In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled college athletes could finally profit from their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). For the past two years, brands have given NIL deals to star college athletes to endorse their products.

But when running shoe brand Saucony discovered nurses run nearly a marathon a week on the job, the brand knew it was time to give a first-of-its-kind NIL deal to an entirely new type of student athlete… student nurses.

Saucony signed four top students from one of the country’s largest schools for nursing, the Galen College of Nursing. Then gave them the full NIL treatment: a signing event, a signing bonus, and of course, running shoes to wear for every strenuous nursing shift.

With one small change to the way NIL deals are structured, Saucony proved brands can endorse students for what they do on the field AND what they do in their field.