University of Alabama sophomore quarterback Bryce Young will make his first career start for the defending national champions on Saturday, after previously appearing in nine games as the backup for Mac Jones, now a New England Patriots quarterback.
Yet Young has already received over $800,000 in endorsements after the NCAA’s decision earlier this summer to allow student-athletes to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness.
Now two University of Maine athletes are the first Black Bears to benefit from the NCAA’s ruling, as University of Maine wide receiver Andre Miller and field hockey forward Brooke Sulinski have partnered with Mainely Supplements and Nutrition in Bangor.
Miller and Sulinski are both graduate students who starred at Old Town High School.
Each student-athlete has a promo code with the company, and when customers make purchases from Mainely Supplements and Nutrition using one of their promo codes, that athlete will receive 10 percent of the sales from that purchase.
Customers, in turn, earn a 15 percent discount if they use Miller or Sulinski’s promo code.
Miller was the Black Bears’ leading receiver in their four-game spring schedule with 21 receptions for 348 yards and six touchdowns. His 5.25 receptions and 87 yards per game averages were tops in the conference and his six touchdown receptions tied him for first during the regular season.
Sulinski has been the field hockey team’s third-leading point-getter and goal scorer in each of the last two seasons.
She had four goals and one assist for nine points each year.
When Miller learned of the NCAA’s ruling, he reached out to former Old Town High School offensive coordinator Jason Coleman, who is the co-owner of Mainely Supplements and Nutrition.
“[Coleman] seemed pretty excited about it,” said Miller, who feels college athletes have earned the right to receive compensation for use of their names, images or likenesses.
Miller said since it is a new ruling, he and Sulinski have talked to UMaine’s compliance personnel to make sure they are adhering to NCAA and institutional guidelines. This is their last year at UMaine and they don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize their eligibility.