​​​

The Brand Squad at Oklahoma State University is a pioneering organization in the world of college athletics. The Spears School of Business organization ran by President Keaton Haney was started in 2021 by Professor Maribeth Kuzmeski to navigate the complex, ever-changing world of Name, Image and Likeness.

​​

Today, in 2025 Brand Squad looks a little different than it did from its creation in 2021, but still remaining true to the organizations core values, helping student athletes improve their NIL. “For NIL, we don’t necessarily know where the future is, as things continue to change… we always want to be on the cutting edge,” says faculty adviser of the Brand Squad, Maribeth Kuzmeski.

​​

The Brand Squad has a unique place in the college athletics world; it is the first organization in the country that is student ran and works as an agency for student athletes. “We take a bunch of phone calls, and we get emails from schools across the country asking how we did it, what are we doing, what’s happening.” Kuzmeski said. “It’s cool to be the first doing something like this.”​

 

Students work in different roles of a marketing agency for Oklahoma State athletes. Whether it is through the business side of NIL through the deals and sponsorship initiative or the creative side with the social media team, students are gaining practical, real-world experience that is extremely valuable to not only the student athletes, but also the members doing the work. “This is work experience, we have people that rely on the work we do,” said President Keaton Haney.

​

Following the NIL court case Tennessee et. Al v. NCAA, the way NIL and NCAA works is changing. For the Brand Squad, “It just makes what we do even more important,” said Haney. “We now have a bigger responsibility, and we have a really unique opportunity to position ourselves as the NIL directive for the university.”

​​

The Brand Squad has come a long way from its creation in 2021, but with this talented group of top, high-achieving students, there is a bright future ahead for the organization.