Auburn Athletes Will Land NIL Deals to Promote the Aflac Kickoff Game
By Kristi Dosh
Last Updated on July 17, 2026
For the first time, college athletes will have the opportunity to earn NIL compensation as part of a neutral-site college football game.
As part of a multi-million-dollar agreement, Peach Bowl, Inc. will partner with third-party entities to offer NIL compensation to up to two dozen Auburn athletes as part of the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Beginning in July, and continuing through the game between Auburn and Baylor on September 5th, select Auburn athletes will engage in a variety of activations to promote the Aflac Kickoff Game. Those activities may include social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions and media interviews, as well as signage and branding opportunities.
“In the new NIL era of college football, this will be an innovative way to create wins for the teams, programs and student-athletes,” said David Epps, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO. “This new model is a true win-win scenario where Auburn and its student-athletes get a financial boost in the NIL space. At the same time, it’s a potential gamechanger for neutral-site games like ours who want to bring added value to participating teams and make it a more attractive and lucrative opportunity.”
If you’re wondering whether football athletes would be able to participate and earn NIL compensation for promoting a game in which they’re playing, this very scenario is covered over on the College Sports Commission’s website:
The use of a student-athlete’s NIL by an associated entity to promote a contest or event in which a student-athlete participates (e.g. bowl game, multiteam event) may be considered a valid business purpose, provided the event or contest is conducted for profit and the student-athlete’s NIL is used to directly promote or endorse the contest or event. Any contract or payment for such use must be reported to NIL Go and must include compensation at rates and terms commensurate with compensation paid to similarly situated individuals with comparable NIL value who are not prospective student-athletes or student-athletes of the institution.
The Aflac Kickoff Game between Baylor and Auburn will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be televised on ABC.
