The Scarlet Standard A Rutgers Men's Lacrosse NIL Field Guide for Recruits & Families Straightforward answers. Real resources. A clear path from Piscataway to your future. What NIL Actually Means at Rutgers Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is your legal right to earn money from your personal brand while you play college lacrosse. That includes sponsorships, appearances, social media deals, camps, merchandise, and paid work with local businesses or the university's athlete collective. At Rutgers, NIL isn't a side hustle. It's a structured part of your experience — tied directly to your education, your community, and the career you'll build after your playing days end. The Core Idea Why It Matters to You The Rutgers Difference You can earn money from your brand while in school. Covers real costs: rent, food, travel home, and savings. Deals are sourced, vetted, and paired with career support — not left to chance. Men's lacrosse carries only 12.6 scholarships spread across a ~50-player roster. Most athletes get partial aid or walk on. NIL fills the gap. Rutgers is built to retain New Jersey talent, not watch it leave through the transfer portal. Bottom line: NIL at Rutgers turns your four years on the Banks into a launchpad — financially, professionally, and personally. How the Rutgers NIL Ecosystem Works Three programs do the heavy lifting. Together, they cover funding, real-world work, and long-term career building. The Three Pillars in Plain Language Pillar What It Is What You Get The Knights of The Rare The team's donor-funded NIL collective. Monthly or project-based payments in exchange for community appearances, content, and autograph sessions. Rutgers NIL Exchange A matching platform connecting athletes to local and regional businesses. Paid branding work, social media partnerships, product deals, and consulting projects. Scarlet Knights Experience (SKE) The career and alumni arm of the program. Internships, mentor pairings, résumé coaching, and introductions to Rutgers alumni in finance, law, media, and tech. How NIL Connects to Community, Career, and Retention Rutgers uses NIL to solve three real problems recruits and families care about: staying financially stable, building a career, and finishing your degree at the school you chose. Pillar Community Impact Career Development Why Athletes Stay Knights of The Rare Youth clinics, charity games, hospital visits — paid. Public speaking, media training, and brand-building reps. Reliable monthly income removes the financial reason to transfer. NIL Exchange Partnerships with New Jersey businesses that hire locally. Real clients, real deliverables, real portfolio pieces. You build a professional network in the state where you'll likely work. SKE Alumni-led service projects in Newark, New Brunswick, and beyond. Internships at top firms across NYC and NJ — finance, law, media, startups. A direct pipeline to post-graduation jobs. Finishing at Rutgers matters to employers. For families: Every NIL dollar is tracked through the university's compliance office. Earnings can go toward tuition, housing, savings, or family support — your choice. What Your Family Can Do You don't have to navigate this alone. Parents, extended family, and family friends all have a place in the program. Role What It Looks Like What You Contribute Supporter Donate to Knights of The Rare or sponsor a team community event. Helps fund teammates; strengthens the collective that backs your son. Business Partner If you own or lead a business, post a project on the NIL Exchange. Gives athletes real work; your company gets motivated talent and goodwill. Career Connector Offer an internship, host a networking night, or speak at a team career day through SKE. Builds the alumni engine that helps athletes land full-time jobs. Ask the coaching staff for the NIL Welcome Packet. It lists current partners, upcoming events, and the name and number of the staff member who handles each pillar. Your First-Year Roadmap A practical sequence for your first 12 months on campus. Month 1 — Meet with the Rutgers NIL Coordinator. Complete compliance training. Month 1–2 — Write a one-page personal brand brief: your story, your values, what you want to do after college. Month 2–3 — Pick your entry point (Knights, Exchange, or SKE) based on your goals. Most athletes eventually use all three. Month 3–6 — Sign your first deals. Start earning. Keep records. Month 6–12 — Allocate earnings intentionally — tuition, housing, savings, or a professional development fund (certifications, travel, equipment). Ongoing — Attend alumni mixers, service days, and career nights. This is where long-term value is built. Frequently Asked Questions Question Answer Can scholarship athletes do NIL deals? Yes. Every Rutgers athlete can sign NIL agreements as long as NCAA and university compliance rules are followed. Do I need to hire an agent or lawyer? No. Rutgers provides a vetted list of compliance advisors at no cost. You can hire outside representation, but it's not required. What if I transfer later? NIL contracts belong to you, not the school. If you leave, you notify both institutions and the NIL office so everything is reported properly. Most athletes who use the Rutgers ecosystem fully don't feel the need to transfer — that's the point. How is NIL income taxed? It's self-employment income. You'll owe federal and state tax on it. The compliance office connects you with tax preparers who work with student-athletes. Can my parents help manage my deals? Yes. Family can advise, negotiate, and review contracts with you — but you, the athlete, sign every agreement. What happens to NIL if I get injured? Most deals are performance-independent (appearances, content, community work). Injury doesn't automatically end your NIL income. Is there a minimum or maximum I can earn? No minimum. No cap. Earnings depend on your brand, effort, and the deals you pursue. The Straight Answer Rutgers Men's Lacrosse offers something specific: a program where NIL is integrated with your degree, your career, and your life in New Jersey — not bolted on as an afterthought. You'll earn money. You'll do community work that matters. You'll graduate with a network of Rutgers alumni who hire, mentor, and open doors. And you'll do it at a Big Ten school in the most lacrosse-rich corridor in the country. If you're looking for a program that treats NIL as a long-term investment in you — not a one-time check — Rutgers is the right fit. Come build it with us. On the field, in the community, and in whatever comes after. Prepared by the Rutgers Men's Lacrosse NIL Office · 2026 For questions, contact the NIL Coordinator through the Rutgers Athletics main office.