BeOne Sports, Kansas Athletics unlocking the potential of NIL with NASCAR
The world of college athletics is changing daily, and that’s a good thing. BeOne Sports and Kansas Athletics are bringing NIL to NASCAR. In the past, there have been a lot of different NCAA paint schemes in the three national series. However, this is different from any other sponsorship that we’ve seen in the sport.
I recently spoke with BeOne Sports CEO Scott Deans about how he was able to help put together a first-of-its-kind deal. Together with JD Motorsports, the Mass St. Collective, and KU Athletics, we are going to see 11 Jayhawks athletes on Brennan Poole’s No. 6 Chevy Camaro on Saturday in the Xfinity Series.
It all started in June 2021, that’s when NIL and BeOne Sports both launched. Coming into the NASCAR season this year, Deans had grown interested in how his sports training app could appeal to the world of motorsports.
Teaming up with JD Motorsports
The CEO got creative and put one rendering together of a BeOne Sports car. JD Motorsports loved it, and they made a deal. After their first foray together in March, the two wanted to partner again. After speaking with Dan Beckler, president of the Mass St. Collective, the Jayhawks were on board.
Deans says that everything just started to line up. 11 athletes representing multiple sports and representing the variety of training that BeOne Sports hopes to have in the future, and it’s all on one car.
“It aligned with our intentions, too,” Deans said of the NIL deal. “The 11 athletes on the car are also going to become BeOne Sports athletes in our app. So, they’re getting the opportunity to not only participate in this NASCAR event and help build their brand and awareness, but they’re actually going to be digitized in the app and help train the next generation of young athletes.
“When you have a 100% equitable NIL opportunity then you welcome everybody. Men’s, women’s, everything. It doesn’t [even] have to be a Power 5 school.”
When NIL is used to its fullest potential, it isn’t always an everybody eats situation. However, there is a market for niche sports, athletes, smaller schools and communities that can lead to opportunities that most don’t see currently. Scott Deans was more than excited about finding the full potential a deal like this could achieve.
Unlocking the potential of NIL with NASCAR
Like Deans said, deals like this don’t have to involve Power 5 schools and the biggest names. NIL gives opportunities to a wide array of athletes.
All it takes is a little investment from schools and collectives to promote their most marketable athletes.
“You’re always going to get the Bryce Youngs and CJ Strouds and Livvy Dunnes of the world. But it’s the Jack Betts of the world, too, that I get excited about,” Deans explained.
NIL and NASCAR have had some small moments here and there. Last year Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall had a deal with Darlington Raceway. NASCAR has also cut deals with Livvy Dunne as well as the Universities of Alabama and South Carolina.
But putting athletes on a car and making them visible to the NASCAR audience, is the promise of this NIL deal. It helps that there are 500 diecasts being made of this very special paint scheme.
“After this race when we find that it was just a big success for everybody involved, I want to do it again. Like I said I’m in Texas and I’m a Longhorn alum, where are we at Longhorns, let go! Because the cool thing is, obviously, NASCAR and racing, the number one form of advertising and marketing possible, right? That doesn’t elude me.
“I want to be able to find the most exciting and positive way to support all of NIL and what we’re trying to do. So, yeah the next school. Imagine, you just follow the series, and you have schools that are able to do this at a pretty reasonable cost point. Not to mention you are helping your student-athletes generate income on also, it’s like mutual incentive marketing, so why wouldn’t we do this?”
Keep your eyes open for Brennan Poole in the No. 6 BeOne Sports x Kansas Jayhawks Chevy Camaro. The race is this Saturday in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.