NIL Store Awards · June 8, 2026
2026 NIL Store Awards Finalists Announced
Celebrating the athletes, schools, administrators, and moments that defined college sports NIL during the 2025–26 academic year.
The NIL Store, the nation's leading collegiate NIL merchandise marketplace, has officially announced the finalists for the 2026 NIL Store Awards — the most comprehensive annual recognition program in college sports NIL.
Now in its third year and expanded to 22 total categories, the NIL Store Awards cover all of Division I, shining a light on the athletes, administrators, licensing professionals, schools, and moments that made the biggest difference during the 2025–26 academic year.
"The NIL Store Awards exist to celebrate the most overlooked aspects of NIL: the athletes, schools, and administrators who are doing remarkable things far beyond the headline deals. We're proud to spotlight those who made the biggest impact and serve as true change makers in their local communities and beyond."Sean Ellenby, Director of Marketing & Communications, NIL Store
Finalists were nominated by their institutions and selected by an NIL Store committee based on the impact and innovation behind their NIL initiatives.
Fan voting is open now across 10 categories at awards.nil.store/vote through June 17 at midnight. Twelve additional categories are determined by NIL Store's own merchandise sales data from July 1, 2025 through the end of the academic year. Winners across all 24 categories will be announced at the end of June.
Open for voting · closes june 17
Fan Vote Categories
Cast your vote for the best in NIL across these 10 categories at awards.nil.store/vote
Athlete Award
Male Athlete of the Year
The male student-athlete who excelled in sport while leveraging NIL to make a meaningful positive impact
- AJ DybantsaBYU · Men's Basketball
- Fernando & Alberto MendozaIndiana · Football
- Jonah ColemanWashington · Football
- Josh HubbardMississippi State · Men's Basketball
- Nick BoydWisconsin · Men's Basketball
Athlete Award
Female Athlete of the Year
The female student-athlete who excelled in sport while leveraging NIL to make a meaningful positive impact
- Azzi FuddUConn · Women's Basketball
- Flau'jae JohnsonLSU · Women's Basketball
- Harper MurrayNebraska · Volleyball
- Sarah StrongUConn · Women's Basketball
School Award · Group I
School of the Year
Greatest commitment to growing its NIL program and creating opportunities for student-athletes across all sports
- Illinois
- LSU
- Purdue
- UCLA
- UConn
School Award · Group II
School of the Year
Greatest commitment to growing its NIL program and creating opportunities for student-athletes across all sports
- Boise State
- Illinois State
- South Florida
- Tulane
- Western Kentucky
Program Award
Best School Activation of the Year
The school, team, or program that executed an impactful and unique NIL activation
- Michigan State Madness MerchMichigan State · Men's Basketball
- Otto Orange Signs NIL DealSyracuse
- UCLA WBB Dancing SensationUCLA · Women's Basketball
- VMI Alumni Rally Around Elijah BrooksVMI · Football
Cultural Award
Moment of the Year
The best merchandise opportunity that resulted from a team or athlete's defining moment
- Braden Smith #41 Blood JerseyPurdue · Men's Basketball
- Braylon Mullins – Money MullinsUConn · Men's Basketball
- Greenbrier FiveWest Virginia · Women's Basketball
- Luke Altmyer's Big Mullet EnergyIllinois · Football
- Omar Cooper Jr's Catch of the YearIndiana · Football
- Yaxel Lendeborg's Triple YaxelMichigan · Men's Basketball
Admin Award · Group I
NIL Admin of the Year
The administrator or director who went above and beyond supporting student-athletes through NIL initiatives
- Brett SibleDePaul
- Carley MooneyUConn
- Eddie TaylorCincinnati
- Jenna JohnsonVanderbilt
- Kara CannizzaroNorth Carolina
- Teri HannekeUCLA
- Toby BaldwinOklahoma
Admin Award · Group II
NIL Admin of the Year
The administrator or director who went above and beyond supporting student-athletes through NIL initiatives
- Brennan WhiteIllinois State
- Justin MillerTemple
- Lauren CherryNorth Texas
- Todd AndersonMercer
Licensing Award · Group I
Licensing Director of the Year
The Licensing Director who went above and beyond to support student-athletes through officially licensed NIL opportunities
- Brian HommelLSU
- Erika AustinMichigan State
- Heston HybargerPurdue
- Jenn MillerWest Virginia
- Jeri ThorpeArkansas
- Kyle MuncyUConn
- Lonna HenrichsNebraska
- Marty KaufmannIllinois
- Rachel DuffySyracuse
- Terrell SmithDuke
Licensing Award · Group II
Licensing Director of the Year
The Licensing Director who went above and beyond to support student-athletes through officially licensed NIL opportunities
- Gabe DelatteTulane
- Heidi AdamsUtah State
- Melissa SpainEast Carolina
- Shelby SilflowIdaho
Recognized by the numbers
Stat-Based Categories
The following 12 categories are determined by NIL Store sales data from July 1, 2025 through the end of the 2025–26 academic year. Finalists are listed for recognition only.
School · Overall
Top-Selling School
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Nebraska
- Purdue
- UConn
School · Group II
Top-Selling School
- Boise State
- Illinois State
- Saint Louis
- VMI
- Western Kentucky
Women's Program · Overall
Top-Selling Women's Sports Program
- Iowa Women's Basketball
- LSU Women's Basketball
- Nebraska Volleyball
- UCLA Women's Basketball
- UConn Women's Basketball
Men's Program · Overall
Top-Selling Men's Sports Program
- Illinois Men's Basketball
- Purdue Men's Basketball
- Michigan State Men's Basketball
- Nebraska Men's Basketball
- Ohio State Football
Women's Program · Group II
Top-Selling Women's Sports Program
- Duquesne Women's Basketball
- Illinois State Women's Basketball
- Saint Louis Softball
- South Dakota Women's Basketball
- WKU Volleyball
Men's Program · Group II
Top-Selling Men's Sports Program
- Boise State Football
- Hawaii Football
- North Texas Football
- Temple Football
- VMI Football
Male Athlete · Overall
Top-Earning Male Athlete
- Andrej StojakovicIllinois · Men's Basketball
- Braden SmithPurdue · Men's Basketball
- David MirkovicIllinois · Men's Basketball
- Fernando MendozaIndiana · Football
- Keaton WaglerIllinois · Men's Basketball
Female Athlete · Overall
Top-Earning Female Athlete
- Azzi FuddUConn · Women's Basketball
- Flau'jae JohnsonLSU · Women's Basketball
- KK ArnoldUConn · Women's Basketball
- Lauren BettsUCLA · Women's Basketball
- Sarah StrongUConn · Women's Basketball
Male Athlete · Group II
Top-Earning Male Athlete
- Caleb HawkinsNorth Texas · Football
- Drew MestemakerNorth Texas · Football
- Kansei MatsuzawaHawaii · Football
- Noah KniggaEMU · Football
- Rocky BeersColorado State · Football
Female Athlete · Group II
Top-Earning Female Athlete
- Alexis BordasDuquesne · Women's Basketball
- Lauren FlowersIllinois State · Softball
- Naomi PanganibanSan Diego State · Women's Basketball
- Nora HaydBoise State · Beach Volleyball
- Tori SchlagelSouth Dakota · Women's Basketball
Olympic Male Athlete · Overall
Top-Earning Olympic Male Athlete
- Armani GuzmanWest Virginia · Baseball
- Gavin KellyWest Virginia · Baseball
- Porter MartoneMichigan State · Men's Ice Hockey
- Roch CholowskyUCLA · Baseball
- Trey AugustineMichigan State · Men's Ice Hockey
Olympic Female Athlete · Overall
Top-Earning Olympic Female Athlete
- Andi JacksonNebraska · Volleyball
- Chloe HumphreyNorth Carolina · Women's Lacrosse
- Harper MurrayNebraska · Volleyball
- Jordy FrahmNebraska · Softball
- Karlyn PickensTennessee · Softball
About the NIL Store Awards
The NIL Store Awards launched in 2024 as the first annual recognition program dedicated to celebrating excellence in collegiate NIL through the lens of officially licensed merchandise. Since then, the program has grown from 12 categories to 24, expanded to all of Division I, and introduced Group II classifications to ensure every program and every level of college sports has a seat at the table.
Winners across all 24 categories will be announced at the end of June. Fan voting closes June 17 at midnight.
Vote Now at awards.nil.storeAbout NIL Store
NIL Store is the nation's leading collegiate NIL merchandise platform, offering officially licensed products for student-athletes across more than 135 collegiate institutions. NIL Store holds licenses with the MLBPA and WNBPA, and partners with schools, licensing directors, and NIL administrators to create meaningful merchandise opportunities for athletes at every level. Learn more at nil.store.
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