In a sign of changing times for college athletes, University of Alabama football star Jalen Milroe has signed for representation with brand management and production company Improbable Media.
Improbable Media was co-founded by NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jay Williams, ESPN basketball analyst and entrepreneur. The firm is designed to help athletes make the most of ever-expanding options to strike brand partnerships, business and endorsement deals. Recent changes wrought by court battles in NCAA rules governing college athletes have opened the door to players striking lucrative agreements even before turning pro.
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In a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2021, the NCAA was forced to revise policies dictating student athlete activities with outside entities. “For the first time, student-athletes [can] benefit financially from their name, image, and likeness without fear of NCAA penalty,” according to a summation by Lansing, Mich.-based law firm Foster Swift. The NCAA has since fine-tuned its rules around name/image/likeness (or NIL) deals with rulings in 2022 and in April.
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Milroe is heading into his senior year as quarterback of the most renowned team in college football. The spotlight on him as QB for the Crimson Tide automatically gives him a platform in sports and media. Improbable Media aims to help Milroe and others make the most of that opportunity as well as avoid minefields.
“When I first met Jalen in Tuscaloosa there was an immediate connection and common ground,” said Williams, who is a former college basketball National Champion and All-American at Duke University. “All of us at Improbable are energized by the opportunity to closely collaborate with Jalen and so impressed with how he goes about his business.”
Milroe, who grew up in Katy, Texas, helped lead Alabama to a 12-1 record last season during his junior year. He graduated last December with a degree in business adminstration.
“Joining the Improbable Media family is a game changer for me,” said Milroe. “Being a college athlete in this new world of NIL brings more opportunity but also challenges, so it’s important to have the right team around me. I’m looking forward to learning, growing, and expanding my own brand with Improbable.”
Improbable aims to help Milroe and his teammate Terrion Arnold develop brand opportunities around a saying that the two shared that has since has become a team rallying cry: “LANK,” which stands for “Let a Naysayer Know.” Milroe and Arnold have filed for trademark protection on the phrase. Improbable is also a busy production company with such series as Amazon Prime Video’s “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey” and it earned a 2023 Emmy Award for “The Flagmakers,” a documentary on immigrants who work for Wisconsin-based Eder Flag , the nation’s largest provider of American flags, that aired on National Geographic/Disney+.
The two have also “formed a licensing agreement for merchandise with every player’s name and number to provide an opportunity to generate revenue based on their name and likeness, the original intent of NIL,” according to Improbable Media.
“While Jalen’s incredible athletic accomplishments are well-known, we’re equally excited about the opportunity to highlight Jalen’s narrative off the field,” said Jessica Lindell, head of brand partnerships for Improbable Media. “At Improbable we always prioritize creating authentic, engaging content. This commitment ensures partnerships that resonate with both the brand and the athlete’s vision, creating significant impact.”