SAN DIEGO – San Diego State University student-athletes Tae Simmons (Men’s Basketball), Sammi Byers (Women’s Water Polo), Kennedy Lee (Women’s Basketball), and Sydney Ash (Women’s Track and Field) recently represented SDSU and Aztec NIL at AthleteCon 3.0 in Las Vegas, one of the nation’s premier conferences focused on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), personal branding, content creation, and professional development.
Held just prior to the annual NACDA Convention, AthleteCon brought together more than 500 athletes, administrators, creators, and industry leaders from across the country for three days of networking, education, and hands-on NIL opportunities. Representatives from universities including SDSU, Michigan, Cincinnati, Boise State, and Wisconsin were in attendance alongside leading brands and companies shaping the future of athlete marketing and NIL opportunities.
Throughout the event, SDSU’s student-athletes participated in brand-building workshops, networking sessions, content creation challenges, and live activations designed to help athletes grow their personal brands while learning how to maximize opportunities both during and after their collegiate careers. AthleteCon featured industry leaders and representatives from companies such as Meta, Snapchat, GoFundMe, NOOCO, Barebells, Good Molecules, Rootnote, Klean Athlete, and Firefly Recover, providing attendees direct access to some of the most influential organizations in the NIL space.
In addition to the student-athlete experience, SDSU was represented by Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and NIL Brenden Hill, who served as a featured panelist during a discussion focused on using influence and personal platforms to create meaningful impact. Hill joined representatives from GoFundMe to discuss how student-athletes can leverage their visibility to support causes they care about, engage with their communities, and create positive change beyond athletics.
The conversation highlighted an increasingly important aspect of NIL education: helping student-athletes understand that their platforms can be used not only to build personal brands, but also to amplify charitable initiatives, community engagement efforts, and social impact opportunities.
For the four Aztecs in attendance, AthleteCon offered a firsthand look at how NIL continues to evolve and how athletes can position themselves for long-term success. Through workshops led by professionals from platforms including Meta, Snapchat, Canva, TikTok, and Twitch, attendees gained practical insight into content strategy, audience engagement, brand partnerships, and entrepreneurship.
Beyond the educational programming, the event provided an opportunity for SDSU’s student-athletes to represent both their university and the Aztec NIL program on a national stage. As conversations surrounding NIL continue to reshape collegiate athletics, experiences like AthleteCon help ensure SDSU student-athletes remain at the forefront of the industry trends while building valuable professional skills and connections.
AthleteCon reinforced SDSU’s commitment to providing student-athletes with opportunities that extend beyond competition. By connecting athletes with industry leaders, emerging brands, and educational experiences designed to foster personal and professional growth, Aztec NIL continues to empower student-athletes to maximize their potential both on and off the field.
The participation of Simmons, Byers, Lee, and Ash at AthleteCon 3.0 serves as another example of SDSU student-athletes embracing opportunities to lead, learn, and represent the Aztec community at the highest level.