UNC Wilmington Proves NIL Not Just for Power 5’s

Photos courtesy UNCW Athletics

UNC Wilmington graduate student Mary Sobataka just needed a little nudge.

For those familiar with the UNCW softball program, news that Sobataka needed any kind of motivation or inspiration would be surprising.

Sobataka is the “it” factor for the Seahawks on the field. She delivers the pregame message in the circle, celebrates every positive play by her teammates with unabashed enthusiasm and is the unquestioned vocal leader of the team.

“Mary Sobataka is the heartbeat of our team, and she is always very high energy,” said UNCW head coach Ashley Wade. “Mary is the person you can hear on the field before you can see her, and she brings that same contagious energy every single day.”

When she ventured into the Seahawk softball offices last summer to speak with Wade and assistant coach Abbey Latham she needed counsel.

What she received was more equivalent to a push than a nudge, but the message delivered on that day centered around self-worth and trusting in your abilities.

“Coach Wade and Coach Latham have definitely encouraged me a lot. They’ve been very supportive, and they are the two that really pushed me to believe in myself in pursuit of name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities,” said Sobataka. “I remember I was sitting with them this summer and told them I don’t know what I want to do after softball. And now I feel like it’s come full circle and I know what I want to do in part based upon my NIL opportunities.

“If I didn’t sit with the two of them, and they weren’t pushing me, I probably would be still thinking, what am I going to be doing? I do have to give them my biggest thanks because without them, I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today.”

Since that day Sobataka has blazed a NIL trail for herself and for her teammates to emulate.

Sobataka first approached teammate Morgan Britt with the idea of putting together an infield, outfield and hitting clinic.

“We came up with the M squared clinic. We had a hitting, infield and outfield clinic because she’s an outfielder and I’m an infielder. And we both know a little bit about hitting. It was super cool and a lot of fun. And we’re hoping to do another one.”

From there it just continued to grow as Sobataka gained confidence and enthusiasm for pursuing NIL opportunities following the success of her clinic.

She contacted Proven Brand and orchestrated an NIL deal and followed up by securing an NIL opportunity with Dirt Bro due to the partnership between the two companies.

“I know this will be my last year of playing, but what can I do right now that’s going to help me after school? So, the two NIL deals that I have right now are with Proven Brand, which is a glove company, and Dirt Bro Infield Instruction. Most of my lessons are defense and some are hitting, but I love to teach infield.

“I attended one of the Dirt Bro infield instruction camps, and I fell in love. So, I reached out to them and told them that what they are currently doing is what I want to do after school. We started talking and things worked out.”

Sobataka used her connection with Proven Brand and her UNCW connections to secure the NIL opportunity with Dirt Bro.

“Trent and Taber Mongero both went to UNCW and all three of us are ambassadors for the Proven Brand, so it’s a connected circle. I owe each of them a lot of thanks for everything they have done, but it’s nice to invest in a company I believe in and work with people I respect.”

Like many student-athletes at non-Power 5 schools, Sobataka initially thought NIL opportunities would be reserved for football players or student-athletes at schools such as USC, Texas and Alabama.

Instead, she has relished the opportunity to pursue deals and understands the long-term value that extends well beyond her college playing career.

“I think that it’s great because it’s going to help me after college because of the connections that I’ve made. You look at so many of these NIL activities that happened back in 2021 and now those players are gone, but they still have connections to when they started with NIL. They make gloves, they have cleats, they have shirts and other merchandise.

“And I think if it didn’t start in college, it may have never happened. It helps people connect and you can find something that you want to do after college and pursue an opportunity to work with that company. And because of NIL you can have that relationship and build that connection. So, I think that from that perspective, it’s great and I only think that it’s going to grow as it continues.”

More importantly for Sobataka are the life skills she has developed while securing NIL partnerships.

“Now that I’m active with something throughout the year it only helps to grow my business and marketing mindset. My graduate program is integrated marketing communication. I’m gaining professional experience through my NIL deals and it’s opening my mindset almost every day. I’m thinking about what I need to do for x, y and z, or what video I’m going to make for the Proven Brand, or how I’m going to market softball players to come to the next Dirt Bro Infield camp. And it’s taking what I’ve learned from all the years of playing and using those connections to build my brand that I’ve personally built and using it to my advantage.”

In true Sobataka fashion her message to future Seahawks, or student-athletes in general, is to pursue your passion.

“Find what you’re passionate about, because that’s where it has to start, and then go and reach out to those people. In life, and my parents have taught me this, nothing is going to be given to you. Lessons weren’t given to me, I had to work for them. And I was also pushed by people who I’m very thankful for because I wouldn’t be sitting in this position if I wasn’t pushed to give lessons and it ultimately led to my NIL opportunities.”

For Wade, the NIL process for Sobataka has revealed her true character.

“I don’t know that I’ve learned anything about her, but I think she’s learned about herself. I think she’s kind of surprised herself in what she’s capable of achieving. Watching this process from the outside has been gratifying. She now has a job set up for after she graduates in May and the job has truly come about from all of the NIL activities she is participating in. Watching her learn about herself and push herself beyond what she thought was possible is incredibly rewarding.”

Career opportunities and life-changing lessons. All from a little nudge.

*****

Michael Oblinger knew that name, image and likeness (NIL) would have a profound impact on the college athletic landscape when the initiative was first passed by the NCAA in 2021.

Name, image and likeness are the three elements that make up “right of publicity”, a legal concept used to prevent or allow the use of an individual to promote a product or service. The NIL policy permits student-athletes to engage in activities based upon three central components.

“It really has changed the landscape, but I also believe it’s still evolving which has been the one constant over the last two and a half years. It came on us pretty quickly and there were relatively few rules. There were a couple of guidance’s, but ultimately, it was left to each school and each state to come up with their own interpretations.

“I think now, as we’re two and a half years in, most state laws are pretty similar. As an employee of the university, I can actually give guidance. I can’t make deals, but I can give guidance. I think NIL is a wonderful thing, is fantastic and long overdue. I view NIL as a part of the student-athlete experience. So, whether it’s academics, whether it’s mental health, sports performance or sports medicine, we’re treating it like part of the student-athlete experience. So, whether you’re recruiting with it, or dealing with it on your campus, you have to embrace it. You certainly can’t just put your head in the sand with NIL.”

Thus, when he was appointed the director of athletics at UNCW and settled into his new role on April 1, 2023, establishing an NIL program for the Seahawk student-athletes was near the top of his list of priorities.

Oblinger reacted quickly and launched FLIGHT, an all-in-one platform for Seahawk student-athletes to connect with fans, brands, donors and others interested in using their name, image or likeness. Additionally, Oblinger hired Laura Pearson as an assistant athletic director to help oversee the program.

“I think we’re very interested in modernizing our program. We’re in a conversation right now with the Cameron School of Business to talk about what financial literacy looks like. We’re looking at this as an educational component to say, there’s a lot of things we can teach. Our kids would benefit if we’re teaching about branding, if we’re teaching about social media, if we’re teaching about resume building, if we’re teaching about how to go out in the community and engage a marketer. How do you go and put yourself out there and say I’d love to partner with your organization?

“So, there’s a huge educational component here that I think oftentimes when you hear about NIL, especially in the public, people don’t think about. For us, there’s been a lot of education that’s going on basically saying yes, our kids are profiting from NIL but how did they get there. We’ve got kids coming to this campus with thousands of social media followers and millions of impressions on social media. They’re already educating themselves and they fully understand the value that they can have from a marketing standpoint.”

FLIGHT provides various ways to interact with Seahawk student-athletes, including a partnership with INFLCR, one of the industry’s leading providers in athletics endorsements and branding. FLIGHT also provides educational opportunities for student-athletes which will include financial literacy and personal branding.

Fans, brands, sponsors and donors are able to use FLIGHT to browse and connect with UNCW student-athletes within a marketplace for NIL activities that ensures institutional compliance with all NCAA rules. The platform is designed to provide student-athletes with tools to succeed, whether they are actively pursuing NIL opportunities or positioning themselves for personal and professional success following graduation.

Oblinger views UNCW student-athletes being able to capitalize on NIL opportunities currently and in the future as the program features enormous growth potential.

“We have a very favorable market as it relates to NIL in my opinion because of our geography. We’re two hours outside of Raleigh, three hours outside of Charlotte, and we’re kind of on an island out here by ourselves. There are a lot of companies and businesses that value their relationship with UNCW, so we look at this as a strengthening exercise. Our brand here in town is very strong. We have a lot of civic pride in our university, so I don’t necessarily think others within our league and others within our peer group and within the region benefit from that.”

When it comes to the NIL, universities and athletic departments have two choices. They can embrace it, or they can ignore it.

At UNCW, there really is only one option for Oblinger.

“We are focused on strengthening our partnerships throughout the community and throughout our university. We do rely on this university for a variety of things in other areas, and I think NIL is still evolving. It wouldn’t surprise me if we moved to a model where there are people embedded in athletics and they can make deals or can facilitate deals for our student-athletes, so that’s something that we’re obviously going to have to address. We’re going to have to be able to pivot. Like anything else I think if you’re constantly surveying the landscape, you’re probably doing what you should be doing. And if you ignore it and just say I don’t believe in it or I prefer not to deal with it then that’s not constructive. And that’s not how we operate.”

Oblinger’s investment in the student-athlete experience has caught the attention of both Sobataka and Wade.

“He’s a very active athletic director. He’s at practices and he’s at games, which as an athlete is really cool to see,” said Sobataka. “I think it’s really cool that he sits down and talks to us about NIL and he educates the people who work for him to talk to us. The athletic department does a great job of like working with us because they’re quick and efficient.”

“Mike has jump-started this whole NIL process for us. On his interview, he talked about prioritizing NIL and when he arrived on campus in April he didn’t waste any time launching the FLIGHT program,” said Wade.

With his strong background in fundraising and a dedication to providing a first-class student-athlete experience, Oblinger will continue to pave the way for continued NIL success at UNCW.

*****

UNC Wilmington head coach Ashley Wade doesn’t care for labels.

Her team is not a member of one of the five power conferences in the NCAA, so label UNCW as a mid-major if you must, but it’s not a label that is representative of the program.

There is nothing mid about the amount of time and energy the Seahawk players put into the program, there is nothing mid about the countless hours Wade and her staff put into building the best possible program and there is nothing mid about the product on and off the field.

UNCW had a team grade-point average of 3.44 last year, completed 686 hours collectively engaging in community service projects and won a school-record 17 games in Coastal Athletic Association play in 2023.

“When we qualify for the NCAA Tournament we compete in the same regional and strive to reach the same Women’s College World Series as Oklahoma, UCLA and Florida.”

Providing a team culture and environment that empowers young women is the core of the program, so it comes as no surprise that Wade is invested in the welfare of her players extending to NIL opportunities.

“During our recruiting conversations we talk about our athletic program under Mike’s leadership as our athletic director and the vision that he has for UNCW in general, and specifically within our softball program. We also talk about the changes that he’s enacted since being here, and NIL is a big part of that conversation.

“Our assistant coach Abbey Latham, who played at Ole Miss for five years, has used INFLCR and she had NIL deals of her own as a player. She’s able to provide a player’s perspective to our recruits with regards to utilizing INFLCR and navigating the NIL process. It’s a really cool perspective to have within the coaching staff because prospective student-athletes are able to talk to someone that has taken advantage of NIL and already experienced this process.”

UNCW players like Sobataka, Britt, Carson Fleming, Lauren Cope, Holland Miller and Jada Wade benefit not only individually from NIL partnerships but help to shape the future of the Seahawk softball program.

“It makes it more relatable when we can share what our current student-athletes are doing. We emphasize all of the different opportunities that they’ve explored and taken advantage of and how they’ve been proactive in getting them set up. Essentially, we’re able to share with recruits what the platform is, how our student-athletes are able to use it, and how UNCW is utilizing the exact same NIL app that SEC schools use.”

While Wade is excited about her players being able to take advantage of NIL partnerships from a financial standpoint, she gains more satisfaction from the growth it produces.

“I think for me, the biggest takeaway from all of this and seeing Mary and our other student-athletes go through this process, is it really is empowering for them. When they’re first getting into it, I don’t know that they have a ton of confidence going into it and they’re not sure what to expect, but as they continue to navigate the whole NIL landscape, their confidence grows as a person, they advocate for themselves even more, they’re not afraid to ask people and initiate those conversations with local community members by saying ‘I’m from UNCW softball and I’m really interested in setting up an NIL deal and partnering with your business.’

“That takes a lot of courage, bravery and confidence to reach out to a business and do that. And I think that skill is a direct result from utilizing the NIL platform which is something that’s going to help them throughout the rest of their lives because they’re able to advocate for themselves, they’re able to sell themselves and say why a company should partner with them and be creative with how they want their name, image and likeness to be used. I think those life skills are going to take them far beyond their time at UNCW and far beyond NIL in general and are going to help them no matter what career path they choose in the future.”

The players change every year in a softball program, but one thing that will always remain constant at UNCW is the standard of excellence set by Ashley Wade.

---

SUBSCRIBE

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Extra Inning Softball TM

Check out our other EIS links: