shopping, in a deal through GQ Sports. Full terms of the contract were not shared, but QB Reps told On3 it’s Google’s first NIL deal with a college athlete.
Formerly known as Google Product Search, Google Shopping is a service created by the tech giant which allows users to search for products available on shopping websites and compare prices between different vendors.
Through the agreement, Nix will be promoting the feature on social media. With the Holiday Season, it’s a smart move for Google to put its shopping feature in front of a new audience.
Tech companies are new to spending marketing dollars in college sports. Amazon has enlisted athletes to promote merchandise through NIL deals in the past, including markets like USC and Auburn.
Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign, NIL brand
Nix has passed for 3,135 yards, 29 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 77.7% completion percentage in 10 games this year. He’s also rushed for 121 yards and five touchdowns.
Ranked No. 6 in the nation, the Ducks still have a shot to crack the College Football Playoff. Nix’s Heisman campaign started before the season, with “Bo Dacious” billboards constructed in Dallas and New York City. A full-page ad was bought in the New York Times. On nearly every edition of “College GameDay” this year, multiple “Bo-Dacious” signs have appeared.
Fans can also purchase their own “Bo-Dacious” T-shirts, released by Ducks of a Feather, the apparel line of the Oregon-driven NIL collective Division Street. All merchandise is created by Nike, with profits going back to Oregon athletes.
For all the on-field success, he’s found plenty of opportunities in NIL. The former five-star recruit has inked agreements with Topps, Subway, The Duck Store, ONIT and Bojangles. The quarterback signed his first car deal, partnering with Kendall Auto Group, in September. With locations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana, Nix will be doing work with the Eugene group. As part of the agreement, he will receive a new Toyota SUV.
He joined 7-Eleven’s “Cleat Crew” in September, too. As part of that deal, he teamed up with the luxury designer The Shoe Surgeon to create his own individual pair of custom cleats, which raised $3,400 for PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center. According to QB Reps, he’s also signed with Hugo Boss this season.
Rising On3 NIL Valuation
Bo Nix’s On3 NIL Valuation has continued to grow this season, sitting at $1.5 million after the Ducks beat USC this past weekend. His valuation is No. 8 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.
The quarterback has added roughly 37,000 social media followers since Sept. 23, when the Ducks embarrassed Colorado 42-6.
The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.
About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value
While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.
The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.