NIL Collective Run By Father Of Charli, Dixie D'Amelio Bankrolls Top UConn Athletes To Footwear Launch Party In Los Angeles

There is a direct correlation between monetary funds and success in the modern era of college athletics, and Marc D'Amelio has entered the space in a very unique way. The 54-year-old entrepreneur and local politician is the father to Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and he's doing things right!

Dixie, the elder of the two sisters, has nearly 25 million followers on Instagram and 57 million followers on TikTok. Charli, the younger sister, has more than 45 million followers on Instagram and 150 million followers on TikTok.

Both sisters have some of the largest social media brands in the world, and they each have an estimated net worth in the $10 million range. Charli is only 19. Dixie is just 21. Impressive.

The entire family is featured on The D'Amelio Show on Hulu, which has helped to grow Marc's brand in conjunction to his entrepreneurial efforts and daughter's stardom.

As the family brand continues to grow exponentially, Marc has entered into the back-end business of college athletics. He founded the D'Amelio Huskies Collective for his alma mater, UConn, and plans to sign at least one athlete in every men's and women's sport.

Name, Image and Likeness collectives, like D'Amelio Huskies, are crucial in recruiting. While money may not be the deciding factor in every athlete's recruitment, it is for some. And financial opportunity is a crucial piece to the puzzle for every college athlete in an age where they can make money.

Schools that can offer greater opportunity to profit often have a better chance of signing top recruits. They also have a better chance of retaining top talent already on campus.

The D'Amelio Huskies Collective is UConn's top NIL arm.

The D’Amelio Huskies Collective was formed to “provide student-athletes with the opportunity to further develop themselves and their individual brands as part of their education at UConn while simultaneously serving others by supporting local entities.”

Fairly standard stuff.

It, largely through Marc, helps UConn athletes to connect with brands that are seeking their likeness for marketing and promotional opportunities. They are also compensated directly through the collective itself.

Established branding is where the D'Amelio Huskies Collective is different.

Many, if not most, NIL collectives across the country popped up over the last few years. There is no legacy branding to who they are or what they do. Many of them serve as something of a crowdfunding platform to get top athletes paid. And that's it.

Although the D'Amelio Huskies Collective was founded just last year, it comes with a bigger name. D'Amelio is attached. There is a larger backing in terms of status.

Marc is able to use his and his family's brand in conjunction with the collective. That is exactly what he did over the weekend.

The D'Amelio family — Marc, Charli, Dixie, and mom Heidi — officially launched D'Amelio Footwear on Thursday.

It is the first company that is 100% theirs. They set out to create a footwear brand that the three women in the family actually want to wear, at an accessible price point.

The family held its official launch party in Los Angeles.

This is where UConn and NIL comes into play.

As part of the footwear launch, Marc tied-in the D'Amelio Huskies Collective. He flew multiple UConn athletes out to Los Angeles for the launch party.

Among them were women's basketball's Amari DeBerry and Azzi Fudd, women's soccer's Chloe Landers, men's basketball rising star Clingan Donovan, quarterback Taquan Roberson and running back Victor Rosa. All six athletes in attendance signed with the D'Amelio Collective.

This was not the only star-studded event that included the D'Amelio Collective. It won't be the last.

No other NIL collective in the country can offer such a unique experience. No other NIL collective has such a direct tie to a prominent name brand that is only continuing to grow and expand.

Events like Thursday's D'Amelio Footwear launch party is what sets Marc's collective apart. UConn athletes who sign with the D'Amelio Huskies Collective are intrinsically linked to one of the largest names on social media, and beyond. They are actively promoting a brand. They aren't only receiving a direct deposit for a set amount of money each month. It's bigger than that.

There is a business aspect to the D'Amelio Huskies Collective that others cannot provide. All of that stems from the brands that Marc, Dixie, Charli and Heidi have built. The athletes are now an extension of those brands and the famous last name.