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The college sports landscape has changed significantly since the introduction of NIL deals. Providing college athletes with the ability to monetize off their name, image and likeness has made the college route more appealing and led some athletes to stick around for longer.
This has been the case with Zach Edey, who is in his third season at Purdue. The 2023 Sporting News National Player of the Year possesses a unique 7-foot-4 frame and has been the engine of Purdue basketball all season. However, due to his visa, Edey has been unable to cash in on payments like many players of his level have been able to.
This changed recently as he reached an agreement with the Boilermaker Alliance to help the Toronto native receive some paychecks legally.
What is Zach Edey's NIL Deal?
The Boilermaker Alliance is an NIL collective that helps aid Purdue student-athletes in the NIL process. Since Edey cannot accept payments in America, he has found a way to get involved on his home soil instead.
Edey has partnered with three Canadian charitable organizations: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatame, the Toronto Humane Society and the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association. This is a slightly different NIL route than most student-athletes have taken, as the community benefits just as much as Edey. The 20-year-old said this was an essential part of the equation for him.
He has participated in autograph sessions and several ad reads and commercials to help increase the awareness of these organizations. Edey also worked with Jeremy Lin to help run a kids' basketball camp as part of his work with CCYAA.
For now, Edey will need to focus on the NCAA Tournament, as there are significant expectations on Purdue (29-5). The Boilermakers enter the tournament as the top seed in the East region and have the fourth-best odds of winning the tournament. In the opening round, they will face off against the winner of Wednesday's game between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson.
This loophole in the NIL deals for foreign players has not been discussed much and is something to monitor.
