There is so much focus on NIL and what the return will or will not be outside of some social posts and quick cash of various levels that you sometimes forget about the long term sustainable career programs some brands have built out around college athletes of every shape and size.
I was reminded of such a program that probably doesn’t get its full due last week in of all places, Montana. We were renting from Enterprise and were a day late because of travel issues. However, our arrival was its usual fast and easy, many times linked to those young people at the counter who in most cases are former or current college athletes part of the company’s recruitment platform. Rarely do you go into Enterprise, and if you ask, find out that the person waiting on you isn’t a volleyball player from Montclair State, a track athlete from Tennessee, a golfer from Dayton and so on. They always seem to be working together well, answer questions and solve problems if they exist. I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience at Enterprise, and it is largely because those at the front desk seem to really enjoy what they are doing.
Back to Montana, the young guy meeting me with a smile and a handshake was Aidan Stewart…from Massachusetts. What was he doing in Montana? Turns out Aiden is a junior offensive lineman at Ithaca College, an Academic All-Conference member in business school, who took the opportunity to leave the Northeast for the wilds of Whitefish, Montana for the summer.
He told me about his experience and what he and others would take back to campus, and it struck me that their hands on experience in the field combined with the practical learnings back on campus probably leads to more potential for the future than most NIL deals, which could be one and done. Now can Enterprise figure out a path forward to take these athletes and amplify even more through what is being done on campus with NIL? Probably and they probably have looked at the risk, reward and return. But for longer term, especially in the fluid environment of transfer portals, it seems like Enterprise lives up to their name…being enterprising and entrepreneurial with their trainees who have been grounded and schooled in the classroom and the field, and that’s a win for everyone.
Good luck Aidan, and keep winning Enterprise.
