Where athletes learn today
- Trial and error
- A teammate’s DMs
- No playbook to follow
Athletes learn it alone
Most athletes figure out content and brand deals by trial and error, with no one teaching the basics.
For athletic departments
Bring Creator Academy and Lab to your athletic department.
Teach athletes to earn from their content.
Give staff one place to review every deal.
- NCAA D1
- NCAA D2
- NCAA D3
- NAIA
- JUCO
- High school
Creator Lab · Fall cohort
48 athletes · 19 sports
- 1Personal brand92%
- 2Content basics74%
- 3NIL and compliance100%
- 4Shoot, edit, post41%
Deal review
- MAMaya A. · VolleyballLocal gym · AppearanceApproved
- JRJay R. · FootballSports drink · LicenseIn review
- TKTaylor K. · BasketballFootwear · GiftingApproved
Avg. review time1.8 days
Launching with our flagship program at Maryland
Live todayUniversity of Maryland
Creator Academy and Lab on campusFirst cohort, fall 2026
Building a unique personal brand is no longer optional for student-athletes.Read full quoteShow less
The overwhelming majority of athletes we talk to want to grow their personal brands, but they hit a wall because their schedules are packed and they don’t know where to start. Building a unique personal brand is no longer optional for student-athletes.
This innovative model is a win for the entire Maryland community and provides the foundation for a sustainable, long-lasting enterprise.Read full statementShow less
The Maryland Creator Lab and Academy is a unique, first-of-its-kind initiative that brings together student-athletes, Maryland students, and campus partners in a truly collaborative way. Through our partnership with Athios, we are creating opportunities for students to gain valuable hands-on experience while helping student-athletes build their brands and expand their media value. This innovative model is a win for the entire Maryland community and provides the foundation for a sustainable, long-lasting enterprise.
Learning tangible skills in marketing, communication, and basic AI use will help us grow exponentially in our careers after our time here in College Park.Read full quoteShow less
UMD’s official partnership with Athios makes me excited for what is to come for student-athletes at Maryland and the lessons they can take with them after their athletic careers end. Learning tangible skills in marketing, communication, and basic AI use will help us grow exponentially in our careers after our time here in College Park.
The problem
Your athletes have a brand to build. Your staff has no time to guide it.
One deal review today
- Email the terms
- tracker_v12.xlsx
- Chase the sign-off
Review is manual
Compliance staff chase terms, deliverables, and sign offs across email and spreadsheets.
What leadership asks
Deals donethis year
Athletes earningacross teams
Value is hard to prove
It is difficult to show leadership what athlete content programs deliver for the department.
The solution
Teach the athlete. Keep every deal in view.
Creator Lab Academy gives athletes the skills. Athios gives your staff the oversight.
- 1
Bring your program onto Athios
Sign up your department and invite your teams and staff.
- 2
Athletes learn in Creator Lab Academy
Cohorts work through modules on content, brand, and professionalism.
- 3
Deals stay organized and compliant
Every deal arrives with terms and deadlines, ready for review in one queue.
Creator Academy and Lab
- 1Enroll
- 2Learn
- 3Build profile
- 4Deals
- 5Compliance review
- 6Results
What your department gets
Education for athletes. Oversight for staff.
Fall cohort48 athletes · 19 sports
- 1Personal brand92%
- 2Content basics74%
- 3NIL and compliance100%
- 4Shoot, edit, post41%
For athletes · Creator Academy
Skills they can use right away
- ✓Modules on content, brand, and NIL
- ✓Content calendar and prompts
- ✓Cohorts by team or sport
27Submitted18Approved1.8dAvg. review
- MAMaya A. · VolleyballLocal gym · AppearanceApproved
- JRJay R. · FootballSports drink · LicenseIn review
For staff · Department tools
Oversight without extra work
- ✓One compliance review queue
- ✓Deadline alerts from your AI assistant
- ✓Reporting for leadership
- D1 to JUCO
- Every sport
- Set up for NIL Go
- Know what worked
Product preview · numbers are examples
Example campaign
How a Creator Lab cohort runs on Athios.
A fictional campaign, start to finish. Names, quotes, and numbers are illustrative.
Example campaign
Fall Creator Lab cohort
- Enroll48 athletes join by team
- LearnContent, brand, and NIL modules
- EarnBrand deals through the Marketplace
- ReviewStaff approve in one queue
Example results
- 48Athletes enrolled
- 31Deals approved
- 1.8 daysAvg. review time
- 19Sports represented
UniversityExample
“For the first time we can see every deal across every team in one place.”
AthleteExample
“The modules showed me how to pitch myself, and my first deal came two weeks later.”
BrandExample
“Working through the school’s program made it easy to book athletes the right way.”
Why Athios
Replace the email thread with a program.
| What matters | Build it in house | Built for athletic departmentsAthios | Email and spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete education | Staff must build it | Ready made Academy | None |
| Compliance review | Custom process | Built into every deal | Manual follow up |
| Deal visibility | Partial | Live across athletes | Hard to see |
| Brand connections | Left to athletes | Marketplace of brands | Left to athletes |
| Reporting | Manual reports | Results in one view | Not tracked |
| Setup effort | Heavy | Light | Ongoing busywork |
FAQ
Ask away. We have heard it all.
Athletic director, coach, or compliance officer, we’ll point you the right way.
What is Creator Lab Academy?
An education hub that teaches athletes how to build a professional presence and earn from their content. Our flagship program is at Maryland.
Which schools can join?
NCAA D1, D2, and D3 programs, plus JUCO and NAIA.
How does compliance review work?
Each deal routes through compliance officer sign off before it goes live.
Does it work for every sport and team?
Yes. Run cohorts by team or sport, from football and basketball to Olympic sports.
What reporting do we get for leadership?
Deal activity, approval times, and athlete participation in one dashboard for your AD and leadership.
What does beta mean, and when does Athios go fully live?
The Marketplace is live today and open to early access members. We are using the beta to learn from athletes, brands, and universities before our full launch in Q1 2027.
NIL market at a glance
$582Min brand deals cleared through NIL Go46,478 deals, Jun 2025 to Aug 2026 · College Sports Commission
68%of NIL deals are under $1,000OCC Strategy, 2024
$600+College deals at this size must be submitted to NIL GoCollege Sports Commission
Small deals, strict review, lots of volume. Athios is built for exactly that.
Ready to bring structure to your athletic department?
Join early access today. Full launch Q1 2027.
- 1Bring your program onInvite teams and staff
- 2Enroll athletesCreator Lab Academy cohorts
- 3Review every dealOne queue, set up for NIL Go
Free guide
The NIL Athlete Content Playbook
Your guide to athlete content.
Learn how athletes can create and earn, brands can license and amplify, and universities can keep everything organized and compliant.
- AthletesPricing your content and earning the bonus
- BrandsLicensing, usage rights, and paid boosts
- UniversitiesRunning a compliant program at scale
- PartnersManaging a roster without the group chat