Saints’ Kruzinski joins Barstool Athletics
Even if it means just a few T-shirts for now, Siena baseball player Devan Kruzinski of Albany wasted no time taking advantage of the NCAA’S new name, image and likeness policy that went into effect on Thursday.
Kruzinski, a junior infielder from Colonie High, on Saturday became one of many college athletes nationally who are joining the digital media company Barstool Sports’ new NCAA marketing firm, called Barstool Athletics.
“Welcome Devan Kruzinski!” Barstool Athletics tweeted with a picture of Kruzinski. “I sent them a couple of DMS on Twitter and Instagram, just saying I play at a D1 school, I’m from New York and I think it’d be cool to be a Barstool athlete and why not give a school like us a shot to promote ourselves and get our names on the map,” Kruzinski said Saturday from Florida, where he’s playing in a college summer league. “I sent that out and sent back the application and next thing you know I get an email from them saying, ‘You’re in.’ ”
Kruzinski is one of the first Capital Region college athletes to act since the NCAA began allowing athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. The new policy allows athletes to use a professional services provider for NIL activities.
Ualbany quarterback Jeff Undercuffler tweeted on Friday he is “blessed to be affiliated with” Barstool Athletics, which had yet to announce him joining. Later on Saturday, Barstool Athletics announced Union College hockey player Chaz Smedsrud joined the firm.