NIL Edge is a new interview series from NILNewsstand and Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern that spotlights the professionals shaping the future of college sports. From NIL directors to athletic directors, brand executives, and policy shapers, these conversations provide exclusive insights into how the industry is evolving in the NIL and revenue-sharing era.
Grayson Wagner, senior director of NIL and revenue share operations at Colorado State, joins Sterling Randle to discuss how the Rams help athletes build content portfolios, pursue brand partnerships and understand the difference between NIL and revenue sharing.
Grayson shares how a freshman basketball player’s content attracted a bank partnership, what Colorado State’s work with Facebook and Vuori looked like and why local businesses value athletes with Colorado roots. He also explains how he sets expectations with athletes and families, builds individual development plans and evaluates success through athlete retention and returning brand partners.
NIL Edge is a podcast from HPL Digital Sport, produced in partnership with NILNewsstand. Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts for more conversations about the business of college sports.
1 Oct 2026
NIL Edge - 026 - Ryan Eckel - Diadora
What makes an NIL partnership work for both the athlete andthe brand?
Diadora’s U.S. chief marketing officer, Ryan Eckel, joinsSterling Randle to share how the company selects and supports its athletes.
From Marco Langon’s initial pitch to the brand’s relationship with Simeon Birnbaum, Ryan explains why shared values, access to company resources and planning beyond college matter.
The conversation also covers how athletes can build aconnection with fans alongside their school’s apparel agreement, what Diadora looks at when evaluating partnerships and how Ryan’s experience as a parentshapes its social media expectations.
NIL Edge is produced by HPL Digital Sport in partnershipwith NIL Newsstand. Follow the show for more conversations about the businessof NIL.
18 Sept 2026
NIL Edge - 025 - Brenden Hill - San Diego State
Brenden Hill, assistant athletic director of student-athlete development and NIL at San Diego State, joins Sterling Randle to discuss how the Aztecs are creating opportunities for athletes in an increasingly complex college sports landscape.
Hill explains why San Diego State treats NIL as its own sport, how storytelling has generated new business opportunities and why athletes must be patient when building their brands. He also breaks down the difference between “true NIL” and revenue sharing, the challenges facing international student-athletes, San Diego State’s move to the Pac-12 and his concerns about the escalating cost of college athletics.
NIL Edge is produced by Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern in partnership with NILNewsstand.
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