Pair of Kansas Jayhawks sign NIL deal with Sporting Kansas City

KU has been one of the leading schools in the country when it comes to creating Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for student-athletes. Not only does it help provide them with compensation for use of their name and likeness, but it also helps provide a great college experience and a way to give back to their local community.

Two Kansas athletes are taking advantage of a new, exciting NIL opportunity through a local, professional sports team.

Kansas football running back (and Lawrence native) Devin Neal, along with Kansas women’s soccer player Hallie Klanke, recently signed NIL deals with Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City as part of the club’s newly launched Sporting U NIL Program.

Neal is in his junior year with Kansas football and is primed to have a big year after rushing for more than 1,000 yards a season ago and being selected Preseason First Team All-Big 12 this year.

Klanke is a redshirt senior with KU soccer who is looking to make her presence felt after sitting out 2022 due to injury. The Lee’s Summit, Missouri, native transferred to KU from North Carolina ahead of the 2022 season.

Neal and Klanke are two of five local Division I athletes who were selected as part of the new program, which is designed to assist the athletes with marketing and brand building. The athletes also receive a financial stipend for social media engagement as well as tickets for Sporting KC home matches and merchandise from the club.

“Sporting KC is excited to offer student-athletes from multiple sports the opportunity to grow their brand and to support their pursuit of professional careers both on and off the field,” said Aaron Borns, Sporting KC Vice President of Marketing. “Sporting is proud to be the first professional team in Kansas City, and one of only a handful of major league sports organizations in the country, to offer NIL deals to student-athletes. We’re thrilled to welcome an inaugural class of Sporting U NIL Athletes who are all incredible representatives for the KC region and who are all fans of our club and our sport.”