FSU softball players profit off of NIL deal with Garnet and Gold

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Off the field, FSU softball players are partnering with local FSU apparel shops to sell personalized T-shirts and jerseys.

A manager for Garnet and Gold told WCTV they’ve sold hundreds to eager softball fans.

One fan, Karen Haines, stopped by Garnet and Gold Wednesday afternoon to buy a shirt with Kaley Mudge’s name on it.

“I love ‘em all, but I love watching Mudge do Mudge things,” Haines said.

She planned to wear the shirt while watching Wednesday night’s game. But she didn’t just want the shirt -- she also wanted to support Mudge.

“I think they deserve it. They earn it and that’s why I bought it,” Haines said.

For each T-shirt or jersey sold that has an athlete’s name on it, Garnet and Gold pays the athlete 25% of the profit. The athlete also gets an additional 14% from the clothing vendor.

“It really helps drive the business,” Garnet and Gold General Manager Yumi Gay said.

Gay said the store started doing this last year, after a new law went into effect allowing college athletes to get paid for use of their name, image and likeness, or NIL. Mudge was one of Garnet and Gold’s first NIL partners. For her, it’s been a game changer. She testified before Congress in March about the impact it’s had on her life.

“As an Olympic sport athlete on a partial scholarship, NIL has been extremely beneficial to me because I am able to help pay for my tuition to hopefully come out of college with little debt,” Mudge said.

She went on to say that one deal she’s been able to be part of thanks to NIL is helping her save money to attend nursing school after she graduates. Fans like Haines say they’re happy to help fund the futures of their favorite players.

“They worked so hard for it, and people come to see them,” Haines said. “So I feel like they should get a portion of something, some of the revenue, because they create it.”

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