NextName News

NextName in the NFL

For this year’s NFL Draft, NextName had three athletes drafted and one signed post-draft! A huge congrats to Devon Witherspoon (1st Round, Seahawks), Jartavius Martin (2nd Round, Commanders), Chase Brown (5th Round, Bengals) and Kendall Smith (Free Agent, Commanders)! We wish them all continued success as they move on to their professional careers!

NextName’s New Faces

NextName is proud to announce its addition of four new athletes to the platform! This round of onboarding is particularly special to us because it marks the first time we have signed individual players to the platform using our Athlete Sign-Up form. The Athlete Sign-Up form is reflective of our continued commitment to provide accessible […]

Illinois Basketball: NFTs are the next step in Illini NIL growth

by Zain Bando Illinois basketball is taking the next step in NIL endorsements with the NextName NFT partnership. The Illini are off to a fast start at 6-2, as it remained at No. 16 in the fourth week of the AP Top 25. Coupled with the on-court success also comes future marketing opportunities for the program. Illinois’ athletic department has been […]

Chicago Tribune: Father and son create platform for University of Illinois athletes to receive compensation by selling NFTs of themselves

Steve Thayer (right) and his son Ryan Thayer founded NextName to sell digital collectible images of college athletes and teams, which provide a financial support to players.

By Myrna Petlicki, Pioneer Press, Dec 04, 2022 Steve Thayer and his son Ryan Thayer wanted to offer financial help to athletes from their alma mater, the University of Illinois. They found the answer when a Supreme Court ruling last year allowed college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, or […]