Nominees were voted upon and selected by NIL Store staff members. Winners will be determined by a fan vote, in addition to input from an NIL Store Awards committee.

Hustle Award

Recognizing the athlete who displayed the greatest entrepreneurial spirit and drive when marketing their apparel, in addition to other NIL initiatives.

Gabe Cupps
School: Indiana University
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Gabe launched his Breakfast Club line, complete with a photography session at his local Waffle House. Shop Here

Flau’jae Johnson
School: LSU
Sport: Women’s Basketball
Flau’jae partnered with the NIL Store, Meta and JBL to launch Flau’jae’s “Champs Camp” which included jerseys and apparel for campers. Shop her locker room.

Illinois Men’s Basketball 
School: University of Illinois
Sport: Men's Basketball
Throughout March Madness, Illinois’ men’s basketball team was spotted wearing each other’s merchandise on the tarmac, at press conferences and just about everywhere. Shop their merch.

Jacob Kava 
School: North Dakota State University 
Sport: Football
Jacob curated individual emails to send to each of his buyers personally thanking them for their support.


Merch Moment of the Year

Recognizing the greatest apparel drop that resulted from a “moment.”

Duquesne Men’s Basketball 
School: Duquesne
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Following a magical run to win the A-10 Tournament, Duquesne men’s basketball danced into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977. The Duquesne NIL Store dropped 1977 throwback NIL jerseys to commemorate the moment. Shop

Jack Gohkle 
School: Oakland
Sport: Men’s Basketball
A March Madness darling, Jack Gohlke became a household name in a matter of hours when he helped Oakland stun Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by knocking down 10(!) 3-pointers. Merch ensued.

Lance Jones 
School: Purdue
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Lance Jones only spent one year at Purdue, but he sure made the most of it. He went mega-viral when he was captured dancing in unison with the student section (dubbed the “Lance Dance”), which of course was later made into merch by the Purdue NIL Store. Shop

Hunter Poncius 
School: NDSU
Sport: Football
Reserve offensive lineman preserved NDSU’s season when he blocked an extra point to win the game. The laces of the ball were imprinted on his arm, which was later commemorated on his “Bozeman Block” merchandise. Shop


NIL Director of the Year

Recognizing the school NIL Director who went above and beyond on behalf of their student-athletes in collaboration with the NIL Store.

Madison Dunker 
School: Marquette University Shop

Jay Giddens 
School: Purdue University Shop

Logan Hittle 
School: Ohio State University Shop

Collin Stoecker
School: Western Kentucky Shop


Licensing Director of the Year

Rachel Duffy 
School: Syracuse University Shop

Duski Hale  
School: Mississippi State University Shop

Marty Kauffman
School: University of Illinois Shop

Kyle Muncy 
School: University of Connecticut Shop

Philanthropic Spirit Award

Recognizing the athlete who supported the greatest philanthropic endeavor through their apparel sales.

Illinois Men’s Basketball
School: University of Illinois
Sport: Men’s Basketball
The Illinois men’s basketball team raised more than $1 million for the Maui Relief Fund when they teamed up with Kansas for a preseason exhibition. As part of their donations, Illini players pledged to donate a portion of their proceeds from sales on Maui-inspired Illini jerseys to the Maui Relief Fund cause.

Liz & Raven Kitley
School: Virginia Tech
Sport: Women’s Basketball
Liz Kitley teamed up with her sister, Raven, who has autism. The duo became fan favorites among Hokie fans over the years - Liz for her on-court play and Raven for he constant support in the stands. They teamed up to create a custom “Raven” jersey and apparel, and donated a portion of their proceeds to the Virginia Tech Autism clinic. Shop

Hagen Smith
School: University of Arkansas
Sport: Baseball
Arkansas baseball star pitcher Hagen Smith donated all of his proceeds on a specific merch drop to the local Arkansas Children’s Shelter. Shop

UConn Women’s Basketball
School: University of Connecticut
Sport: Women’s Basketball
The UConn women’s basketball team took their annual Play4Kay game to the next level when they teamed up with the UConn NIL Store to create pink UConn NIL jerseys. The players pledged to donate a portion of proceeds on all sales to Play4Kay and the Kay Yow Cancer fund. Shop

Most Innovative Design

Wehiwa Aloy & Nolan Souza
School: University of Arkansas
Sport: Baseball
Arkansas baseball stars Wehiwa Aloy and Nolan Souza are a long way from their home state of Hawaii, but never shy from repping their heritage. The pair dropped custom Hawaiian-themed Arkansas jerseys which featured a floral pattern to much acclaim! Shop

Gabe Cupps
School: University of Indiana
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Gabe Cupps worked with the NIL Store team to create the “Breakfast Club” collection, centered around his daily habit of waking up at the crack of dawn to get in the gym. Cupps ideated multiple pieces of merchandise and even took his own photoshoot at the local Waffle House. Shop

Jared McCain 
School: Duke University
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Jared McCain’s “Polish” merchandise was a nod to his infamous painted nails, which he sported throughout his freshman season at Duke University. Shop

Keisei Tominaga  
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Nebraska basketball sensation Keisei Tominaga dropped one of the more unique collections of the year, featuring his jersey with his last name in Japanese lettering in addition to “Tominagamania” merchandise. Shop