Texas Southern University (TSU), in partnership with B.E. Collective+ and ABC Sports Foundation, will host the Inside the NIL: Sports Business & Athlete Empowerment Summit on January 23, 2026, a campus-wide learning experience designed to equip TSU student-athletes with the tools to thrive in today's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape.
The one-day summit will deliver hands-on workshops, expert-led panels, financial education, mental wellness sessions, and brand development training to more than 100 TSU student-athletes, sport management majors, and campus leaders. The event will take place inside the TSU College of Education, with programming from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"Texas Southern student-athletes deserve access to the same level of education, protection, and opportunity as any major program in the country," said Dr. Jafus Kenyatta Cavil, Professor of Sports Management at TSU. "This summit brings that knowledge directly to our campus in a way that is empowering, practical, and culturally relevant."
A Full-Day Experience Built for Today's Athlete
The summit will feature:
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Workshop: Understanding NIL — athletes break down contracts, red flags, marketplace rules, and how deals actually get made
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Workshop: Leveraging Your Brand — a hands-on social media audit and branding lab tailored for Olympic and revenue sport athletes
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Panel: Legal & Financial Literacy — attorneys and financial professionals guide athletes through taxes, compliance, and protecting their money
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Mental Wellness for Athletes & Influencers — navigating online pressure, trolling, mental health, and athlete identity
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Partner & Resource Expo — local businesses, career pathways, media partners, and NIL-aligned organizations
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Parent NIL Session (Virtual/Hybrid) — helping families understand the fast-changing college sports ecosystem
"Today's athletes are navigating more visibility, more responsibility, and more opportunity than ever before," said Antoine Burrell, Founder & CEO of B.E. Collective+. "This summit is about equipping TSU athletes with real-world skills—how to protect their name, build their brand, understand their value, and prepare for long-term success on and off the field."
Hands-On NIL Activation with Houston-Based Brand DC Apparel
As part of the summit's experiential learning model, Donecia's Crafts: DC Apparel, a Houston-based, Black-owned HBCU lifestyle and streetwear brand, will participate in a live NIL Content Challenge—giving student-athletes the opportunity to engage in a real-world brand collaboration.
During the Leveraging Your Brand workshop, student-athletes will create original content featuring DC Apparel merchandise as part of an educational exercise focused on user-generated content, brand storytelling, and NIL deal structure.
NIL Content Challenge highlights include:
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Students creating short-form videos or photo content featuring DC Apparel products
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A winning student-athlete selected by DC Apparel
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The winner receiving an NIL micro-deal (in-kind) from DC Apparel
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B.E. Collective+ supporting promotion of the winning content across digital platforms
"This is exactly what NIL education should look like—students learning by doing," said Burrell. "They're not just hearing about NIL; they're participating in it."
DC Apparel will also have an on-site brand presence at the summit and may participate in a panel or fireside chat, sharing insights on building a successful HBCU-founded brand.
Local Business & Community Impact
The summit will spotlight Houston-area Black-owned businesses and campus partners through catered activations and the Partner Expo. TSU academic departments—including Sport Management, MIS, and Communications—will play a central role, providing students hands-on experience in event production, marketing, media coverage, and operations.
"This is not just an athlete event. It's a community-building experience and a career development opportunity for our students," said Deuce Woods, TSU Athletics Compliance Director. "We want TSU students to learn, grow, and walk away with real resources they can use immediately."
Event Details
Inside the NIL: Sports Business & Athlete Empowerment Summit
Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: College of Education, Texas Southern University
Hosted by: Texas Southern University x B.E. Collective+ x ABC Sports Foundation
Registration: Open to TSU student-athletes, sport management students, staff, and invited partners
About B.E. Collective+
B.E. Collective+ is a sports business and NIL education organization dedicated to empowering HBCU athletes through culturally relevant learning experiences, brand development, and community-centered partnership models. The organization delivers NIL summits, creator labs, and athlete development programming nationwide.
Media Contact
For Texas Southern University:
Ryan McGinty
Sports Information Director
ryan.mcginty@tsul.edu
713-313-6829
For B.E. Collective+:
Antoine Burrell
Founder & CEO
antoine@burrellenterprise.com
