Since 2021, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy has allowed collegiate athletes to be compensated for legal use of their name, image, and likeness. Whether it be through their play on the field or popularity, NIL provides athletes with a variety of compensation avenues, such as being involved in EA Sports’ popular College Football 25 video game, of which a number of Southern Miss football players are featured.
To The Top Collective is the marketing agency that oversees the legal use of names, images, and likenesses associated with Southern Miss student athletics. And since 2021, the group and its efforts have paid off.
“To The Top Collective has done a phenomenal job in keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics,” said Peter Boehme, executive director of the agency. “And the biggest thing is just making sure that our student athletes know there is a resource and a platform for their brand to grow here at Southern Miss.”
Boehme’s group is accomplishing what it set out to do, currently representing 42 football players and helping more than 100 student athletes across the board receive compensation for use of their name, image, and likeness.
“It allows us to invest equitably in all of our student athletes, rather than focusing on one or two guys,” Boehme added.
USM head football coach Will Hall echoed similar sentiments surrounding the benefits of NIL.
“NIL is the best thing to happen to Southern Miss in a long time, and our fans have to continue to embrace it,” he said. “It’s given us an edge, and you are able to see that in the big 3 sports of football, men’s basketball, and baseball and in the way that we’ve recruited.”
Hall is hopeful that Golden Eagle fans see the benefits of NIL and how they can help support the collective.
“If our fans can continue to take hold of this, latch onto it, and use it as a way to prove that we are the best fanbase in the country, we can really do some great things and put ourselves to be competitive with the ACC, Big 12, and SEC opponents,” he argued.
While the To The Top collective currently represents Southern Miss football players, men’s and women’s basketball players, and baseball players, the group is looking for opportunities to assist more student athletes by bringing them into the fold.
“Getting them out in the community is my biggest task at hand, as it’s how we intertwine our youth and create young Southern Miss fans in our town,” Boehme said. “Being part of the business community is hugely important for our student athletes and our businesses, as there is a hand in hand partnership with that.”
To get involved with the To The Top Collective, visit tothetopcollective.com.
