Nike has now added a new member to its family. A female NCAA athlete from the track and field program has joined hands with the sportswear brand under an NIL deal. With the importance of NIL coming into several discussions, deals like this set benchmarks highlighted with the benefits received by the athlete in partnership.

After USC freshman athlete Mia Brahe-Pedersen, it was a lucky day for UGA athlete Aaliyah Butler to get an endorsement deal with Nike. The junior sprinter is, however, coming into the spotlight as the second player, specifically a female athlete, to receive such an opportunity amidst the emergence of NIL contracts.

Butler is now a Nike girl

A promising 400m runner and Olympian, Aaliyah Butler’s new venture with Nike is not a dream but a reality for the sprinter. To get the chance of getting a link with one of the top endorsers of today who have tie-ups with several former and legendary sports stars from across different categories now adds the track and field athlete into their list.

With one partnership landing in California, the second one landed on Aaliyah’s hand in the United States. A fan of Nike as a small girl and with no tag of an athlete, the girl is now an established player with the capabilities at hand that have led to her dream endorsements with her dream athletic brand. It all started in her high school days with her 400-meter dash event, in which the sprinter won the national championship title while going to a Nike meet.

“I’ve been a Nike girl since I was born, and it’s always been Nike for me. I’ve never worn any other brands, so when Nike came to me and wanted an NIL deal, it was a no-brainer.”

It would not have been possible if Aaliyah hadn’t achieved the success where she has now come to gain prominence as a University of Georgia track and field player. Standing at 5’4, the sprinter is coming off pretty well in her professional career, donning several achievements and accolades.

UGA sprinter Aaliyah Butler’s achievements

Started with her love for Nike as a child, University of Georgia athlete Aaliyah Butler is a known name today as an emerging track and field athlete. Entering the season as a three-time state champion and All-American from Miami Northwestern, there was no doubt left about her promising performance under the 400-meter category reflected since then.

Aaliyah’s freshman year in Georgia opened a new scope with some notable wins in not just individual but also team events. Coming off with a time of 52.95 to giving the second-fastest timing of 3:33.28 as part of the 4x400m relay team, both the highlighting wins at the Texas Tech Open recorded quite a start.

The Lady Bulldogs athlete’s emergence grew further with her participation in the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, which saw her finishing in the 4th spot. The SEC Championship performance was one highlighting the event, with Aaliyah becoming the fastest woman athlete in the ninth spot. Following the college events, the NCAA champion got the chance to participate in a prestigious event like the 2024 Olympic Games.

Making her debut there, the athlete came off with a pretty clean start. Coming in second place in the Olympic trials, posting her personal best record at 49.71 seconds. This, however, opened up a new gate, claiming her first-ever Olympic medal, that too a gold medal, as part of Team USA in the finals match of the 4 x 400 m relay, including teammates like Quanera Hayes, Shamier Little, and Kaylyn Brown. For now, Aaliyah Butler looks forward to achieving the target set for herself. The focus is currently on herself and not anyone else as of now.