ISU Athletics Announces Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund and Promotion of Two Key NIL Staff Members

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Athletics continues to evolve in the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics and has announced two moves that will further strengthen the department moving forward: The launching of the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund and the promotions of two key staff members to further that mission in Dayton Hammes (Assistant Athletic Director/Social Media Strategy and Content) and Brennan White (Assistant Athletic Director/General Manager and NIL Administration).

"We are fortunate to have talented people like Dayton Hammes and Brennan White helping lead the charge on NIL and Revenue Sharing," Illinois State Deputy Director of Athletics Paul Kabbes said. "We meet with each team on campus and one of the first things I mention to our young people is how impressive these individuals are in their respective areas. ISU Athletics will continue to be proactive in this changing landscape and I know these two are always looking out for the best interests of our student-athletes and coaching staffs. Great things are ahead for the Redbirds and a large reason for that has to do with Dayton and Brennan helping raise the bar each year.

The Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund will provide strategic, unrestricted support to advance the competitiveness of Illinois State Athletics. At the discretion of the Director of Athletics, funds will be deployed to drive key priorities that position Redbird Athletics for success and accelerate recruiting, retention, and excellence of the department. Expenditures will align with the department's strategic initiatives and will be stewarded by Athletics leadership to maximize competitive and institutional impact. This new fund allows donors to assist in the revenue sharing efforts of ISU Athletics and help elevate our programs to the next level while taking over many of the functions previously held by Empower The Nest.

Redbird Athletics has seen consistent NIL growth thanks to Empower The Nest, the name, image and likeness (NIL) collective comprised of business owners, alumni and supporters of Illinois State Athletics. Empower The Nest has been committed to empowering Redbird student-athletes in the name, image and likeness space by curating relationships between student-athletes and the business community. From FY24 to FY25, Empower the Nest saw a 434 percent growth in dollars allocated and from FY24 to FY25, there was 126 percent growth in the number of student-athletes receiving NIL deals. 

The promotions of Hammes and White further enhance the name, image and likeness (NIL) operations within the department and allow Redbirds Athletics to maintain its role as a leader in the space in collegiate athletics. Hammes has been a part of the Illinois State Athletics department since 2019, when she began as a graduate assistant working in the athletics communications office. As a graduate assistant and later as a full-time assistant on staff, Hammes formed crucial relationships with student-athletes in coaches that allowed her to focus heavily on the department's social media channels. Eventually, she would later become the Director of Social Media and NIL, where she focused on increasing the reach of team and department athletics social media channels while working directly with Redbird student-athletes on how they could maximized their social media presence. In her new role as Assistant Athletic Director/Social Media Strategy and Content, Hammes will guide a staff of two full-time assistants, two graduate assistants and several interns to guide the strategy and content of ISU athletics team and department accounts.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue building on the strong foundation we've laid in the NIL and social media departments," Hammes stated. "I'm honored to step into this role and further elevate our digital presence by showcasing the student-athlete experience and creating content that connects our fans more closely to Illinois State Athletics."

White started in the Illinois State athletic department working as a graduate assistant with the Redbird cross country and track & field teams, before moving into his role as the Director of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at Illinois State. In that role, he led all NIL strategy, education, and partnership development across 19 sports and over 450 student-athletes, working closely with Hammes. In his new role as Assistant Athletic Director/General Manager and NIL Administration, White will continue to empower Redbird student-athletes to navigate and maximize their NIL opportunities while aligning with institutional values, NCAA guidelines, and Illinois state law and will work with Athletics department staff to guide NIL distribution and revenue sharing procedures

"The future of college athletics is here with NIL and revenue sharing, and our team at Illinois State is embracing it head-on. Our focus remains on empowering student-athletes to maximize their opportunities while building programs that compete for championships," White said. "This investment reflects our relentless commitment to their success in their sport, the classroom, and in life. We're not here to keep pace with others; Illinois State will set the standard in the Missouri Valley Conference and at the national level to define what this new era of college athletics will look like."

With the launching of the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund, Empower the Nest will continue to serve student-athletes but donors and supporters are encouraged to make their contributions through the new Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund. Donors can receive a tax deduction for this support. This past fiscal year, generous donors, alumni, and community members committed over $6 million through the Foundation to mark the second-highest fundraising total on record for ISU Athletics. This avenue allows for a strong level of strategic planning and will provide the necessary resources for our head coaches to retain and attract first-class student-athletes. NIL and revenue sharing has had the most concentrated impact in the sports of football, men's basketball, and women's basketball and the Redbirds will continue to be on the forefront of this movement to ensure all 19 intercollegiate sports are prepared as we move into the world of revenue sharing. 

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