Coconino News

Northern Arizona University Athletics has collaborated with INFLCR to introduce the Lumberjack Exchange, a platform aimed at facilitating name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes. The exchange is free for both athletes and businesses, providing a tailored portal for NIL transactions.

"NAU Athletics has been consistent in that our overarching goal has been to provide the facilities and resources necessary for our student-athletes to maximize their academic and athletic potential," stated Mike Marlow, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "The Lumberjack Exchange supported by the INFLCR platform now positions all our student-athletes to work toward maximizing their Name, Image and Likeness potential."

INFLCR Founder Jim Cavale remarked on the initiative: "It's exciting to see NAU Athletics supporting their student-athletes by providing a fee-free platform to monetize their personal brands with NIL."

The process involves businesses registering through an online portal where they can directly engage with NAU student-athletes regarding NIL opportunities. Upon completion of an NIL deal, businesses use the Lumberjack Exchange to facilitate payment and automatically disclose the transaction to the NAU Compliance Office.

Neither Northern Arizona nor INFLCR participates in these deals directly. Transactions are consolidated into one 1099 form annually for tax reporting purposes.

INFLCR offers its services as part of Teamworks' Operating System for Sports™, serving over 270 sports organizations. It provides tools for brand-building and managing NIL business operations within a compliant environment.