ByDan Canova December 14, 2022
John Ruiz, a Miami alum, has been one of the biggest faces in the NIL space.
Ruiz, who owns LifeWallet and Cigarette Racing, has utilized NIL deals to promote his companies over the last 17 months and counting. Ruiz has spent $10 million on student-athletes in the first year of NIL and he plans for it to grow as NIL progresses over time.
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The majority of NIL deals that Ruiz came to terms with involved student-athletes from Miami. Since name, image and likeness laws came to fruition, Ruiz has signed 110 active student-athletes from Miami’s football, women’s basketball, and baseball teams.
Over the past few days, Ruiz signed Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, safety Kamren Kinchens and cornerback Te’Cory Couch to NIL deals. In the agreement, Ruiz stated that the student-athletes will have a “little brother or sister” as part of giving back to the Miami community.
Ruiz also plans on fulfilling another deal with Akheem Mesidor, a West Virginia transfer defensive lineman. Mesidor – an Ottawa native – already signed with LifeWallet back in May.
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In November, Ruiz made it clear that he is “super happy” with his return on investment and he is thrilled where the company currently stands when it comes to branding.
Ruiz is certainly a believer in NIL and he will continue to be a driving force behind deals involving Miami student-athletes.