Student athletes deserve to be celebrated — and I’m not just talking about those projected to be the No. 1 draft picks in their national league after college. All student athletes should be championed on and off campus, and active recovery footwear brand OOFOS knows that. That’s why OOFOS has partnered with Her Campus Media for a new partnership that’ll give more than 1,500 athletes access to their first NIL deal.
“Supporting athletes, especially women in sports, as they balance their training, competition, and personal growth is core to who we are at OOFOS,” said Liz White, Chief Marketing Officer at OOFOS, in a press release. Now, OOFOS is giving Her Campus Athletic Club athletes an opportunity to better their recovery off the field, and give them the chance to build their branding skills at the same time. As part of the partnership, the athletes will be able to opt into a brand partnership, which will likely be their first-ever name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal.
As part of the brand deal, student athletes will receive a pair of OOFOS recovery slides (like the OOmega OOahh Sandal, $90) as well as a Team OOFOS Creator Kit, which includes top-quality gear and tools to help them create unique content and share their individual stories. “The Her Campus Athletic Club provides the perfect platform to give these student athletes not just recovery footwear, but real opportunities to learn, grow, and take their first step into brand partnerships. We’re proud to be part of their journey,” White said.
Supporting female college athletes around the country at this scale has been a long time coming. A recent Her Campus Media survey found that nearly nine in 10 Gen Z women are sports fans, and nearly six in 10 are more interested in women’s sports now than they were just a year ago. That — no doubt — is thanks in part to the WNBA, where all stars like Caitlin Clarke, A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers have taken over fans’ TV screens and FYPs.
Even though everyone watches women’s sports, advertising dollars don’t tell the same story. According to findings from Deloitte in January 2025, women’s sports only get about 10% of sponsorship dollars (despite Game 5 of the WNBA Championship series this year becoming the most-watched WNBA game in 25 years). And the pay gap between male and female pro athletes is stark — according to Forbes, Steph Curry makes $55.8 million per year as one of the top-paid NBA players, while Jackie Young makes $252,450 as the WNBA’s top-paid.
It’s why this partnership between OOFOS and Her Campus Media is so important. “This community is all about supporting the next generation of athletes at this critical inflection point for the visibility of women’s sports,” said Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Her Campus Media said in a press release. It’s an opportunity for collegiate athletes to gain access to a training ground of resources, helping them grow both their careers and their personal brands. I have no doubt this partnership between OOFOS and Her Campus Media will better the collegiate athlete community — one pair of recovery slides at a time.