ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University Athletics and Physical Education, in partnership with Teamworks Influencer, has launched Big Red Exchange, the department's official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) marketplace designed to connect Cornell student-athletes with businesses, brands and community partners.

"Cornell University Athletics has built a forward-thinking NIL program that prioritizes education, compliance, and brand-building," said Teamworks Senior Account Executive Sean Kelly. " We're proud to power the Big Red Exchange and help student-athletes unlock new NIL opportunities with the support of their local community and beyond."

Free to both student-athletes and external organizations, Big Red Exchange provides a customized, Cornell-specific portal for communication and fulfillment of market-based NIL opportunities.

"As we continue to empower our student-athletes to pursue excellence in every arena, Big Red Exchange provides a safe, efficient and educational platform to engage in NIL activity," said Dr. Nicki Moore, the Meakem & Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education. "It aligns perfectly with our mission to prepare our student-athletes for lifelong success - helping them learn to build and manage their personal brand and professional relationships while engaging responsibly with broader communities."

Big Red Exchange serves as an extension of Cornell Athletics' educational mission. It offers student-athletes the opportunity to actively market themselves, learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and connect directly with organizations interested in partnering on NIL initiatives.

After registering on the platform, businesses can search a database of Cornell student-athletes using various filters, message them directly or request contact information. Once an NIL agreement is reached, a customized reporting form that is compliant with New York State law and Cornell Athletics' NIL guidelines is generated and submitted to the university for approval.

For businesses wishing to use Cornell's trademarks, logos or other intellectual property in conjunction with NIL agreements, requests should be directed to the Cornell University Brand Center.

Big Red Exchange also integrates secure payment processing, enabling businesses to compensate student-athletes directly within the platform. The system automatically generates IRS 1099 forms within each student-athlete's Influencer app, simplifying compliance and tax reporting.

The platform further enhances the NIL education Cornell provides to its student-athletes, offering tools and programming focused on financial literacy, brand development and social-media analytics - reinforcing the university's holistic approach to learning, leadership and impact.

Big Red Exchange is powered by Teamworks Influencer, the leading software platform connecting student-athletes and businesses for compliant, efficient NIL activity.
 

About Teamworks Influencer

Teamworks Influencer, available on Teamworks' Operating System for Sports™, is the leading athlete brand-building and NIL business management app for over 270 elite collegiate and professional sports organizations. The Influencer athlete app educates student-athletes, coaches, and staff for the NIL era in a safe and compliant environment, all powered by best-in-class content delivery for student-athletes to access and share content to their social media channels. The Influencer platform also includes the impactful Influencer Exchange. Schools can direct businesses, collectives, and fans seeking to find, communicate with, pay, and report NIL transactions with student-athletes in this school-customized NIL exchange. The Influencer Local Exchange maximizes the student-athlete wallet share while streamlining compliance and tax reporting responsibilities. To learn more about the Influencer Exchange, please visit teamworks.com/influencer