BYU Launches Name, Image, Likeness Program For Athletic Department

PROVO, Utah – When the era of name, image, and likeness potentially goes into effect nationally in college sports this July 1st, BYU athletics will be ready.

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe announced at the school’s annual football Media Day that his athletic department will have a NIL program for BYU’s student-athletes. The program is called “Built 4 Life.”

Both Holmoe and head football coach Kalani Sitake will direct the Built 4 Life program. In the past, Sitake had a foundation that was called “More2Life.”

What is Name, Image, and Likeness?

Individual states in the United States have passed laws that allow college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. The NCAA is currently working with the United States Senate on getting a federal law in place by July 1st.

Lawmakers at the NCAA have sat on their hands and latched on to the ancient amateurism model in college athletics. A new era of college athletics is about to begin.

The state of Utah has not passed a bill regarding name, image, and likeness, but when a federal bill goes into effect, BYU’s “Built 4 Life” will step in to help student-athletes maximize their brand while at BYU.

Built 4 Life  

The Built 4 Life program will give BYU student-athletes individual attention to help create Individual Experience Plans to help them identify their long-term goals for personal and professional growth.

BYU has partnered with the Salt Lake Chamber, businesses throughout Utah, the Silicon Slopes, and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce in creating Built 4 Life. These companies partnered with BYU’s Built 4 Life to assist in internships while also contributing to professional development.

“It’s fitting that a world-class university in Utah would be the first in the nation to innovate a program that allows its student-athletes to fully benefit from the NCAA’s ‘Name, Image, and Likeness’ rules, given our state’s preeminent economic position and the cutting-edge leadership from our businesses in all industries that will allow these students to receive the full benefits intended by the new rules,” said Derek Miller, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber.

Miller continued, “It is an honor for the Salt Lake Chamber to join Brigham Young University as a founding partner of the Built4Life initiative, and we look forward to working with BYU Athletics to ensure the program’s success there and to assist its adoption by other universities that will embrace its principles, practices and innovation to serve student-athletes in laying a foundation for personal and professional success that will sustain them well beyond competitive athletics.”

Last September, BYU partnered with Opendorse, a leader in the Name, Image, and Likeness space, to be ready for when NIL goes into effect.

Opendorse will help each student-athlete understand their individual brand values and help them build their brands on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

Signs of Built 4 Life have already taken shape in the BYU football program during this calendar year.

During spring practices, BYU football players took headshots for their individual LinkedIn accounts. Sitake brought in local business professionals such as Carl Sokia to speak to the team about personal and professional growth.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.