The RoundHouse | 9/19/2022 10:07:00 AM
Reporters who need to explain the changing world of college athletics often use Kristi Dosh as a guide. If the topic is name, image and likeness, Dosh knows the subject and knows how to help reporters put a face on the story.
She sends them to Wichita State shortstop
Sydney McKinney, a softball All-American, artist, entrepreneur, and diligent brand manager for herself. When NCAA and college administrators conceived of NIL benefits – compensating student-athletes for their talent and time – McKinney is the perfect example of the intended outcome.
"When it comes to Syd, even if she wasn't a part of the Team USA softball team, if she wasn't an All-American, I think she would be having success in NIL because of who she is," said Bri Cassidy,
director of NIL education at Opendorse.
McKinney, a senior from Norborne, Mo., profits from her painting skills, her love of coffee and Altruistic Joe's brand and her ability to hit softballs like few others. She raises
money for Autism Speaks, inspired by Ryder, her younger brother diagnosed with autism at age 7. She speaks to young softball players and takes fans inside the Shocker team with social media posts.
That ambition paid off in a significant way when Dosh, founder of the NIL consulting firm Business of College Sports, recommended McKinney for Meta's NIL Empower 2.0 program, announced earlier in September. She is one of 30 women selected for the program, which will give each a brand association, educational sessions for best practices on social media and a mentor.
"It's like getting a job – you want to put your best foot forward," McKinney said. "I didn't come to this expecting to make millions of dollars, like the boys are expecting to do. It's wanting everybody to get to know me, wanting people to know what I'm about. Autism Speaks. Artwork. I didn't really have to think about it. It's more about showing people who I am and not about the money."
The word that Dosh and Cassidy use when describing McKinney is "authentic." That quality, they say, is what makes her a role model for the NIL.
"We can all see ourselves in Sydney," said Paige Feikert, who featured McKinney as a guest on
her sports podcast recently. "She has different interests – the art she produces, the sports and what she's studying in school."
McKinney's work with Shocker-focused Armchair Strategies includes camps, social media takeovers and billboards with more to come.
"She's personable and she's passionate," said Tyler Weber, executive director of Armchair Strategies. "She's easy to like. She wants to be part of the community."
McKinney is the first
"Soy Athlete of the Year," an honor that is a tribute to her hometown's Soybean Festival and her work over the past year with Nillions, an NIL media platform company. She responds with "thank you's" after interviews and social media shoutouts and is willing to talk to youngsters, go on podcasts and fill every request.
When she threw out the first pitch before a Wichita Wind Surge (Double A baseball) game this summer, she posted "Love the Surge, love the Shocks, & love this city."
"Since I had a short time in my college career of NIL, I really wanted to focus on maximizing my potential," McKinney said. "I did a lot of studying. I made sure I'm doing it the right way, making sure that I work with brands that represent who I am."
When the NCAA approved NIL legislation in July 2021, Dosh said McKinney was one of the first student-athletes to contact her for guidance. That drive and willingness to ask for help opened doors for McKinney. Her willingness to engage on social media and open her life beyond softball adds to her appeal, Dosh said.
"Some student-athletes get it from the jump," Dosh said. "I teach an NIL class at University of Florida, and I was working on a personal-branding unit this weekend. The first example I show them of a student-athlete who you can summarize their personal brand from looking at a nine-picture profile grid on Instagram is Syd."
Cassidy visited Wichita State earlier this month to meet with Shockers and advise them on how to boost their brand. Opendorse partners with Wichita State to facilitate NIL opportunities. McKinney provides a map for others to follow.
"Anyone that reaches out to her, she's really grateful," Cassidy said. "It's so much more to her than the money. It's the people she's getting connected to and the opportunity she has as a woman in sport."
McKinney's brand grew with almost every at-bat or
Snapchat post since she arrived at Wichita State.
In 2019, she hit .329 and earned All-American Athletic Conference honors. In 2021, she stepped up to All-American honors and conference Player of the Year after hitting .439. The Shockers played in the NCAA regional and raised their profile with wins over Texas A&M and high-profile games against eventual champion Oklahoma.
In 2022, McKinney led the NCAA in batting average (.522) and hits (97) on her way to second-team All-American honors from three organizations. She earned a spot on USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year's top 10 list, while helping the Shockers to a third straight NCAA regional appearance.
In July, USA Softball added her to the U.S Women's National Team roster for a series against Japan in August.
McKinney, a criminal justice major, wants to go to law school and work with Title IX issues.
"Represent women and people who aren't getting the things they should," she said. "I initially wanted to be a child advocacy attorney, but I think the more I've gone through college at Wichita State and done brand deals, NIL, met people, I really think I want to be a Title IX lawyer."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
