The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur

The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur covers Name, Image, and Likeness news, athlete business strategy, NIL deals, collectives, and the legal and regulatory landscape shaping college sports — from football and basketball to March Madness and beyond. Built for athletes, sports professionals, universities, coaches, agents, and anyone operating inside the modern NIL ecosystem.

The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur, a business show with 27 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #27

  NIL, Law, and College Sports | Philip Sheng of Venable LLP

  Aug 10, 20261 hour

  NIL is giving college athletes new opportunity, but the legal side is getting harder to ignore. In this conversation, Philip Sheng, partner at Venable LLP, breaks down NIL through the lens of intellectual property, right of publicity, athlete contracts, college eligibility, and the changing business of college sports. Eric Kasimov and Philip discuss the College Sports Commission, fake NIL vs. real NIL, the Nebraska/PlayFly case, transfer portal culture, non-revenue sports pressure, high school NIL, sports betting, and why athletes should be careful about making life decisions based only on money. Key Takeaways NIL is both an athlete compensation issue and an intellectual property issue Right of publicity is the legal foundation behind many NIL questions College athletes need better education around contracts, taxes, agents, and rights Not every NIL deal is worth making a life decision around The College Sports Commission is trying to separate real NIL from pay-for-play The Nebraska/PlayFly situation shows how important contract details and deliverables are Non-revenue sports like tennis and swimming face real pressure after the House settlement International recruiting and age-based eligibility rules are affecting college rosters High school NIL creates opportunity, but also adds risk for younger athletes Sports betting is becoming one of the biggest trust and wellness issues in college sports College still has value beyond athletics, money, and short-term opportunity Episode Chapters 00:00 – Philip Sheng’s background in law, NIL, and college sports 03:04 – Conference realignment and the travel burden on athletes 05:19 – How college sports changed from opportunity to money 08:23 – NIL education, taxes, agents, and bad advice 12:25 – Whether NIL has gone too far 14:21 – Fan loyalty, roster turnover, and the value of staying 18:00 – The College Sports Commission and NIL enforcement 21:00 – Nebraska, PlayFly, and what NIL deals need to include 25:00 – Lawyers, arbitration, and whether the CSC can work 28:11 – Big Ten, SEC, playoff expansion, and media money 30:29 – Media rights, rivalry games, and breaking away 34:39 – Philip’s NIL contract work with athletes, schools, and brands 36:08 – Why brands should look beyond star athletes 38:20 – What families need to know before signing NIL contracts 40:38 – IP rights, long-term control, and the Taylor Swift example 42:02 – Non-revenue sports cuts after the House settlement 44:29 – International athletes, eligibility rules, and roster pressure 48:00 – High school NIL and protecting younger athletes 50:29 – Sports betting, college students, and athlete data concerns 54:34 – College education, cost, and long-term decision-making 59:28 – Where to find Philip Sheng Connect & Follow Follow The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur for more conversations on athlete business, NIL strategy, and the evolving college sports landscape. Philip Sheng: X | LinkedIn | Venable LLP Eric Kasimov: LinkedIn | X SportsEpreneur: LinkedIn | X

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  Episode #26

  College Soccer, Youth Development, and the Player-Led Pathway with Brando Babini

  Jun 29, 202658 min

  NIL, soccer development, and the next generation of player-led pathways. In this conversation, Brando Babini, founder of Youth for Youth Football Club, breaks down how youth soccer, college recruiting, content, mentorship, and American soccer development are changing. Eric Kasimov and Brando discuss the pressure young players face, the rise of the transfer portal, international recruiting, pay-to-play barriers, MLS and USL growth, and why the future of soccer in the United States may depend on building better pathways for domestic players. Key Takeaways Youth soccer needs more player-led mentorship College soccer recruiting is being reshaped by the transfer portal Domestic players face new pressure from older and international recruits Pay-to-play still creates major barriers in American soccer Showcases should create real opportunity, not just more cost Players need agency before they reach college or the pros Parents can support the journey without controlling it Good teammates and leaders are developed through daily exposure Content can help players and programs get discovered Street soccer and small-sided games can bring more freedom back into the sport Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Youth for Youth Football Club 00:29 – Brando’s schedule between Brown and New York 01:00 – Starting Youth for Youth at 16 02:15 – Brando’s recruiting journey and Brown University 03:00 – When the soccer dream starts to shift 04:00 – Injuries, coaching challenges, and the need for mentorship 04:50 – Building what he wished existed as a youth player 05:12 – Nike street soccer and alternative pathways 05:40 – College soccer recruiting and the transfer portal 06:00 – How recruiting has changed in college soccer 07:00 – International players and roster pressure 08:20 – Goalkeepers, college rosters, and difficult pathways 10:13 – Why domestic player development has to improve 11:45 – MLS, USL, and the future of American soccer 12:30 – Promotion, relegation, and soccer culture 14:25 – Charlotte FC, accessibility, and growing the game 16:27 – Where MLS stands globally 19:00 – World Cup impact and youth soccer infrastructure 20:00 – Breaking down pay-to-play barriers 24:00 – Why profit incentives are not always bad 25:00 – Building a better development model 27:00 – Making Youth for Youth more need-blind 28:00 – Playing time, competition, and development 31:00 – Parent pressure and athlete responsibility 32:57 – Why players need to speak for themselves 34:08 – Expanding Youth for Youth by region 36:00 – Brown University, professors, and entrepreneurship 38:12 – What college can offer beyond classes 40:26 – Helping young athletes become better teammates 41:16 – Leadership, captains, and mentorship 43:00 – Controlling what you can control 44:11 – Coaching intensity and parent reactions 47:43 – Content, discovery, and player applications 48:57 – Nike Toma and the value of street soccer 51:00 – Messi, Ronaldo, and the GOAT conversation 51:21 – Premier League complaints and global soccer 52:48 – Best players in the world today 54:42 – World Cup predictions 57:00 – Where to find Youth for Youth Connect & Follow The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur Hosted by Eric Kasimov: https://x.com/Eric_Kaz Featuring Brando Babini / Youth for Youth Football Club: Youth for Youth Football Club: https://y4yfc.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/y4yfc/ SportsEpreneur: https://sportsepreneur.com X: https://x.com/sportsepreneur LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportsepreneur

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  Episode #25

  Athlete Value and ROI with Brent Wall of Student Athlete Score

  Jun 3, 202654 minS0

  <p>NIL is no longer just about deals. It is becoming a marketing, data, and infrastructure problem.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, Brent Wall, co-founder and CEO of Student Athlete Score, breaks down how schools, athletes, and brands are using data to understand athlete value, social reach, campaign performance, and NIL ROI.</p><p><br></p><p>Eric Kasimov and Brent discuss how NIL is moving from chaos and headline chasing toward measurable marketing systems, why local and regional brand deals matter, and how athletes can build platforms that last beyond sports.</p><p><br></p><p>...

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  Episode #24

  NIL, Youth Sports, and the Pressure Pipeline | Dave Yoo of Onsides

  May 28, 202650 minS0

  <p>NIL may officially begin in college, but the pressure now starts much earlier.</p><p>In this conversation, Dave Yoo, founder of Onsides, breaks down how youth sports has quietly become a massive industry shaped by travel, private training, recruiting, branding, and rising expectations for both athletes and parents.</p><p>Eric Kasimov and Dave discuss the growing cognitive load families carry, how NIL is pushing pressure downstream into younger ages, and why the future of youth sports may depend on reducing chaos instead of adding more to it.</p><p>Key Takeaways</p>NIL pressure is moving downstream...

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  Episode #23

  NIL Was the Wake-Up Call — Now What?

  Apr 16, 20261h 10mS0

  <p>When NIL exposed the value of athletes, it didn’t build the system around them.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, Stephen Bienko (42U) breaks down what’s missing — from athlete development and identity to leadership gaps in college athletics — and what needs to change next.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode focuses on what actually matters now: decision-making, brand equity, and building something that lasts beyond the moment.</p><p><br></p><p>Key Takeaways</p>NIL exposed athlete value, but not athlete developmentBrand equity matters more than chasing short-term dealsMost athletes aren’t prepared for the de...

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