Oregon Athletics Announces Launch Of Emerge Program
10/16/20 | General
EUGENE, Ore. - Today, the University of Oregon department of athletics is launching the EMERGE program, a comprehensive education program designed to provide student-athletes with knowledge and tools that will assist them in optimizing opportunities related to upcoming name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation.
The EMERGE program will deliver educational programming and content through a collaboration that features business leaders and foremost branding experts from entities including, but not limited to, Nike, Facebook and Twitter, INFLCR, Cole Haan, the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the UO Lundquist College of Business, and the UO School of Journalism and Communications, many of whom come from the extensive network of University of Oregon alumni.
EMERGE will position student-athletes for personal and professional growth outside of the classroom and training and playing facilities through workshops, modules, and educational experiences in three core areas: personal branding strategies and acceleration, foundations of business and financial literacy, and managing opportunities related to upcoming name, image, and likeness legislation.
"The EMERGE program will be a first-in-class educational initiative to empower Oregon student-athletes to develop their personal brands and take advantage of all of their potential opportunities," said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens. "We have created an all-star lineup of successful and highly knowledgeable industry professionals, and we are proud to partner with the UO Warsaw Sports Marketing Center and the UO School of Journalism and Communication on such a valuable project. We look forward to the impact that EMERGE will have on our Duck student-athletes both during their time at Oregon and for long-term success."
The Oregon Ducks currently have one of the largest social media followings in the country, including the largest official main Twitter and Instagram accounts in college athletics, with Facebook and YouTube both ranking in the top 10. The high engagement rates associated with these accounts are a result of placing heavy emphasis on student-athlete accomplishments and highlighting and amplifying their personalities, and Oregon's EMERGE program is the next step in continuing to maximize visibility for the accomplishments of all University of Oregon student-athletes.
Additionally, EMERGE will further advance the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that Ducks student-athletes develop while attending the University of Oregon, preparing them for opportunities and success well after their athletic careers conclude.
These are the three core areas of the EMERGE program:
Personal Branding Strategies and Acceleration – Branding strategies and concepts; managing and maximizing your personal brand; social media best practices, valuation, and security; positive brand association; media relations/interviewing skills; voice and identity.
Foundations of Business/Financial Literacy - General sports business principles; endorsements and sponsorships; contracts; licensing and intellectual property; financial literacy; entrepreneurship.
Managing NIL Opportunities – Education on NIL legislation (once enacted); agent and marketing advisor education; compliance; conference and NCAA rules; federal and state laws;
Panelist Quotes on Oregon's EMERGE Program:
Jim Cavale, Founder and CEO and INFLCR:
"At the heartbeat of INFLCR is helping student-athletes see that they are all storytellers. Athletes can tell their own story and control the message around who they are in a manner that has become their digital character footprint. This is something that Oregon has supported their student-athletes in by coming with awesome content that their award-winning staff produces on a daily basis; content that is helping you grow an audience that's more engaged because they see you as the whole person you are. Oregon's EMERGE program is so important because ultimately, it will not be based on how to do a sponsorship deal, it will be based on how to build more value through telling your story."
Todd Van Horne, Vice President and Creative Director for NIKE Special Projects:
"At Oregon, you are more than a student-athlete, but also that of a launching platform for your voice, values and personality. The EMERGE program will allow Oregon student-athletes to harness the power of their stories and the power of their own personal brands."
Whitney Wagoner, Director of University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the Lundquist College of Business:
"Oregon is once again able to strongly differentiate itself by bringing the power of a best-in-class network of experts to support the development of our student-athletes. What makes this program particularly unique is that the collaboration also provides first-hand learning opportunities for our students who are interested in pursuing careers in sports business. No other university is able to engage both athletics and an on-campus academic program in sports marketing to the level that Oregon can."
The EMERGE program will deliver educational programming and content through a collaboration that features business leaders and foremost branding experts from entities including, but not limited to, Nike, Facebook and Twitter, INFLCR, Cole Haan, the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the UO Lundquist College of Business, and the UO School of Journalism and Communications, many of whom come from the extensive network of University of Oregon alumni.
EMERGE will position student-athletes for personal and professional growth outside of the classroom and training and playing facilities through workshops, modules, and educational experiences in three core areas: personal branding strategies and acceleration, foundations of business and financial literacy, and managing opportunities related to upcoming name, image, and likeness legislation.
"The EMERGE program will be a first-in-class educational initiative to empower Oregon student-athletes to develop their personal brands and take advantage of all of their potential opportunities," said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens. "We have created an all-star lineup of successful and highly knowledgeable industry professionals, and we are proud to partner with the UO Warsaw Sports Marketing Center and the UO School of Journalism and Communication on such a valuable project. We look forward to the impact that EMERGE will have on our Duck student-athletes both during their time at Oregon and for long-term success."
The Oregon Ducks currently have one of the largest social media followings in the country, including the largest official main Twitter and Instagram accounts in college athletics, with Facebook and YouTube both ranking in the top 10. The high engagement rates associated with these accounts are a result of placing heavy emphasis on student-athlete accomplishments and highlighting and amplifying their personalities, and Oregon's EMERGE program is the next step in continuing to maximize visibility for the accomplishments of all University of Oregon student-athletes.
Additionally, EMERGE will further advance the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that Ducks student-athletes develop while attending the University of Oregon, preparing them for opportunities and success well after their athletic careers conclude.
These are the three core areas of the EMERGE program:
Personal Branding Strategies and Acceleration – Branding strategies and concepts; managing and maximizing your personal brand; social media best practices, valuation, and security; positive brand association; media relations/interviewing skills; voice and identity.
Foundations of Business/Financial Literacy - General sports business principles; endorsements and sponsorships; contracts; licensing and intellectual property; financial literacy; entrepreneurship.
Managing NIL Opportunities – Education on NIL legislation (once enacted); agent and marketing advisor education; compliance; conference and NCAA rules; federal and state laws;
Panelist Quotes on Oregon's EMERGE Program:
Jim Cavale, Founder and CEO and INFLCR:
"At the heartbeat of INFLCR is helping student-athletes see that they are all storytellers. Athletes can tell their own story and control the message around who they are in a manner that has become their digital character footprint. This is something that Oregon has supported their student-athletes in by coming with awesome content that their award-winning staff produces on a daily basis; content that is helping you grow an audience that's more engaged because they see you as the whole person you are. Oregon's EMERGE program is so important because ultimately, it will not be based on how to do a sponsorship deal, it will be based on how to build more value through telling your story."
Todd Van Horne, Vice President and Creative Director for NIKE Special Projects:
"At Oregon, you are more than a student-athlete, but also that of a launching platform for your voice, values and personality. The EMERGE program will allow Oregon student-athletes to harness the power of their stories and the power of their own personal brands."
Whitney Wagoner, Director of University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the Lundquist College of Business:
"Oregon is once again able to strongly differentiate itself by bringing the power of a best-in-class network of experts to support the development of our student-athletes. What makes this program particularly unique is that the collaboration also provides first-hand learning opportunities for our students who are interested in pursuing careers in sports business. No other university is able to engage both athletics and an on-campus academic program in sports marketing to the level that Oregon can."
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