Cincy Reigns becomes official NIL partner of University of Cincinnati athletics

Cincy Reigns, which partnered with Rhinegeist Brewing to bring you the extremely popular lager, Cincy Light, is now the “Official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Partner of the Cincinnati Bearcats."

University of Cincinnati Athletics announced on Thursday that its exclusive athletics media rights holder Bearcats Sports Properties, the locally based team of LEARFIELD – the media and technology company powering college athletics – has partnered with Cincy Reigns.

Cincy Reigns now has the ability to use official UC Athletics logos and marks.

“We’re excited to announce this partnership between two of our strongest support organizations,” Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham said. “This is a game-changer for us in the NIL space and will enable Cincy Reigns to take its fundraising and collaboration with student-athletes to the next level as our official partner. As I have said, we need to radically accept and embrace NIL. Partnerships like this one will empower student-athletes and incentivize businesses to work with our Bearcats.”

Cincy Reigns can now advertise and promote the organization’s efforts at Cincinnati football and basketball games, among other UC events, as well as on social and digital platforms.

“This alignment is the next step in further strengthening the NIL program at Cincinnati and we are thrilled to be a part of that step alongside Athletics and the Collective," John Mason, general manager of LEARFIELD’s Bearcats Sports Properties said.

Cincy Reigns launched last year and has helped the UC fan base, alumni network, businesses, and donors offer direct financial support to UC’s student-athletes. In March, Cincy Reigns announced its “First Class,” signing 14 UC student-athletes – one from each sponsored sports program – to NIL deals. The initiative included women’s soccer star Ashley Barron and football All-American Dontay Corleone.

“This commitment represents another critical step by Cincy Reigns to collaborate with LEARFIELD, and the University of Cincinnati’s other corporate partners, to build a robust NIL ecosystem for all Bearcat student-athletes," said Brian Fox, Chair of the Cincy Reigns Board of Directors

The organization strives to create NIL opportunities for over 500 student-athletes across 18 varsity teams and collaborate with organizations like Rhinegeist to advance its mission.

All Cincinnati Athletics sponsorships are managed by LEARFIELD’s Bearcats Sports Properties, which does not represent student-athletes, but on behalf of the university, is actively engaged with brands to maximize their sponsorships when paired with student-athlete NIL. LEARFIELD separately represents Cincinnati Athletics and its intellectual property (IP) as part of the company’s exclusive multimedia rights agreement.

UC coaches sound off on Cincy Reigns

Scott Satterfield

“This is a valuable next step that will enable our student-athletes to better build their brands through Cincy Reigns,” Cincinnati football head coach Scott Satterfield said. “Providing the best resources for our student-athletes to fully harness Name, Image and Likeness opportunities is essential to building a successful program.”

Katrina Merriweather

“I am proud to be a part of an athletic department that has embraced and invested in the Name, Image and Likeness space for all student-athletes,” Cincinnati women’s basketball coach Katrina Merriweather said. “This partnership with Cincy Reigns allows our program to continue to maximize this space, enhance the student-athlete experience and provide the educational resources that will position them for success.”

Wes Miller

“I have enjoyed seeing the momentum it has built in the city through its many efforts," men's basketball coach Wes Miller said. "This is an exciting era in Cincinnati and around the country. I am thrilled and grateful for what Cincy Reigns is doing for our hard-working student-athletes by providing opportunities to them to build their brands and set them up for future success.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincy Reigns officially the NIL partner of University of Cincinnati