CFL prepares
Finds businesses in your ZIP codes, builds your outreach cards and ads from your own media, and writes your introduction and three follow-ups in your name.
NIL · Free, for athletes in every sport
Graduate with more than a degree.
We want athletes to graduate with more than a degree: with financial knowledge, business confidence and experience for life beyond sports. Capital Forge League gives you real business experience through our Readiness Program, and through that work we teach financial literacy that also puts your name, image and likeness to work for you. It is free, in every sport, and CFL takes no cut.
Read the NIL disclosure: you speak for yourself. CFL only helps with outreach, is not your NIL agent, and promises no result.
0% fees to the athleteNo cut of your NIL moneyYour messages, in your nameOutreach only: not your NIL agentSix-week course, free
Already registered for NIL? Your portal has your checklist, your messages to businesses, your media and your outreach cards.
Sign in to your NIL portalRegister as an athleteWhy we do this
Why a nonprofit league offers NIL
Most NIL money goes to a few sports and a few names, and when an offer does come, someone usually wants a share of it. CFL started with a different question: what will this athlete have the day the games end? Our answer is a team, a real project, and the money skills to handle whatever comes next. NIL is where those skills get used for the first time.
- 1
The Readiness Program
You join a CFL team and work on a real project with interns, mentors and coaches: planning, budgets, deadlines and results. That is the Readiness Program, and it is the business experience most athletes graduate without.
Join a team → - 2
Financial literacy
Along the way you take the free NIL and financial literacy course: contracts, taxes, record-keeping, getting paid safely, and who regulates the money world. You do not need an offer, or verified status, to start learning.
Start the free course → - 3
Name, image and likeness
Then your name, image and likeness become the first place you use what you learned. CFL prepares your outreach materials and introductions; you send them yourself from your portal, CFL checks each one before it goes, and the business pays you directly.
See how it works →
Ultimately, we are coaching you onto a team. The degree is yours. So is everything you build alongside it.
SoftballVolleyballSoccerTrack & fieldSwimmingWrestlingLacrosseGymnasticsTennisGolfCross countryBasketballFootballBaseballEvery sport
Who's eligible
Registration is the first step. Outreach support has four more.
Registration is the first step, not confirmation of anything. Outreach support begins when four things are true: your identity is verified, you are on a CFL team, CFL offers outreach support where you live, and your outreach materials are approved. The course and your portal are open to every registered athlete from day one.
Athlete verificationWe confirm who you are, your school and your sport. Statuses: Not started, Pending review, Action needed, Verified.
CFL team membershipOutreach support is for athletes on a CFL team: the Readiness Program is where the business experience comes from.
Outreach availabilityCFL offers outreach support only in states where it has confirmed it may. Your portal names your state.
Outreach materialsYour media is submitted, reviewed and approved, and you have recorded permission to use it.
Outreach activityNot active, Active or Paused: whether introductions are under way for you right now.
Verification statusWhat it means for you
Not startedComplete your profile and submit the required information.
Pending reviewYour information has been submitted for CFL review.
Action neededReview the request in your email and provide the information needed to continue.
VerifiedYour CFL athlete verification is complete. Check the separate outreach requirements below.
Where outreach support is available: CFL offers outreach support only where it has confirmed it may do so. Available now: AK, AZ, CO, CT, ID, IL, MA, ME, MI, MT, NH, NJ, VT, WA, WY.
NIL outreach support
Your words. Your send. CFL's preparation and checks.
CFL does the preparation. You do the talking. Every email a business receives about you is written in your name and sent by you from your portal. CFL drafts it, checks it for the rules, times the follow-ups, and can see every message, so there are no surprises for you, the business or your school.
You send
From your portal. You edit every word; a check beside the message tells you if anything has to change first. Replies come to your own email, not to CFL.
Everyone can see
CFL sees every message you send, so questions from a business, your school or a parent are answered from the record. The business pays you directly; CFL takes no cut.
Why it's free: our donors. Capital Forge League is a nonprofit, and donations pay for the outreach and the course, so athletes never have to. Give to keep it free →
How it works
From sign-up to a possible deal, in eight steps
- 1
Register
Your sport, school and position, your NIL situation, the kinds of business and ZIP codes you want, your media (a headshot or other high-quality photo, and a link to a well-made video if you have one), and a government ID. You choose a username and password for your own portal.
- 2
Start learning
The free NIL and financial literacy course is open to you the moment you register. No offer and no verified status needed.
- 3
We verify you
We confirm who you are, your school and your sport. Your portal shows each requirement for outreach as its own line: verified is one of them, not all of them.
- 4
Your outreach materials
Your media goes straight into a set of outreach cards and ads made for the businesses you chose. You select the picture, see it inside the ad, and save it. No studio, no photo shoot, and it's free.
- 5
You reach out
CFL identifies businesses in your ZIP codes and writes your introduction in your words. You read it, change what you like, and send it from your portal. CFL checks every message before it can go, and can see each one.
- 6
Follow-ups, timed
Three follow-ups unlock 4, 10 and 17 business days after your introduction, and stop the moment a business replies. Replies come to your own email.
- 7
A business is interested
You are told what they have in mind. You decide whether to go further; the business approves the ad, then you do (and your parent or guardian, if you are under 18).
- 8
The contract, and getting paid
The business sends you its proposed agreement. You decide every term yourself, with your parent or guardian if you are under 18, and have it reviewed before you sign; CFL can share a list of attorneys. The business pays you directly. CFL never holds your money and takes no cut.
Your outreach cards
Upload your media. It goes right in.
These are examples of the cards that go with your introduction. Your media goes in the photo frame, with your name, sport and school: a clear headshot or another high-quality photo, and a well-made video if you have one. You approve every card before a business sees it.
PLAY #06SPORT: SOFTBALL
The Perfect Local Slice.
Put the town's favorite student-athlete behind your signature menu items.
Your nameSoftball · Your school
ATHLETE PHOTO HERE
COACH'S CALL: CREATE YOUR COMBO
PLAY #12SPORT: VOLLEYBALL
Foot Traffic Built by Fan Loyalty.
Bring neighborhood shoppers in with an athlete signing or appearance.
Your nameVolleyball · Your school
ATHLETE PHOTO HERE
COACH'S CALL: BOOK AN APPEARANCE
PLAY #17SPORT: SOCCER
Inspiring the Next Generation.
Put your business name on a youth clinic led by a local athlete.
Your nameSoccer · Your school
ATHLETE PHOTO HERE
COACH'S CALL: SPONSOR A CLINIC
PLAY #03SPORT: SWIMMING
Game Day, Made Local.
Bring a local athlete into your store for a signing, a giveaway or a watch party.
Your nameSwimming · Your school
ATHLETE PHOTO HERE
COACH'S CALL: HOST AN ATHLETE
Examples only. Your cards show your own photo and details.
Financial literacy · Free, every athlete
The six-week NIL and financial literacy course
One topic a week, a few short lessons, things to do that week, and a five-question quiz. Free to every athlete, whether or not you are on a CFL team yet.
Week 1What NIL is, and the rules you play by
Goal: Know what you may and may not do before anyone offers you a deal.
Your name, image and likeness
NIL is your right to be paid when a business uses your name, your picture, your voice or your personal brand to promote itself. College athletes have been able to earn from NIL since July 2021. It is payment for work you do for a business: posts, appearances, ads, camps. It is not payment for playing.
Who sets the rules
Several sets of rules apply at once: your school's NIL policy, your state's law, your conference, the NCAA or your college association, and, in high school, your state high school athletic association. Some states let high school athletes do NIL deals and some do not. Your compliance office (in college) or athletic director (in high school) is always your first call.
The lines you do not cross
No pay for performance (money for wins, points or stats). No deal that is a reward for choosing or transferring to a school. No use of school logos, uniforms or facilities without the school's written permission. Many schools also bar categories such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, vaping, adult content and firearms.
Tell your school
Most colleges require you to report NIL deals, often before you sign or within a set number of days. College deals above a set amount with outside businesses are also reported to a national clearinghouse. Missing a report can put your eligibility at risk. Keep a copy of everything you report.
If you are under 18
A parent or guardian signs with you, every time. At CFL a guardian approves every ad and every contract before anything runs. If you are an international student on a student visa, talk to your school's international office before any NIL work; visa rules can forbid it.
This week, do this
- Find and read your school's NIL policy (or your state high school association's rules).
- Write down who your compliance contact is and how deals are reported.
- List three categories of business you would never promote, and why.
Week 1 quiz
What is an NIL deal?
A business offers $50 for every touchdown you score. What is the problem?
Who should you contact first with a question about your school's NIL rules?
Can you wear your school uniform in a paid ad?
You are 16. Who signs an NIL contract with you?
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
Week 2Your brand, in any sport
Goal: See the value you already have, especially in your own community.
Local beats famous
A local business does not need a national audience. It needs people who live near its door. Your teammates, classmates, their families, your coaches and your town already know you. A softball pitcher, a volleyball libero, a swimmer or a wrestler can matter more to a neighborhood pizzeria than a star three states away.
Every sport, every athlete
NIL money has often gone to a few sports and a few names, and many women's sports get less attention. That is exactly why CFL does this work for free. Your sport has a loyal local following: parents in the stands, youth players who look up to you, schools and clubs. Those are the customers local businesses want to reach.
What your brand is
Your brand is what people think of when they hear your name: your sport, your work ethic, your school, your causes, how you carry yourself. Write it in one sentence. Every post and every partnership should fit that sentence.
Your accounts
Keep your public accounts clean and current: a clear photo, your sport and school (if allowed), and a way to reach you or your guardian. Look at your old posts the way a business owner would. Never share your home address, your schedule in real time or anything you would not want a coach to read.
Staying safe
Real businesses do not ask you to pay to get a deal, to send money first, or to move the conversation to a private app before anything is in writing. If someone rushes you, pressures you or asks for secrecy, stop and tell your guardian or CFL.
This week, do this
- Write your brand in one sentence.
- Clean up one public account: photo, bio, and old posts.
- List ten local places you and your family already go to.
Week 2 quiz
Why might a local pizzeria want to work with a softball player from the nearby high school?
What is your personal brand?
A 'business' asks you to pay $100 to join their sponsorship program. What should you do?
Which should you never post publicly?
Why does CFL focus on athletes in sports that brands overlook?
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
Week 3Finding the right businesses near you
Goal: Choose the businesses and ZIP codes that fit you, and know what you can offer them.
Businesses that fit
Start with places you already use and believe in: restaurants and pizzerias, car dealerships, Main Street shops, gyms and trainers, home and local services, youth camps and clinics. A deal with a business you actually like is easier to promote and more believable.
Your ZIP codes
Pick up to five ZIP codes where people know you: where you live, where your school is, where you train, where your family shops. CFL looks for businesses in those ZIP codes and introduces you to them.
What you can offer
Social posts and stories, an appearance or a signing, a youth clinic under the business's name, a menu item or product with your name on it, a spot in a local ad. Start small and deliver well. A business that is happy with one month usually wants another.
How CFL's outreach works
CFL prepares outreach material for you and for the kinds of business you chose, and contacts businesses in your ZIP codes. Nothing goes out about you without your approval (and your guardian's, if you are under 18). When a business is interested, you decide whether to go further.
This week, do this
- Choose the kinds of business you want to work with.
- Choose up to five ZIP codes.
- Write what you could offer a business in one month.
Week 3 quiz
Which business is the best first fit?
Why choose ZIP codes?
Which is a realistic first offer to a local gym?
Can CFL send outreach about you without your approval?
A youth clinic sponsored by a local business is an example of:
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
Week 4Deals and contracts
Goal: Read a deal line by line before you or your guardian sign it.
What a contract should say
Who the parties are. Exactly what you will do (how many posts, which platforms, which dates, which appearances). How much you are paid and when. How long the deal lasts. Whether you can work with competitors (exclusivity). How you or the business can end it. What happens to the content after the deal ends.
Watch for these
Deals that last for years or renew automatically. Exclusivity that blocks a whole category for a long time. The business owning your name or image forever. Payment 'later' with no date. Anything that conflicts with your school's rules or your team's sponsors.
Disclose every paid post
Paid posts must say they are paid. Use a clear label such as #ad or #sponsored, or the platform's paid-partnership tag, where people will see it. This is a federal advertising rule, not a style choice.
Review before you sign
Never sign an NIL contract you have not had reviewed. Read the scope, the term, the pay, exclusivity and how it ends, and have an attorney look at it. You and your guardian approve the ad, then the contract. CFL does not take a cut of your pay.
This week, do this
- Read a sample NIL contract and mark the term, pay, deliverables and exit.
- Write three questions you would ask before signing.
Week 4 quiz
Which should every NIL contract state?
What does exclusivity mean?
How should a paid post be labeled?
A contract says the business owns your image forever. What should you do?
Who approves a CFL ad before it runs?
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
Week 5Your NIL money
Goal: Get paid safely, keep records and plan for taxes.
Getting paid
The business pays you directly, into your own account (or one your guardian holds for you). CFL never holds your money and takes no fee. Never give anyone your bank password or send money to 'unlock' a payment.
NIL income is taxable
Money and free products or services you receive for NIL work are generally taxable income, whether or not you receive a tax form. Businesses often send a form (such as a 1099) at the start of the year. You are usually treated as self-employed, which means self-employment tax as well as income tax.
Set money aside
Put a share of every payment into savings for taxes as soon as it arrives. If you earn regularly you may need to pay estimated taxes during the year. Ask a tax professional (many communities have free tax help for students) how much to set aside for your situation.
Keep a ledger
For every deal, write down the business, the date, what you did, what you were paid (including products), and any costs you had. Keep the contract and the payment record together. Your school may also ask for these.
Financial aid
NIL earnings can affect need-based financial aid. Ask your financial aid office how your income is counted before you take on large deals.
Who regulates the money world
Two layers watch the people and companies that handle money. In Florida, the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) licenses and examines state-chartered banks, consumer-finance and money-transmission companies, and registers securities dealers and investment advisers doing business in the state. Nationally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees the securities markets, public companies and larger investment advisers. Neither agency gives you advice; both keep public records you can check.
Broker-dealers, FINRA, and who may advise you
A firm that buys or sells investments for customers is a broker-dealer. It must register with the SEC and belong to FINRA, the self-regulatory organization that writes and enforces rules for broker-dealers and licenses the people who work for them. Before anyone touches your NIL money, look them up: FINRA BrokerCheck for brokers, the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure for advisers, and Florida OFR for state licenses. Someone who is in none of them has no business managing your money. CFL is not a broker, adviser or bank and never handles your funds.
This week, do this
- Open (or confirm) the account your NIL money goes into.
- Start a ledger with columns for business, date, work, pay and costs.
- Find a free or low-cost tax help option near you.
- Look up one financial professional on FINRA BrokerCheck, just to see how it works.
Week 5 quiz
Who pays you in a CFL NIL deal?
A business gives you $300 of free gear for posts. Is that income?
What should you do when an NIL payment arrives?
A friendly 'money manager' offers to invest your NIL earnings. Where do you check them first?
Which office can tell you how NIL money affects your financial aid?
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
Week 6Your NIL plan
Goal: Put it together: your brand, your businesses, your rules, your money.
Your one-page NIL plan
One page: your brand sentence, the kinds of business you want, your ZIP codes, what you can offer, your school's reporting steps, your guardian (if under 18), where you are paid, and how you set money aside.
Your pitch
Practice a thirty-second introduction you or CFL can use with a business: who you are, your sport and school, why you believe in their business, and one simple thing you would do for them.
Beyond the season
Treat every deal as work experience: meeting deadlines, communicating with a client, measuring results. Those are the same skills employers look for after sports.
What CFL does next
When you are a verified CFL athlete on a team, CFL gives you NIL outreach support at no cost, in every state where CFL is registered to do so. We prepare your outreach cards, contact businesses in your ZIP codes, can share a list of attorneys you can contact, and take no cut of your NIL money. CFL only helps with outreach. It is not an athlete's NIL agent or attorney, does not negotiate for anyone, and cannot guarantee any result. NIL is free, with no cut.
This week, do this
- Write your one-page NIL plan.
- Practice your thirty-second pitch out loud with someone.
- Register for NIL opportunities with CFL, if you have not yet.
Week 6 quiz
What belongs in your NIL plan?
A good thirty-second pitch includes:
What does CFL charge a verified athlete on a team for NIL outreach support?
Where does CFL give NIL outreach support?
Which skill from NIL work carries into a career after sports?
Answer all 5 questions to check them. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved.
For schools
If your school does not offer NIL education, Capital Forge League’s NIL training academy can be taught to your athletes, and can be taught by an attorney. Register your school’s interest and we will contact you with details. An athlete from a school without NIL training can also sign up for the free course above.
This course is general education, not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules differ by state, school and association: your compliance office or athletic director has the final word.
Questions
What athletes ask us
Do you really take nothing?Nothing. No fee, no percentage, no cut of your NIL money. CFL is a nonprofit and the business pays you directly.
Who gets outreach support?Verified CFL athletes on a team, in states where CFL is registered, with approved outreach materials. The course, your portal and registration are open to every athlete, free.
Who talks to the businesses?You do. CFL writes the introduction and the follow-ups in your name; you edit and send them from your portal, and replies come to your email. CFL checks each message first and can see every one.
I play a sport nobody sponsors. Is it worth it?Yes. Local businesses care about local people. That is exactly who we built this for.
I'm under 18.You write your messages and a CFL person sends them after your parent or guardian's consent is on file. A parent or guardian approves every ad and signs every contract with you. Your state's high school association rules also apply.
NIL disclosure: what CFL is, and what it is notYou represent yourself. You are free to handle your own NIL deals without an agent. CFL gives you free tools that make that simple, including automated marketing outreach to local businesses. CFL is not your NIL agent. Capital Forge League only helps with outreach. It prepares your outreach materials and introduces you to local businesses. It is not your agent, your representative or your attorney. CFL does not negotiate for you. CFL will not negotiate, counter, accept or sign any deal for you. You decide every term yourself, together with your parent or guardian if you are under 18. No guarantee of any result. CFL cannot promise that any business will respond, that any offer will come, or that you will earn anything. Free, with no cut. NIL is free. CFL takes no fee and no share of any deal, and the business pays you directly. Help with contracts. Have any agreement reviewed before you sign it. If you'd like help, CFL can share a list of attorneys you can contact with questions. CFL does not pay for or supervise their advice.
Is CFL my NIL agent?Capital Forge League only helps with outreach. It prepares your outreach materials and introduces you to local businesses. It is not your agent, your representative or your attorney. CFL will not negotiate, counter, accept or sign any deal for you. You decide every term yourself, together with your parent or guardian if you are under 18.
Does CFL promise I will get a deal?CFL cannot promise that any business will respond, that any offer will come, or that you will earn anything.
Can I keep my own attorney?Yes. Tell us when you register and they can review your contracts too. If you don't have one, CFL can share a list of attorneys you can contact.
I make content too. Does that count?Yes. Athletes who create, whether videos, photos, podcasts or streams, are part of the program. Your content is part of your name, image and likeness.
How do I get started?Register, start the free course, and upload your media. Your portal shows each requirement for outreach as its own line and tells you your next step.
Do I need professional photos?No. A clear, recent headshot is enough. It goes straight into your outreach cards.
Already registered for NIL? Your portal has your checklist, your messages to businesses, your media and your outreach cards.
Sign in to your NIL portalRegister as an athlete