KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan University is excited to announce ONWARD, a comprehensive Name, Image, and Likeness program that will provide WMU student-athletes with technology, education and resources to succeed in the NIL era. ONWARD will create opportunities for student-athletes to work towards their goals in their lives and careers, and Western Michigan University is thrilled to support them in this endeavor. Through ONWARD, defined by moving forward or toward a point lying ahead, WMU Athletics will assist its student-athletes in moving forward in the Name, Image, and Likeness space and support student-athletes as they build their personal brand and maximize their NIL opportunities.

"I am thrilled to see Western Michigan University embrace NIL and the opportunities it presents to Bronco Nation," WMU Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae said.  "I am particularly excited about the ONWARD program, as it relies on University and Community resources to provide education and opportunity for entrepreneurial student-athletes wishing to capitalize on their brands in a manner consistent with State and NCAA Legislation.  The ONWARD program is an important first step in navigating this evolving and exciting space."

The ONWARD program will focus in on four key areas: Branding, Education, Community Connections, and Policy and Monitoring.
 
BRANDING
WMU Athletics has partnered with INFLCR, a leading content and compliance platform for intercollegiate athletics departments, that will assist student-athletes in understanding and taking advantage of NIL opportunities. By using the INFLCR App, student-athletes will have access to photography, videos, and other departmental curated content which they can use to build their brand on their own individual social media platforms. Western Michigan Athletics will be able to share content directly to Bronco student-athletes through the INFLCR App.  

"We're excited to begin utilizing INFLCR for our student-athletes at WMU," Western Michigan head volleyball coach Colleen Munson said. "In the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, INFLCR will allow our student-athletes to tell their stories and help maximize their name, image and likeness exposure for their personal brand."
 
EDUCATION
Creating educational opportunities for student-athletes in the NIL space is a critical piece of the ONWARD Program, and will fall under the newly created area of WMU Athletics, Broncos Empowered. The Broncos Empowered staff will provide educational opportunities that cover a wide-variety of areas such as entrepreneurship, financial management, legal and contract education, and brand building.

In addition, WMU Athletics has partnered with Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business Department of Marketing to develop a one-credit course for student-athletes which will be offered in the Spring of 2023. Taught by Dr. JoAnn Atkin, associate professor of marketing at WMU's Haworth College of Business, the course will focus on understanding branding, developing a personal brand and plan, and best practice guidance for monetizing brand.
 
"The marketing department is excited for this collaborative opportunity with WMU Athletics," Dr. Atkin said. "We look forward to providing thoughtful leadership on personal branding to student-athletes who are interested in leveraging their own personal brand or any student who has entrepreneurial aspirations."
 
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
WMU Athletics will broadly educate the Southwest Michigan Community in regards to the appropriate ways in which local businesses can connect with our student-athletes. The Bronco Exchange, provided through partnership with the INFLCR local business exchange platform, will be a home for both local and national businesses to connect and engage with Bronco student-athletes for NIL opportunities. This is a free service for student-athletes and the businesses who use it. 

After a business registers on the exchange, it will have access to a searchable database of student-athletes, and can filter that database through a variety of criteria. Businesses will have the ability to message student-athletes directly in the application or request contact information to begin discussions about any potential NIL transaction. For more information regarding the Bronco Exchange, click here.

"Having the opportunity for all student-athletes to capitalize on their name, image, and likeness is vital in today's world of college athletics," Western Michigan senior gymnast Amanda Gruber said. "NIL will allow me to expand my personal brand by partnering with companies that have similar values to mine."

In addition, the Broncos Empowered staff will focus on engaging with community members as well as former student-athletes to provide internship, mentorship, and future employment for our student-athletes.

POLICY and MONITORING
Western Michigan University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics prioritize providing resources that support the holistic development of its student-athletes. WMU has embraced the opportunity to provide a platform for empowering its student-athletes. The newly created Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Policy applies to all WMU student-athletes and articulates the process and procedures governing student-athlete use of their NIL.

The NIL Policy will allow Bronco student-athletes to enter into an NIL contract or agreement and earn compensation for use of their name, image, and likeness. Examples include:

• Endorsement deals for products and/or services
• Receive payment for an appearance
• Receive payment for autographs
• Run a private camp or clinic

 
As student-athletes enter into NIL deals, they will use the INFLCR app to ensure compliance with NCAA, state, and institutional policies.
 
"I am so excited and proud to be a part of ONWARD," WMU Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration, Academics and Compliance Lorne Robertson said. "Our NIL policy truly embraces the changing landscape of college athletics and the opportunities it provides our student-athletes. I look forward to being a resource as our student-athletes navigate these waters and doing everything we can to help them maximize those opportunities."
 
 To view WMU's NIL Policy, click here.