21 August 2023
MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT) – Name, image and likeness has, in some ways, taken center stage in college sports.
Pierson McAtee, a former men’s basketball player at K-State, is on the advisory board for WildcatNIL, an NIL group focused around name, image and likeness at K-State.
McAtee is set out to make sure NIL is an easy process for college athletes, rather than another thing added to their plate.
“Let’s keep the two at the forefront, which is school and ball,” McAtee said. “As long as those two are taking care of themselves, we’ll take care of the NIL side of things.”
One way WildcatNIL is helping out is with a walk-on initiative. Being a former walk-on at K-State, it was important to create funds for athletes paying for their own college.
“NIL has provided an abundance of resources to a lot of different people,” McAtee said.
McAtee says that, with all the uncertainties of NIL in college, K-State fans can be certain they’ll be watching players that want to be in Manhattan.
“[K-State coaches/recruiters are] finding kids that are going to come to K-State for the right reasons,” McAtee said. “If they find a kid that talked about NIL first, maybe their heart isn’t in the right place.”
The full interview with McAtee on K-Nation can be watched above.
K-Nation airs every Sunday night on KSNT after 27 News at 10.