Amherst College’s Jack Betts: The king of Division III NIL

Jack Betts’ journey into NIL isn’t your typical story, but it speaks to how random success can be.

As a Division III-A athlete, businesses weren’t necessarily knocking down his door with offers to use an Aston Martin like Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, or a Mercedes G Wagon like Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

It wasn’t until January that the junior receiver at Amherst (Mass.) College explored NIL opportunities. It came via Twitter from a direct message.

“I got a DM from this company called Lifestyle Bands and they reached out and were like, ‘Hey, would you be interested in possibly becoming a Lifestyle Bands athlete?” Betts recalled.

Profiting off his NIL had intrigued Betts ever since legislation was enacted on July 1, 2021. After discussing it with his parents, who are both lawyers, he agreed to do it.

“Thirty-plus deals later, I’ve been given the moniker of the King of Division III NIL,” said Betts. “It’s been a lot of fun. I kind of view NIL as a continuous internship because I’m gaining an understanding of what, in the marketing world, these companies are looking for.

“I’m speaking to CEOs, CFOs and entrepreneurs daily and creating content for them. It’s work, but it’s fun work.”

For Betts, securing his NIL deals required patience, persistence and a lot of trial and error. He developed a pitch about himself and sent mass emails to potential business partners.

“I wouldn’t always hear back, obviously, because it’s difficult to market yourself at the Division III-A level. But I feel I have a useful email template,” he said.

Betts primarily creates content on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

“For one of my first deals, Positivity Alkaline Water, I have to post four times a month on my [Instagram] story or on Twitter to receive a free case at the beginning of every month,” he said. “My Omaha Steaks video, which was a promo for their Father’s Day Special, I just threw some steaks on the grill. I filmed myself seasoning them, flipping them and then finally serving them.

“All of them are within a minute or a 1:30. It’s decent work if you can get it. I would say it’s been life-changing and it’s opened countless doors.”