King is the first college athlete to sign an NIL agreement with a professional sports franchise.
Since the new legislation allowing college athletes to benefit from their names, images and likenesses went into effect on July 1st, many athletes have been cashing in.
Miami Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King is the latest. He joins Alabama’s Bryce Young, who’s already secured nearly $1M in NIL deals and LSU defensive back Derek Stingley Jr. as trendsetters and early opportunists in this new wave.
LSU Tiger Derek Stingley Jr. Is Already Getting Paid Off NIL Ruling
On Monday, it was announced that King has signed an NIL agreement with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. The Panthers have started their own NIL program and made King the first member.
Furthermore, King is the first college athlete to sign an NIL agreement with a professional sports franchise.
Making moves ✍️
D'Eriq King (@DeriqKing_) has signed as our first-ever FLA Athlete, becoming the first collegiate athlete to sign an NIL agreement with a pro sports team!
📝 » https://t.co/3dZAMi8rlX pic.twitter.com/sr85OmTfPq
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) August 9, 2021
“We are thrilled to welcome D’Eriq to Panthers Territory as our first ‘FLA Athlete,” The Panthers’ chief strategy officer Sam Doerr said in a statement.
“D’Eriq is a superstar both on and off the field and we are excited to reach and engage South Florida sports fans in new ways through this collaborative partnership. He will appear at Panthers games and events and work closely with the Panthers digital and social media teams.”
King will also “develop a merchandise collection” and have his own concession menu item at the Panthers’ arena.
King spent four seasons at the University of Houston. He returned from an Achilles injury for the 2019 season, but then decided to redshirt for the remainder of the season. He then entered the transfer portal and chose to attend the University of Miami in January of 2020.
As a well-known player, gearing up to potentially be the starting quarterback at an institution well known as “The U” – King was appealing as a possible partner. King is also a shrewd businessman in the NIL realm – already signing contracts with College Hunks Moving Company, Murphy Auto Group, Dreamfield, The Wharf and Panini America.
