Caisja Chandler turns into first Cincinnati student-athlete with NIL deal

It is time for college athletes to make money out of their name, image and likeness and their sprinter Caisja Chandler was the first University of Cincinnati undergraduate athlete to do so.

A week after the NCAA board of directors suspended the NCAA’s antiquated rules prohibiting student athletes from selling their NIL rights, Chandler tweeted Wednesday that she had received a payment through Klout machine, a marketplace that enables student athletes to make money from their social media posts, lectures, or just eating in local restaurants.

“It’s a one-time deal,” Chandler told The Enquirer on Thursday. “(I) just hope to get the brand out and get them known, help them get their followers, and get more athletes to follow and sign up with them.”

Chandler, Ohio State Defensive End Tyreke Smith, another supporter of the company, and Klout Machine co-founder and COO Noah Weisblat are all from the Cleveland area. Chandler and Weisblat joined forces after Chandler posted their testimonials from the US Olympic Trials on social media last month.

“It went viral on Twitter,” said Chandler, who holds six UC records in sprint events and is an All-American in the indoor 200-meter run. “… A lot of people from Cleveland retweeted it and showed a lot of love, so I think that helped me stay out there.”

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Chandler, who was named both American Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year and AAC Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year in 2019, did not give up the amount she received from Klout Machine for the one-time advertising contribution known. but said she was glad she and other college athletes can now make money from the work they put on their respective playing surfaces.

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“We athletes work every day,” said Chandler. “We put in so many hours, a lot of hard work, and then we can’t get paid for it. But now that we get money, it’s a good thing. Our families, a lot of people, can benefit from it.”

Several former UC student athletes who were unable to financially benefit from their name, image, and likeness while in school are thrilled to see the seismic shift in the college sports landscape.

Kim Geiger, who captained the Cincinnati women’s soccer team for three years during her UC career (2005-08), said it was an exciting time to be a student.

“With tools like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube at their fingertips – as well as more traditional means of monetizing their brand – I’m watching how resourceful some student athletes are likely to become,” Geiger told The Enquirer. “It’s a huge opportunity for them.”

Jordan Thompson, the only All-American in the history of the UC volleyball program, left Cincinnati and began her professional volleyball career in Turkey in 2020. Thompson, who will compete in the Tokyo Summer Olympics with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Indoor Volleyball Team later this month , said she, too, is excited that college athletes can finally reap the financial benefits of working outside of the classroom.

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“As a student-athlete, balancing work, athletics and school is difficult. I never tried because I knew it was going to be really, really difficult,” said Thompson. “For athletes who have the opportunity to have another source of income to support not only themselves but their families as well, I think it will be enormous. I honestly think it’s about time. “