Simpson College
- Collegiate athletes are finally able to profit off of their names, images and likenesses.
- One, not very good, D-III athlete is set out to make his money in hilarious fashion.
- Click HERE for more NIL news!
As you probably know by now, the NCAA recently allowed its athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. While the policy is technically temporary, it finally eliminates the guise of amateurism in college sports.
Many athletes have already cashed in. Quarterbacks have inked endorsement deals worth more than $20,000, entire football teams are being offered up to $6,000 each and others are donating their profits to a great cause.
The majority of the money will undeniably be made among the top Division-I athletes and those with a significant social media presence.
However, the NIL rules extend beyond the D-I level and include D-II and D-III sports. Sophomore Jake Brend would like to remind everyone of that fact and made a hilarious promo video for himself.
A reminder #NIL applies to all #NCAA athletes, including Division III. Meet @simpsonmtennis player @jakebrend32. #venmo: Jake-Brend pic.twitter.com/NPW9ffIH0P
— SoundOFF (@SoundOFF13) July 5, 2021
Brend, a rising junior, hails from Indianola, Iowa. He was a two-time letter-winner in both tennis and golf.
The Brend Brand.
After graduating in 2019, Brend kept his talents close to home and accepted an opportunity to play at Simpson College in his home town. Simpson is a private Methodist liberal arts college with a student population of 1,250.
Brend arrived on campus in 2020 and did not compete in a match as a freshman. The season was also cut short due to COVID-19.
His sophomore year saw him go 0-3 in singles competition and (unofficially) lead the American Rivers Conference in double faults. His performance is unmatched and now he is ready to cash in.
ESPN forgot to come to any of our matches this year, but luckily the Quad City Tennis Club has cameras.
This is what the 7th (@chasehenry2019) and 8th best players on the 6th best Division III team in Iowa look like in doubles.
(I’m white shirt on the near side of the court.) https://t.co/ED4Mfs0zaq pic.twitter.com/nBIdWywdfi
— Jake Brend (@jakebrend32) July 6, 2021
Brend is offering three paid opportunities:
- He is selling his game-worn shoes. He has never won a match while wearing them.
- He is offering lessons, so you can learn to be as good as the eighth-best player on the sixth-best D-III team in Iowa.
- He is selling an exclusive Wimbledon Championships experience. For the right price, Brend will join you in your home to watch the matches.
Despite the joking nature of Brend’s video, this is exactly how student-athletes without a platform should be capitalizing on NIL. Who wouldn’t want to watch Djokovic play Berretini in the company of such a talented athlete?!