Thomas Burkel

Tag: sports

  • How Jackson Shelstad is Showing Student-Athletes the Power of NIL

    How Jackson Shelstad is Showing Student-Athletes the Power of NIL

    By: Thomas Burkel

    Jackson Shelstad has become the face of Oregon Basketball. With his jaw-dropping dribble package and shifty mid-range, Shelstad is a killer on the court. If you haven’t seen his game, you are definitely missing out. However, his off-court package is what makes him stand out. With just over 26k followers, plus collaborations with local brands, Shelstad is becoming a certified baller in the name, image and likeness space.   

    In this blog, I will examine Shelstad’s brand image and how he capitalized on his brand awareness. 

    Shelstad’s Rise to Fame 

    Shelstad’s journey began before his time at Oregon. Coming out as a four-star recruit, Shelstad was ranked the 36th best player in the ESPN 100 rankings. He also played for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit and was part of the 2023 Jordan Brand National Team (Oregon Men’s Basketball 2025). Not only were his stats incredible, but his commitment to Oregon made him stand out. From West Linn, OR., Jackson Shelstad wanted to play for his hometown team. In 2021, Shelstad committed to the University of Oregon, and the rest is history.  

    Shelstad instantly jumped off the court. In his freshman season, he received a PAC-12 All-Freshman Team selection. On top of that, he started 30 games and averaged 12.8 points per game. Last year, he received votes for Third Team All-Big Ten, had six 20-point games, and led Oregon to the second round of March Madness (Oregon Men’s Basketball 2025). With his dynamic play, Shelstad has quickly become a rising star for the Oregon Ducks. 

    Shelstad’s Soaring Brand Image 

    With his stellar presence on the court, Shelstad’s brand image reached new heights. Fans, brands, and teams were engaged with Shelstad’s stardom. Shelstad gained 26.6k followers on Instagram, paying homage to local brands in his community. In October of 2022, Shelstad collaborated with Portland Gear. In doing this, he became the first-ever high school athlete in Oregon to sign an NIL deal (Portland Gear, 2022). This deal represented Shelstad’s commitment to the state of Oregon, which resonated with his community. This further elevated his fandom, leading to partnerships with Settlemiers Jackets, Mondelēz, Celsius, Marriott, and KLUTCH Sports Group (Boardroom, 2023). 

    Shelstad also partnered with Chips Ahoy for a March Madness campaign. Known for being a fan of Chips Ahoy, he partnered with a company that resembled his identity. By staying true to his roots, he created authenticity, driving brand awareness (Shultz, 2023). With all of this off-court success, Shelstad has received over $102k in NIL money. 

    Jackson Shelstad’s partnerships have shown that having authenticity is key to navigating a brand. By understanding his local community and partnering with his favorite childhood snack, Shelstad has shown that he is more than just an athlete – he is human. Shelstad’s vision, both on and off the court, has turned him into a budding star. With this approach, Jackson Shelstad is creating the blueprint for the future of NIL. 

    Sources:

    Dean, Z. (2022, October 20). The 1st High School NIL Deal in Oregon History. Portland Gear. https://portlandgear.com/blogs/news/the-1st-high-school-nil-deal-in-oregon-history?srsltid=AfmBOorY_NDTLLol7DT-958_cFS2lgq6XUlHrke1g7aGXrUsbWFZXDox

    Ehrlich, M. (2023, April 5). Oregon Commit Jackson Shelstad is an NIL Letterman. Boardroom. https://boardroom.tv/jackson-shelstad-nil-settlemiers-jackets-oregon/

    Jackson Shelstad – Men’s Basketball – University of Oregon Athletics. (2024). University of Oregon Athletics. https://goducks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jackson-shelstad/17608

    Schultz, N. (2025, March 13). Jackson Shelstad, Caleb Love, JuJu Watkins headline Mondelez March Madness NIL campaign. On3 NIL. https://www.on3.com/nil/news/jackson-shelstad-caleb-love-juju-watkins-headline-mondelez-march-madness-nil-campaign-ritz-chips-ahoy/

    Image Attribution: GoDucks

  • Leveling the Playing Field

    Leveling the Playing Field

    How the Women’s Sports Foundation is Making an Impact on Women’s Sports

    By Thomas Burkel

    In the world of sports, women have had the opportunity to change the game. From fighting for equal pay to being monumental in the rise of NIL. Women athletes have had to strive for equal opportunities to their male counterparts. However, with the sudden rise of women’s sports, public relations professionals, non-profits, and teams are trying to find ways to support women athletes. In recent years, there have been non-profit organizations created to support the women’s game. Whether through outreach to young girls to creating funds for NIL initiatives, nonprofits around the world are creating the blueprint for supporting women athletes. 

    In this read, I will highlight how the Women’s Sports Foundation uses its nonprofit expertise to support women athletes and create initiatives for women in sports. Then I will analyze their work from a public relations perspective and discuss how their work affects the future of communications in sports.  

    To give a brief rundown, The Women’s Sports Foundation was founded by Billie Jean King in 1974. King was influential in the rise of women’s sports, especially for women’s tennis, as she created the Women’s Tennis Association and pushed for equal pay for women athletes (Women’s Sports Foundation 2020). Looking closely at the organization, they are focused on advocacy work, supporting women college athletes through NIL, and advocating for gender equality in sports. Although the non-profit doesn’t specifically focus on NIL, for women’s college basketball athletes, their work creates a pathway for women athletes to succeed and represent their brand. 

    So what work has the Women’s Sports Foundation accomplished? Some initiatives that the organization has completed are funding for coaches, athletes, and scouts within college basketball. For example, in their Tara VanDerveer fund they raised over $1.2 million and gave that money to 44 colleges to close the gender gap in coaching (Miller 2024). The foundation also partnered with NBC on a 5-year deal to promote women in sports. With the use of content creation, marketing, and community outreach, NBC and the Women’s Sports Foundation have made it a mission to support women in sports through their social platforms and communications (O’Grady 2023).  

    The Women’s Sports Foundation does a great job of catering to the needs of young female athletes. Whether it is through community outreach, fundraising, or showcasing their areas of growth through their communication channels, they highlight what is possible for the future of women’s athletics. Although the organization doesn’t do much work in the realm of NIL or women’s college basketball, it makes a change for all women’s sports. How they communicate on their website and social media feeds that they are one for the community, gives their audience a sense of hope that there’s progress being made in women’s sports. As a PR professional, this is exciting. How they communicate their effectiveness, showcase what they have accomplished, and what their future initiative is, is something you hope to see out of your brand. 

    Overall, the Women’s Sports Foundation is giving young girls around the world the chance to dream big. Whether in sports or life, women around the world can achieve greatness on and off the field. And the Women’s Sports Foundation is making this dream come true.

    Sources:

    Our Founder – Women’s Sports Foundation. (2020, September 23). Women’s Sports Foundation. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-team/our-founder/  

    Women’s Sports Foundation® Continues to Strengthen the Pipeline for Aspiring Women Coaches Through Its Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching – Women’s Sports Foundation. (2024b, September 19). Women’s Sports Foundation. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/press_release/womens-sports-foundation-continues-to-strengthen-the-pipeline-for-aspiring-women-coaches-through-its-tara-vanderveer-fund-for-the-advancement-of-women-in-coaching/ 

    NBC Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation Announce Five-year Partnership Extension – Women’s Sports Foundation. (2023, March 16). Women’s Sports Foundation. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/press_release/nbc-sports-and-the-womens-sports-foundation-announce-five-year-partnership-extension/