DAVID CURTISS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEW NCAA NIL RULES, PARTNERS WITH SPEEDO

BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

American sprinter David Curtiss has signed a sponsorship agreement with Speedo, one of the first collegiate swimmers to avail himself of new NCAA rules allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Curtiss announced the deal via his Instagram on Friday. As not just a rising star in the sport by a prominent Black swimmer, Curtiss expressed a desire to do more outside of the pool in the announcement:

“There are tons of stereotypes regarding who can and can’t swim. I strive to prove these wrong. I #MakeWaves by helping myself achieve my goals while helping others achieve theirs by assisting them any way I can. Swimming is for anyone, regardless of color, race, sexuality or ethnicity.”

The NCAA has yielded to decades of pressure on the NIL issue. As of July 1, in the face of several states passing laws and the proposal of federal legislation, the NCAA allowed athletes to begin making money off their NIL rights in certain circumstances. That has allowed athletes to be paid for appearances or leverage large social media followings.

Curtiss will begin his college career at NC State in the fall. A finalist at U.S. Olympic Trials, the native of Yardley, Pa., and graduate of the Pennington School in New Jersey set the fastest time in high school history in the 50 freestyle at 19.11 seconds. He joins NC State’s renowned stable of sprinters. ◄

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