Adidas announced Wednesday it's creating a program for up to 50,000 college athletes to become paid endorsers for the brand.
The program will be open to college athletes across 23 sports and 109 Division I NCAA schools.
The company did not say how much the athletes would earn.
"At Adidas, we are committed to creating change through sport and recognize the important role student-athletes play in shaping the future," said Rupert Campbell, president of Adidas North America. "Our groundbreaking NIL program advances our commitments toward building inclusivity in sport and inspires athletes to realize a more equitable world. I can't wait to see it come to life."
The company says the program will launch at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Power-5 conference partners this fall, and then scale across all schools by April 2023.
Adidas is the first major sports brand to create a program for paying college athletes.
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