Two BYU Football Freshmen Are First To Land NIL Endorsements

PROVO, Utah – Members of the BYU football program are starting to profit off the historic new name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college athletics.

On Wednesday, Balmshot Lip Balm finalized NIL endorsement agreements with two BYU football players. Those players are a pair of freshmen in defensive end Tyler Batty and long snapper Austin Riggs.

#BYU football's first players with NIL endorsements are defensive end Tyler Batty and long snapper Austin Riggs.

The two have reached agreements with Balmshot Lip Balms.#BYUFootball @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) July 8, 2021

According to a release from Balmshot, these agreements were reached in the wake of recent changes made to the rules governing the ability of college athletes to earn money through NIL endorsements. These agreements represent a historic change and are believed to be the first BYU football to embark on this new opportunity.

Based out of Eagle, Idaho, Balmshot Lip Balm is a family-owned company that sells specially formulated, proprietary lip balms canistered in patented, authentic 20-gauge shotgun shells. Instead of being loaded with buckshot, the shotgun shells are loaded with lip balm made from all-natural ingredients, beeswax, and SPF 15. The lip balms are available on their website and major retailers such as Amazon and Cabela’s.

 

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A post shared by Balmshot Lip Balm (@balmshot)

Along with the lip-balm coming in a shotgun shell, Balmshot provides work for young adults with special needs in the manufacturing process that goes into each lip balm. The owners of Balmshot have a teenage son with Down Syndrome. Making an impact in the special needs community is a top priority for the company.

First BYU Football NIL endorsement

Batty, a rising star along BYU’s defensive line, shared an Instagram post that featured a “paid partnership” tag.

 

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A post shared by Tyler Batty (@tyler_batty)

“I am honored and excited to be partnered with Balmshot,” said Batty in a statement. “The product is amazing and the mission of the company is even better. I’m grateful for the financial opportunity this presents and for the chance to learn from real-world business situations while I continue to pursue my athletic career.”

This partnership between Batty, Riggs, Balmshot, and BYU was facilitated through BYU’s Built4Life program. The Built4Life program has various pillars that will aid BYU’s student-athletes, from creating non-profits, gaining business experience through partnerships and NIL opportunities.

Built4Life played key role

BYU rolled out Built4Life last month at their annual Football Media Day. Batty has already been taking advantage of the program beyond just the NIL aspect; he’s also working on a nonprofit called Edwards Hands, focusing on Medline Therapy.

One of the Balmshot owners, Daniel Walker, told KSL Sports that BYU’s administration “moved mountains” to allow this NIL endorsement to happen for Batty and Riggs by providing tax forms, an agent, and more. Walker also said that Batty and Riggs would be involved with Balmshot’s meetings that involve “real business decisions.”

We're excited to officially introduce, BUILT4LIFE!!#BUILT4LIFE x #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/KouoBVuyTU

— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) June 17, 2021

“Balmshot is honored to break new ground in the support of college athletes at BYU and we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand the awareness of a fantastic product with a special emission throughout the BYU community and beyond,” wrote Walker in a press release statement.

“We are confident that both Tyler and Austin will make strong brand ambassadors and make an impact on the special needs community in the process. These two fine young men were already working privately to elevate and enrich the lives of individuals with special needs, which made reaching these deals quick and easy for all involved. The support for Tyler and Austin through BYU, particularly the coaching staff and the Built4Life program, has been fantastic and we are very pleased to have reached these agreements on such short notice in the aftermath of the recent changes involving NIL arrangements.”

Financial terms of the endorsement between Balmshot, Batty, and Riggs were not disclosed.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.