Wednesday, March 5, 2025
In the pre-dawn light, the University of San Diego (USD) Men’s Rowing team arrived for practice at Mission Bay. But on this particular January morning, the rowers arrived to the boathouse to find production vans, professional cameras and racks of clothing sprawled out as far as the eye could see.
Nautica, the iconic American lifestyle brand known for its nautical-inspired apparel, had transformed their familiar training ground into a professional photoshoot set for the team’s first major Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnership.
“We got there and it wasn’t just another practice. It was a whole ordeal, so much bigger than any of us imagined,” said Derek Hissong, a senior mechanical engineering major and eight-year rowing veteran. “It was a whole production team of photographers, videographers, more cameras than I even knew existed, to be honest.”
The two-day collaboration showcased the student-athletes both on water and at South Mission Beach, illustrating how NIL opportunities are now extending beyond high-profile sports like basketball and football to benefit athletes across all collegiate sports.
For USD Men’s Rowing, this NIL opportunity represented more than just financial support — it was a chance to elevate their program and student-athlete experience. Junior Rex Bales, a marketing major with a theater minor, feels the experience supports his professional aspirations of modeling and acting.
“It’s a great thing to add to my resume,” Bales said. “Now I have a taste of it, and I want to keep working at this professional level. It opened a door into this industry for me.”
Hissong found different but equally valuable takeaways.
“I think the biggest thing was being comfortable diving into something we didn’t know much about,” Hissong explained. “Professors are always saying, ‘You need to be adaptable.’ I think this was a good example of real-world adaptability and being comfortable with talking to people who are in a completely different field than you.”
The production far exceeded expectations. What team members initially imagined as a small photo session transformed into a professional photoshoot complete with wardrobe changes, beach activities and on-water action shots. The experience required the rowers to adapt quickly – trading their typical spandex for what Bales described as “full country club clothing,” rowing in khakis and polos.
Beyond the photoshoot, the partnership also strengthened team bonds during what became an impromptu team-building exercise. Between photo takes at the beach, the rowers were given a frisbee and encouraged to start up a game of Ultimate Frisbee.
“We play very intense Ultimate Frisbee every time we go to the beach,” Bales said. “We just picked it up right where we left off.”
Both athletes expressed deep gratitude to their head coach, Bart Thompson, and USD Athletics Director of Name, Image and Likeness Lauren Kirby whose behind-the-scenes work made the partnership possible.
“They both deserve a lot of credit,” Bales emphasized. “Although this was a foreign experience for all of us, Coach Thompson handled it very well. This whole thing honestly probably couldn’t have been done without him.”
The team was equally appreciative of Nautica’s professionalism and generosity. Not only will the team receive compensation through the NIL agreement, but Nautica also gifted the team with the clothing from the photoshoot.
“The crew were all super sweet. They were smiling even though it was early in the morning,” Bales said. “But it was such a good energy out there.”
The partnership between USD Men’s Rowing and Nautica demonstrates the potential for NIL deals to create meaningful opportunities for student-athletes across all sports. For Hissong and his teammates, it also offered the opportunity to highlight the sport of rowing.
“There’s a beauty to it,” Hissong said. “If you see an eight out on the water in Mission Bay with the backdrop of USD and the sunrise – that’s a pretty special kind of image.”
— Kelsey Grey ’15 (BA)
