expOSUre Paves Way for Beavers to Maximize Name-Image-Likeness Era

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University Athletics has aligned global experts in business, branding and technology to form expOSUre, an education platform and toolkit designed to maximize the potential of every student-athlete’s name, image and likeness (NIL).

“We’re proud to advance goal number one of our strategic plan - holistic student-athlete development - through the new ‘expOSUre’ program,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. “We have bundled existing services with new programs and partners to benefit all of our student-athletes.”

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“This is a very important time for collegiate athletics, and I’m excited about how proactive Oregon State will be to educate and assist our student-athletes,” Oregon State Head Football Coach Jonathan Smith said. “Steven Jackson has been a consummate professional his entire life. We are grateful to him, and all of the partners, who will work tirelessly to help our student-athletes maximize all of their opportunities with NIL.

expOSUre will leverage a partnership with the world-class OSU College of Business to train student-athletes in creating successful plans for business and life in Corvallis and beyond. The experience of the business school joins OSU Athletics’ renowned Everyday Champions program, which has been developing student-athletes for post-graduate success for more than a decade.

“The College of Business is excited to partner with OSU athletics to offer a diverse array of courses and programs for student-athletes, including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and sports business,” said College of Business Associate Professor and Faculty Athletics Representative Colleen Bee. “We also have the flexibility student-athletes need, with opportunities delivered across multiple platforms, including our nationally third-ranked online bachelor’s degree business program.”

A technology and education partnership with Opendorse, the leader in professional and collegiate athlete marketing, ties expOSUre together. Opendorse has been the singular innovator in the field since 2012, creating technology to streamline content distribution from creators to student-athletes. Using Opendorse, Oregon State’s award-winning Ideation, Marketing and Communications Departments will be more effective than ever before in creating quality and quantity content that will help student-athletes grow their personal brands.

Oregon State is also joining Opendorse’s leading NIL education program, Opendorse Ready. The program provides student-athletes with industry expert-led training, educational resources, and personal brand assessments to help them prepare them to perform in the NIL era.

“NIL is a driving force for innovation throughout college athletics,” said Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. “And nowhere is this clearer than Oregon State. The program has embraced change and is launching a program in expOSUre that sets the standard among the very best in the country. We’re proud to be a part of the NIL movement alongside a program with this commitment to helping student-athletes realize and maximize the opportunities to come.”

Former Oregon State standout running back Steven Jackson will provide exclusive education and mentorship to Beaver student-athletes. Jackson, a 12-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selection, has first-hand experience growing and capitalizing on a personal brand.

“I’m humbled and honored to partner with Oregon State University and student-athletes, as they strive to better themselves in the classroom and their respective sports,” Jackson said. “Like most things, markets, industries, and technology all advance, so we must advance support for student-athletes to ensure they can identify opportunities, enhance skills and learn to leverage their talents, while building a life in the communities they live.”

Jackson earned his Oregon State degree in the fall of 2020, and has regularly served in an informal advisory role to the athletics department.

Gymnastics head coach Tanya Chaplin lauded the program launch for its holistic approach to serving OSU student-athletes.

“The comprehensiveness of expOSUre stands out,” Chaplin said. “It’s brand building, but more importantly, it’s education on how to use these powerful platforms in the best way.”

Head softball coach Laura Berg expressed excitement over expOSUre’s long-term perspective on student-athlete brand building.

“This isn’t an approach with just one tool, designed for today,” Berg said. “It’s every tool we need to educate and serve our student-athletes in this new era.”

The programming offered through expOSUre is designed to ensure each of Oregon State’s 475 student-athletes, across 17 teams, have every resource available as state and federal legislatures and the NCAA modernize rules surrounding name, image and likeness.