Chapel Hill Review

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Carolina Athletics has launched CAROLINA NIL to expand its commitment to providing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes. This new initiative consolidates Carolina Athletics, The Rams Club, NCHOF, and Old Well Management into a unified entity aimed at delivering top-tier NIL services.

The launch of CarolinaNIL.com will serve as a comprehensive resource for student-athletes, fans, businesses, and the Carolina community. The site will offer legal consultation, tax preparation, personal finance courses, entrepreneurship training, creative services, and digital branding advice.

"Supporting Name, Image and Likeness opportunities is crucial to ensuring that Carolina attracts and develops the very best students and athletes in the world while continuing to build on our championship tradition," said Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. "We are committed to providing championship opportunities for our student-athletes."

Old Well Management merges two former UNC-affiliated collectives—Heels4Life and Secondary Break Club—to connect UNC student-athletes with brands interested in representation by Tar Heels. It collaborates with the University’s Department of Athletics and Tar Heel Sports Properties.

Kevin Rice leads Old Well Management as Executive Director of NCHOF since January 2023. Rice aims to enhance relationships between student-athletes and the Chapel Hill area.

"With the launch of Old Well Management...Tar Heel fans and student-athletes can have confidence in our infrastructure," said Rice. "This partnership ensures we can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of college athletics."

Jim Koman founded NCHOF to honor former UNC student-athletes and coaches. Koman emphasized maintaining UNC's tradition of athletic success coupled with exceptional character.

"NCHOF was founded on the premise of creating a Hall of Fame that honors all UNC student-athletes," Koman said.

Kara Cannizzaro has been promoted to Assistant AD for NIL and Leadership Development after three years with UNC's internal NIL team. The Rams Club will support Carolina NIL by making NCHOF donations eligible for priority points.

"The partnership between Carolina Athletics and NCHOF is one we are excited to champion through The Rams Club,'' said Rams Club Executive Director John Montgomery.

CarolinaNIL.com will promote NIL deals made by Tar Heels student-athletes over the past three years. These include partnerships with major brands across various sectors such as clothing, restaurants, automobiles, and soft drinks. Additionally, they have engaged in community service through organizations like Gigi's Playhouse and Ronald McDonald House.

UNC will continue enhancing its NIL offerings through partnerships with Learfield, One Team Partners, The Brandr Group, INFLCR, Altius Sports Partners, COMPASS NIL, CLC among others.

Courtney Banghart highlighted the importance of supporting athletes' ability to earn revenue from their Name, Image and Likeness while Mack Brown stressed that competing in the NIL landscape is critical for UNC's success. Hubert Davis noted that maximizing NIL opportunities is essential for retaining current athletes and attracting new ones. Scott Forbes emphasized that creating NIL opportunities is vital for maintaining high standards within the Baseball program. Erin Matson added that CAROLINA NIL helps athletes find commercial and service-oriented opportunities while upholding Carolina's tradition of excellence.