DALLAS – As part of its goal of Shaping Champions and preparing students for life, SMU Athletics proudly announces the addition of its BOLD (Big Opportunities Live in Dallas) Program to its suite of student-athlete development tools, with the goal of helping student-athletes navigate and capitalize on new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) legislation.
 
BOLD will, among other things, provide SMU student-athletes with the means to navigate the evolving NIL landscape. The BOLD program will incorporate INFLCR, a comprehensive NIL education and compliance solution, and campus resources from the Cox School of Business, the Dedman School of Law, and the Meadows School of the Arts.
 
"We are here to equip our student-athletes to succeed both on and off the competitive surfaces and to impart the knowledge and skills required to become valuable citizens and leaders in their communities. The BOLD Program includes a best practice model for NIL activities," said Rick Hart, SMU Director of Athletics. "Big opportunities do live in Dallas – and at SMU – and this will allow our current and future student-athletes to access these tremendous opportunities. BOLD brings together a terrific collaboration of the INFLCR platform with our institutional resources from campus partners and our student-athlete development programs. Our student-athletes will have a unique advantage to participate in NIL activities because of our BOLD program."
 
While the acronym BOLD emphasizes SMU's ties to the City of Dallas, the word is also important in its ties to SMU and the University's Brand Promise, which states, "For the bold, curious, and creative, SMU is the comprehensive research university whose enterprising spirit in a vibrant community empowers leaders to tackle grand challenges."
 
BOLD is only part of what SMU offers, as the Office of Student-Athlete Development is committed to the holistic growth and education of our student-athletes. Each year, this office provides a menu of programs and services for SMU student-athletes in order to have a holistic educational experience. Participation in the programming allows Mustang student-athletes to take charge of their growth through opportunities in personal development, community engagement and service projects, career development and leadership. With the ever-changing demands student-athletes face, it aims to prepare Mustangs for success upon graduation from SMU.
 
SMU Football's "Life After Ball" (LAB) program is designed to help student-athletes make a smooth transition to the workforce after their playing days at SMU are over. The LAB program's core mission is to develop the necessary life skills to assist each student-athlete's transition from college student-athlete to the professional world. Student-athletes are provided with the tools that enhance their development, confidence, exposure, and preparation for employment. These are provided by way of five Program Pillars: Career & Life Skills Preparation, Alumni & Local Connections, Internship Placement, Speaker Seminars, and Community Service. LAB aims to utilize the powerful network that SMU has in the DFW area in addition to former SMU student-athletes and prominent alumni.
 
INFLCR
The INFLCR NIL solution features education modules through the Storyteller Playbook, which includes instruction from former student-athletes and industry leaders about networking, branding, entrepreneurship, and other NIL-related activities. SMU Athletics and student-athletes will be able to catalog, monitor, and report NIL activities through the Compliance Exchange and Compliance Ledger in the INFLCR platform. INFLCR also includes a Fair Market Value assessment tool through a partnership with Navigate.
 
INFLCR is integrated with Teamworks, a platform already used by SMU Athletics student-athletes, coaches, and staff for team operations.
 
SMU Campus Partners
The BOLD program will collaborate with several campus partners to help educate student-athletes about different elements of NIL. These partnerships will allow student-athletes to access the expertise of the SMU community through the Cox School of Business, the Dedman School of Law, and the Meadows School of Arts.
 
The BOLD program will also continue to cultivate new resources for SMU student-athletes with additional campus resources and community partners as NIL legislation is ratified.
 
The State of Texas is currently considering a NIL bill that, if adopted, would be effective July 1, 2021. The NCAA is also considering NIL legislation that could be enacted during summer 2021.
 
Please contact the Mustang Club if you are interested in ways that you can support the BOLD program.