Nebraska Athletics announced today that it has hired an in-house director of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and extended its partnership with Altius Sports Partners (ASP), a trusted advisor to top-tier collegiate athletics programs and sports properties, to best support student-athletes pursuing NIL opportunities. 

NU named Jonathan Bateman as Assistant Athletic Director – NIL Strategy and Governance. Bateman has been with the Huskers since 2011 and most recently served as the Associate Director of Compliance.

In this new role, Bateman will manage day-to-day NIL operations for Nebraska Athletics and serve as the primary liaison for all NIL and governance operations.

"I'm thankful to Trev Alberts for the opportunity and excited to continue working with Nebraska student-athletes, staff, and stakeholders in the evolving NIL space. As college athletics continues to undergo substantial change, it's important that we have the pulse on all aspects of the landscape. It's our goal that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will continue to play a leading role in the next iteration of college athletics," said Bateman.

The Huskers are one of just a handful of athletic departments across the country and the first in the state to have a position dedicated to the areas of NIL and governance.  The position fits within Nebraska Athletics' strategic plan of embracing and influencing the coming changes in college athletics.

In addition to hiring Bateman, Nebraska Athletics recently extended its partnership with ASP, a nationally recognized authority on the evolving collegiate athletics landscape and on helping schools optimize their NIL ecosystems to maximize opportunities for their athletes.

"It is important that we continue to proactively support our student-athletes' ability to monetize their NIL. Our commitment to current and prospective student-athletes will not change; our staff will have a clear plan and vision for success now and in the future," said Vice Chancellor, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts.

"When it comes to college sports, Nebraska is a true powerhouse. They have passionate fans, a strong history of financial success, and are a hub for sports culture. With our enhanced partnership, we're fully committed to equipping Trev, Jonathan, and the entire Husker Athletics team with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed. Together, we'll prioritize student-athlete NIL and foster collaboration at every turn. This way, we'll be able to seize every opportunity and make a huge impact on Husker Nation. This is our shared vision at ASP, and we're excited to work with such an incredible team," said Celine Mangan, Director of Business and Client Strategy at Altius Sports Partners.

Nebraska has been at the forefront of NIL since its introduction in 2021. Since then, all Nebraska student-athletes participate in NIL education through the Life Skills Husker Advantage program offering valuable content on financial literacy, assessing strengths, brand building, communication skills, entrepreneurship and maximizing career marketability. Husker student-athletes in all sports have participated in over 2,700 NIL activities since 2001. The goal is to increase that number and maximize opportunities for student-athletes.

"We are committed to working with our key stakeholders to make sure Nebraska stays at the forefront of innovation in college athletics now and for years to come," said Alberts.

About Altius Sports Partners
ASP is a leading advisor to college athletic programs and sports properties, providing strategic planning, compliance support, and education to its clients. They offer innovative solutions to a range of topics such as NIL and the ever-changing landscape of employment and media rights within college athletics. From its humble beginnings with just two school partners, ASP has grown to support more than 30 universities, including almost half of the Power Five, in just three years. In addition to launching a groundbreaking on-campus NIL GM Program and ASP Academy, the company has collaborated with Women Leaders in College Sports, the NFL, and the NFL Players Association. ASP's mission is to provide all stakeholders with the necessary resources to thrive in the new era of college athletics by leveraging their extensive sports business expertise to help those impacted prepare and excel. They have built a diverse team of cross-disciplinary leaders who are committed to delivering higher levels of education, greater access to opportunities, and higher standards of excellence.

Huskers Ready for Rematch with Bison

NEBRASKA vs. NORTH DAKOTA STATE
May 3, 2023
Hawks Field at Haymarket Park | Lincoln, Neb.
 
Wednesday, May 3 – 6:05 p.m. CT
Pitching: TBD vs. TBD
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska hosts North Dakota State for the second time this season in a midweek matchup tomorrow night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
 
First pitch between the Huskers and Bison is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
 
Wednesday night's game can be seen on B1G+, while fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network, which can be heard on KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln and KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha. Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.
 
Nebraska vs. North Dakota State
• Nebraska holds a perfect 7-0 record against North Dakota State in the all-time series.
• In their last meeting earlier this season, the Huskers came away with a 4-1 victory over the Bison on March 28 at Hawks Field.
• Prior to last season's meeting, the two teams last met in a doubleheader in 2005.
 
Speed & Power Combo
• Brice Matthews is one of three players nationally with at least 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases this season.
• Matthews and North Carolina's Mac Horvath are the only two players at the Power Five level with the 15 homers and 15 stolen bases, joining Morehead State's Ryley Preece.
 
All Three Facets
• Nebraska is one of two teams nationally to be ranked in the top 50 in all three facets of the game.
• The Huskers are ranked 25th in batting average (.307), 38th in earned run average (4.54) and 16th in fielding percentage (.980).
• Nebraska is the only Power Five school to be ranked in the top 50 of all three categories, while Oral Roberts (Summit League) is also ranked in the top 50 of all three categories.
 
Three's Company
• Nebraska is one of 10 teams nationally with at least three players with 13 or more home runs this season.
• Max Anderson leads the Big Red with 16 homers, followed by Brice Matthews and Gabe Swansen with 15 and 13 home runs, respectively.
• Nebraska is one of six Power Five schools with three players having 13-plus home runs, joining Florida (SEC), Georgia (SEC), LSU (SEC), Maryland (Big Ten) and South Carolina (SEC).
• FGCU (ASUN) leads the way with six players homering at least 13 times this season, while the remaining nine teams have three players reaching the 13-homer mark.
 
Huskers Slug Eight Multi-Homer Games in 2023
• Entering May, five Huskers have totaled eight multi-homer games for the Big Red this season.
• Josh Caron, Cole Evans and Brice Matthews have each homered twice in a game once this season, while Max Anderson has three multi-homer games and Gabe Swansen has two multi-homer games this season.
• The eight multi-homer games this season matches the season-high total set in 2000, 2001 and 2005.

Numbers to Know
7 – Nebraska holds a perfect 7-0 mark against North Dakota State in the all-time series after picking up a 4-1 win earlier this season in Lincoln.
5 – Five Huskers are hitting above .300 this season. Brice Matthews (.392) and Max Anderson (.389) have led NU at the plate, followed by Casey Burnham (.324), Gabe Swansen (.309) and Cole Evans (.306).
22 – Nebraska has clinched its 22nd consecutive season without a losing record at home at Hawks Field.
8 – The Huskers have combined for eight individual multi-homer games this season, led by three from Max Anderson. The eight individual multi-homer games are the most since 2005.
4 – With 196 career hits, Max Anderson is four hits shy of becoming the 27th Husker in program history to reach the 200-hit mark in his career at Nebraska.