UW football collaborates with World of Warcraft

SEATTLE — Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is changing the landscape of college sports - look no further than the University of Washington’s collaboration with World of Warcraft for Friday night’s game against UCLA for proof.

An exclusive partnership at the intersection of gaming and sports is creating an atmosphere the likes of which we’ve never seen before in college football.

It’s also a deal that wouldn’t have been possible before NIL, a first-of-its-kind experience that probably couldn’t have happened five years ago.

Thanks to the inception of Name, Image, and Likeness, college athletes can now get paid. That, in turn, is changing the way universities and partnering companies operate.

Still a little confused about the concept?

The NCAA offers an explainer on NIL, outlining the basic concept, “Student-athletes have the opportunity to receive compensation from third parties using their personal brand, often referred to as their name, image, and likeness.”

It wasn’t until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from NIL.

Friday night’s UW game celebrated World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Custom logos, a digital takeover, and exclusive NIL deals with nearly a dozen “U-Dub” players are all part of the sponsorship.

The university can’t disclose how much revenue they or the players generate with this deal, but Kurt Svoboda says it all came together organically.

“I think this partnership came around in a very authentic manner,” quipped the Huskies’ Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations. “And, I think it speaks to the visibility and the interest in the University of Washington and our connection to really impressive corporations that are right here in our backyard.”

A hype video dropped earlier this week teased what was to be an all-out “WoW” takeover. However, the rollout may not be quite what some were expecting.

There are some unique logos and in-game promotions, but the field looks the same as it would for any other Huskies’ home game. However, that hasn’t diminished the overall reaction.

One gamer traveled all the way from Dallas, Texas just to experience the event. And, like it or not, it has people’s attention. There’s been a massive response online as the two worlds collide.

“In just two days, over half a billion impressions on social media,” Svoboda says. “People who are talking about what’s going on. Having their eyes opened actually; all the similarities in this world.”

He also confirms, “It has drawn an audience that is maybe a little bit different than might otherwise tune in to a Friday Night game.”

All of which signals towards a new age of NIL. An extra wrinkle that even has visiting UCLA fans, Michelle Lin and Malia Mason, excited to attend.

“Oh, 100%. I’m gonna totally nerd out,” says Mason, an avid gamer. “And, of course, how often does sports and nerdom collide? Not often. So now, it’s like two of my favorite things coming together. That’s super cool.”

Others, like Lin, feel a different connection. “My son is very into gaming,” she noted. “So it helps me understand that world, seeing that kind of excitement.”

Earlier in the week, players also had the chance to tour the Xbox Game Studios in Redmond. There, they enjoyed an immersive experience that included creating their own digital avatars.

It’s an opportunity you can expect to become more commonplace for student-athletes across college athletics.

Svoboda is also hopeful that pointing to partnerships like the one that came together Friday can be a future recruiting tool. Although he couldn’t discuss details of other partnerships in the works, he expects more to come with the amount of Fortune 500 companies in the region.

For now, there’s plenty for Huskies’ fans to cheer for. Gamers included.

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