LSU landed perhaps the most coveted women’s basketball transfer portal player in the entire country in former Louisville guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag].
She’ll be joining the defending national champions, but picking LSU did present a complicating factor for Van Lith. She has a previous name, image and likeness deal with Adidas, but with her joining a Nike-affiliated program in the Tigers, there were questions about how that would work.
The Cardinals were affiliated with the company, making the arrangement a bit simpler.
Van Lith will ultimately be keeping her deal with Adidas, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Though she will not wear Adidas gear on the court, she will still work with the brand off of it.
This isn’t an unprecedented scenario, as LSU’s [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] also has an apparel deal with Puma on the side.
NIL has become a major recruiting tool in college sports, and Van Lith was able to make the jump to Baton Rouge without sacrificing her previously accrued deals.
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