Principal, College Sports Marketing – College NIL & Relationships

Who You’ll Work With

The College Sports Marketing team shapes Nike’s relationships with influential athletes, programs, and institutions in collegiate sports. This role reports to the Director, College Sports Marketing, partners with Sports Marketing leadership and cross-functional teams, and leads strategic relationships with collegiate athletes, representatives, and athletic departments nationwide.

Who We Are Looking For

Nike is looking for a proven sports marketing leader with deep expertise in collegiate athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), athlete representation, and partnership development. The ideal candidate can influence internal stakeholders, negotiate at the highest levels externally, build trust, create long-term value, and translate market insights into impactful partnership strategies.

• 10+ years of experience in Sports Marketing, athlete marketing, partnership management, contract negotiation, or a related field
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sports Management, Marketing, Communications, or a related field
• Deep understanding of collegiate athletics, NIL, athlete representation, and sports marketing contract negotiations
• Experience leading complex negotiations with athletes, agents, representatives, athletic departments, or institutional partners
• Strong leadership, relationship management, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration skills

What You’ll Work On

You will help define Nike’s collegiate athlete partnership strategy and identify the next generation of athletes who will shape the future of sport.

• Partner across Sports Marketing, Brand Marketing, Legal, Finance, and other teams to evaluate and prioritize emerging collegiate athlete talent
• Lead recruitment, negotiation, and contracting efforts with elite college athletes and representatives for Nike Blue Ribbon Elite and other NIL opportunities
• Develop and execute long-term talent acquisition strategies aligned with Nike Sports Marketing objectives
• Advise Sports Marketing leadership on strategy, opportunities, and investment decisions
• Build and manage relationships with athletes, agents, representatives, conference stakeholders, and athletic department leaders
• Lead negotiations and relationship management for all-school Nike partnerships with athletic directors and university decision-makers
• Provide marketplace intelligence on emerging trends, competitive activity, and the evolving collegiate athletics and NIL ecosystem
• Travel 10–25%

NIKE, Inc. offers a generous total rewards package, a casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and professional development opportunities. NIKE, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.