NAU’s Nico Young announced Monday morning on social media that he has signed an NIL (Name Image Likeness) deal with Adidas, fueling speculation that he will sign a contract with the shoe company once he turns pro following the NCAA outdoor season.
Young, who in the past month has won two NCAA indoor titles and reached the Olympic standard for the 10,000 meters, had heretofore eschewed an NIL deal, whereas many other college distance runners have signed deals early — including teammate Drew Bosley (Adidas) last September.
Why did Young wait so long? He didn’t address that in his posting. But, by waiting, he probably garnered a better deal. This obviously gives Adidas a leg up in trying to land Young as a pro. Adidas, of course, has a sponsorship deal with NAU, and many observers believe Young will choose to stay in Flagstaff and train under Lumberjack coach Mike Smith once he turns pro.
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