CHISOX Athletes NIL Roster Filled with College Stars, Illinois Natives

The Chicago White Sox were one of the first professional teams to embrace the concept of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).

The White Sox recently announced its latest roster of CHISOX Athletes, part of an NIL initiative that is in its fourth season. Chicago may be one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, but it provides one of the best experiences in MLB when it comes to NIL.

The roster of 13 student-athletes includes Michigan State basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr., Miami (OH) volleyball player Anna McClure, Notre Dame football player Drayk Bowen, Saint Louis basketball star Robbie Avila, Minnesota women’s hockey player Abbey Murphy, Northwestern basketball player Nick Martinelli, Notre Dame women’s soccer star Berkley Mensik, Indiana football player Pat Coogan, Western Michigan hockey star Zack Sharp, Minnesota dance athlete Maddy Vercelli, Michigan football player Jyaire Hill, Creighton basketball star Owen Freeman and Western Michigan gymnast Hannah Milton.

All 13 are from Illinois. Sharp recently helped the Broncos to their first national championship in men’s hockey. The program now has 20 alumni.

Per the White Sox, the program is designed to “connect a new generation of White Sox ambassadors with top-tier branding opportunities, including financial incentives, access to professional resources from a renowned MLB franchise and personalized career mentorship from leading sports executives.”

All members of CHISOX Athletes also participate in social media promotion, throw out a ceremonial first pitch during their first year in the program, receive custom White Sox apparel and a Chicago Sports Network studio interview during their second year in the program.

Avila is in his second year in the program and will get to do one of those in-studio interviews. He rose to fame during the 2024 college basketball postseason as a member of Indiana State, where he earned the nickname “Cream Abdul Jabbar” after leading the Sycamores to the championship game.

After that season he transferred to Saint Louis, following his coach. With the Billikens he averaged 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Fears recently helped the Spartans reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.