NIL GO Launches Today: What Brands, Agencies, Athletes, and PMs Need to Know
By: Kalei Mahi
A new NIL reality begins today.
As of July 1, any NIL deal over $600 must go through a formal compliance review through the new NCAA compliance platform, NIL GO, created by Deloitte. Each deal will be processed through an algorithm and either approved, flagged for more information, or denied.
While most of the attention has been on how this affects student-athletes, schools, and collectives, brands and agencies now have a new set of operational challenges to solve. This isn’t just about red tape. This is about timelines, logistics, and campaign risk.
As someone who’s led hundreds of influencer and creator campaigns on both the brand and agency side, I know how much time and coordination it already takes to get a campaign live. Add an unpredictable new review layer into the mix, and you’ve got a situation that could easily delay launches or force last-minute pivots.
This change affects everyone, from national brands to small business sponsors, and how we prepare will determine who stays ahead.
How NIL GO Impacts Brands of All Sizes
Whether you're a global brand or a local business supporting a standout athlete, NIL GO introduces a new set of timing and workflow risks.
For Large Brands:
With multiple stakeholders and internal sign-offs already built into your process, the addition of NIL GO can create even tighter approval windows. If your campaign is tied to key events like playoff games, retail launches, or back-to-school season, you now need to start even earlier than usual to keep everything on track.
For Small Businesses:
If you're handling your own influencer marketing or working with limited resources, this process could be even more disruptive. A flagged or delayed NIL deal might mean missing your moment entirely, especially if you're operating with narrow timing or budget flexibility.
Best Practices for Navigating NIL GO
To manage this transition, here are four strategies every marketing and project team should implement immediately:
Build in a 7–10 day compliance buffer.
Treat NIL GO approval as its own phase. Don’t assume the review will be quick or automatic. Make sure to plan for the possibility of delays.Finalize paperwork before production begins.
Deals need to be submitted for approval before you brief creators, ship product, or book shoot days. If a deal gets denied or flagged late, you’re back to square one.Align closely with athletes and their reps.
Make sure athletes understand what’s needed on their end. Missing documentation or slow responses can delay the entire campaign.Avoid “moment marketing” unless you’re ready.
Trending moments and last-minute activations are exciting, but now carry big risk. If compliance doesn’t move fast enough, you could miss the window entirely.
This Is a Stress Test
Over the next 3 to 6 months, we’ll find out how efficient this NIL GO process really is. Some deals may fly through without issue. Others might get delayed for reasons that are difficult to troubleshoot. What’s clear is that this will be a stress test for everyone’s timelines.
If you’ve worked in influencer or athlete marketing or on the brand or agency side of the business, you already know: success is all about margin. Margin for review. Margin for reshoots. Margin for approvals. That margin just got smaller.
Final Thoughts: Plan Early, Communicate Often
Brands that build smarter, more resilient campaign timelines will be the ones that thrive in this new environment. This isn’t a reason to panic, but it is a reason to prepare.
Brands need to give time, space, and structure they need to succeed, and recognize that agency and athlete partners are now navigating this shift in real time.
If you're a brand or agency looking to run NIL campaigns with less stress and more strategy, I can help. I work with teams to build campaigns that are legally compliant, creatively sound, and athlete-first.
📩 Let’s connect and plan your next NIL campaign with intention.
