Cincinnati’s NIL Department Named Best Institutional Program

Cincinnati Named Best Institutional NIL Program — Fox & Ziepfel and Cincy Reigns at the Core

The University of Cincinnati was recently awarded the Best Institutional Program at the 2024 NIL Summit, a prestigious honor recognizing the most comprehensive and impactful Name, Image, and Likeness programs across the nation. Beating out elite programs like Ohio State, Florida, and UCLA, this recognition affirms Cincinnati’s position at the forefront of NIL innovation and athlete empowerment.

At the heart of this success story is Brian Fox, a founding partner at Fox & Ziepfel LLP and a key architect behind Cincy Reigns, the University’s official NIL collective. Since its inception, Cincy Reigns has been a driving force in operationalizing the University’s athlete-first NIL model—facilitating brand deals, educational platforms, and philanthropic partnerships that align with both NCAA compliance and long-term athlete development.

Strategic Alignment Meets Purposeful Impact

Cincy Reigns was instrumental in the development and deployment of Cincinnati’s multi-phase NIL strategy, which includes:

• Education: Arming athletes with brand literacy and legal frameworks.
• Implementation: Enabling real-time brand activations across industries.
• Execution: Scaling success through repeatable, sustainable NIL models.

The result is a program that not only drives NIL revenue for student-athletes, but also strengthens the University’s broader reputation for innovation, leadership, and integrity in the evolving collegiate athletics landscape.

“Outliving the Career” in Practice

At Fox & Ziepfel, we’ve always believed in helping our clients build legacies that outlive the tenure of their professional careers. Brian’s leadership with Cincy Reigns reflects this philosophy—bridging legal acumen, strategic thinking, and a community-first mindset to build systems that support student-athletes beyond the game.

We are proud to be part of a movement that puts relationships before transactions, character before profit, and purpose before prestige.

To learn more about how we help shape the legal and strategic frameworks of the most innovative NIL programs in the country, visit FoxZip.law.