As Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) continues to reshape college athletics, education is essential for student-athletes navigating these new opportunities. Earlier this year, Hampton University hosted the Sports Business + NIL Education Summit, bringing together industry leaders and alumni.
Led by Antoine Burrell, Founder of B.E. Collective+, the summit equipped Hampton students with insights on NIL opportunities, sports business, digital branding, and athlete development. The event was held in collaboration with partners including the ABC Sports Foundation, BowieTV Sports, Legacy History Pride, and Minorities in Sports: Hampton Chapter.
In this Q&A, Antoine shares how NIL education across HBCUs is evolving and why collaboration between NIL collectives, brands, and institutions is essential for the future of athlete success.
The January NIL Education Summit at Hampton University was independently produced and led by B.E. Collective+ in collaboration with campus organizations. What made Hampton an important host institution within your broader HBCU NIL Education initiative?
“Hampton was a natural and important host institution for several reasons. Hampton represents a legacy HBCU brand with national visibility and a deeply engaged alumni base, an institution where culture, alumni pride, and student-athlete ambition intersect.
Second, the launch of 68 Oak signals that Hampton is taking NIL seriously from a structural standpoint. Education must sit alongside collective fundraising and brand activation, not behind it. Hosting the summit at Hampton allowed us to align programming with an institution actively building its NIL ecosystem.
As a Hampton alumnus, it was also meaningful to bring structured NIL education back to campus in a way that connects students to real-world brand strategy and long-term opportunity.”
B.E. Collective+ has seen strong momentum across HBCUs. How does the Hampton summit fit into the larger infrastructure model you're building across HBCU campuses?
“Hampton is part of a growing portfolio of HBCU campuses where B.E. Collective+ is delivering structured NIL education programming. Hampton joins campuses like Clark Atlanta, Texas Southern, Bowie State, and others where we’ve demonstrated measurable growth in attendance, brand participation, and athlete engagement.
Our focus is on building consistency, credibility, and long-term alignment across HBCUs, ensuring student-athletes are equipped with knowledge and a real-world perspective as NIL continues to evolve. Each HBCU campus activation contributes to that broader momentum.”
From your perspective, what are the biggest NIL education gaps that student-athletes face? How do initiatives like this summit help address them?
“The primary gaps are clarity and preparedness. NIL opportunities are increasing, but many student-athletes still need structured exposure to brand expectations, sponsorship literacy, and long-term positioning.
Education initiatives create space for those conversations and equip athletes with foundational awareness. There’s also a gap between collectives, brands, and athlete readiness. Infrastructure matters. Education prepares athletes to maximize opportunity responsibly and strategically."
68 Oak serves as the official NIL collective of Hampton University. How do you see collectives and education-based initiatives working together to support long-term athlete development?
“When both operate with alignment, Collectives and education platforms play complementary roles. Collectives provide structural support and financial pathways. Education platforms provide context and readiness.
Education platforms like B.E. Collective+ focus on preparing athletes to be brand-ready, contract-aware, and strategically positioned. When these two elements align, you create a sustainable ecosystem. The long-term health of NIL at HBCUs depends on both revenue and readiness.”
As a Hampton University alumnus, what does the mission of 68 Oak mean to you personally and professionally?
“Personally, it’s encouraging to see Hampton building structured support around NIL during a transformative time in college athletics. As an alum and as someone building national NIL programming across HBCUs, I’m invested in seeing Hampton positioned at the forefront of that evolution. Professionally, I believe collective infrastructure must evolve beyond fundraising into education, activation, and measurable athlete development.”
As B.E. Collective+ continues expanding its HBCU NIL Education initiative in 2026 and beyond. What role do strategic partnerships with Collectives play in strengthening athlete opportunity ecosystems?
“When collectives partner with structured NIL education platforms, they increase credibility, deepen athlete engagement, and create differentiated value for sponsors and members. The future of NIL at HBCUs will be built through collaboration–but collaboration must be intentional, structured, and strategically aligned. Strategic partnerships allow institutions and organizations to combine strengths. As NIL continues to mature, collaboration between collectives, education platforms, and brands will be important to ensure athlete opportunity is sustainable and well-supported.”
As NIL continues to evolve across college athletics and HBCU campuses, initiatives like the Education Summit help ensure that student-athletes are prepared to maximize their opportunities beyond game day.
To support the next generation of Hampton’s student-athletes, explore 68 Oak Collective memberships and learn how you can get involved.