Ex-Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller couldn't cash in during historic run. Now she helps others with NIL
A year ago, Sarah Fuller had the world’s attention and fielded hundreds of promotional offers. She attended the ESPYs, introduced Vice President Kamala Harris during an inauguration TV event and became a beacon for women in football.
But as far as compensation, she couldn’t accept a penny.
“It was very frustrating because you have people coming up saying, ‘you could make so much money right now. You might as well just drop out,’” Fuller said in an exclusive interview with USA Today Sports+.
The former champion-winning Vanderbilt soccer goalkeeper made history last year as the first woman to play and score in a Power 5 conference football game. Fuller kicked for the Vanderbilt football team against Missouri Nov. 28, 2020, and two weeks later secured two extra points against the University of Tennessee.
At the time, NCAA athletes weren’t able to monetize their name, image or likeness (NIL).
Fuller tried to push back on NCAA regulations, asking if she could start her own business or sell clothes without losing her eligibility, but it was “just red tape everywhere,” she said.
“I felt kind of taken advantage of,” Fuller said. “Like I wasn't able to do what I felt should be possible.”
Seven months later, on July 1, 2021, all three divisions of college sports suspended NCAA name, image and likeness rules for all student-athletes in all sports. Student athletes can now engage in NIL activities in compliance with the state laws in which their schools are located.
Fuller now uses her experience to help fellow college athletes navigate the new NIL regulations.
Following her viral kicks for Vanderbilt, Fuller’s social media following grew from 900 followers to more than 100,000 on Instagram and Twitter combined. She realized she had an opportunity to make an impact on young people and fellow athletes.
“Billie Jean King was one of the first people to reach out to me after everything. I saw how she used her platform and how she promotes equality in sports and all that.” Fuller said. “I kind of mimicked the things that I'm passionate about on my page, the way that she did. Honestly, that's kind of what drove me in that direction.”
Fuller doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind and sharing what she thinks about NCAA policies, athlete rights and women’s rights.
Recently, when the NCAA denied the request of the United Soccer Coaches to change the NCAA Division III men’s and women’s soccer championships so the semifinal and final were not played on consecutive days, Fuller took to Twitter to call out the governing organization.
“I know the NCAA probably does not love me, but that is OK because I have the platform to speak up where athletes might not feel that they can,” Fuller said. “I don't care if NCAA doesn't like me that much.”
After retiring from her short-lived football career at the end of the 2020 season and graduating with a degree in Medicine, Health and Society from Vanderbilt, Fuller sought to continue playing soccer.
She tried to apply for the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League Draft, but with two redshirt seasons, she did not meet the requirements of three years of collegiate soccer eligibility prior to the 2020–21 academic year.
Fuller took her remaining eligibility to the University of North Texas. She chose the school to pursue a master's in hospital administration and play soccer, but she is also interested in the school's MBA program for sports entertainment management.
And that’s when the entire NCAA landscape changed.
“We call it the Wild West because that's exactly what it is,” Fuller said about the new NIL regulations. “I hear what my teammates are going through, and what I'm going through in terms of all the NIL rules and the complications around it.”
Having been through the publicity circus herself, Fuller fielded teammates' questions about contracts, lawyers and sponsorship offers. During her first year at North Texas, she also received multiple messages from brands to collaborate, including one from Nicholas Lord, CEO of a company called NOCAP Sports.
It wasn’t a sponsorship deal but an offer to be the company's director of athletic relations. NOCAP started in 2020 as a recruiting platform for colleges and is now one of the first free platforms for athletes and schools in multiple divisions to conduct verified, transparent, compliant NIL related deals. The company recently announced it raised $2.5 million in seed funding. Since July 1, NOCAP has commitments from 64 universities across Divisions I, II, and II,I and it has fully onboarded 3,500 student athletes.
Fuller also received strange direct messages from countless companies peddling “sketchy” offers. She said the whole thing can be scary, so she jumped at the opportunity to join NOCAP and help fellow athletes.
“I went through everything with the kick and all that with football. I wasn't able to capitalize off of that because it wasn't legal at the time,” Fuller said. “And so I feel like this is kind of my way of giving back and giving that opportunity to athletes to capitalize off of their image.”
Bringing Fuller into a leadership position while she was still in school was a “no brainer” for NOCAP, Lord said.
“I kind of knew that she was my No. 1 choice,” he said. “Obviously, she's accomplished a lot of great things in the soccer and football field, but I was more impressed with how she's handled herself off the field.
“She was almost fearless in the media and stands up for what she believes in, and has been very vocal about athletes’ rights and women's rights.”
Fuller plans to continue with the company whether she chooses to play her final year of eligibility as a goalkeeper at North Texas or declares for the 2022 NWSL Draft in December.
“Now that I'm in the sports world, it feels exactly where I need to be. I can be vocal in this space,” Fuller said. “I'm actually very thankful for everything I went through — the highs and lows and all that — because I really like the space that I'm in right now.”
When asked if she wishes the NIL rules had come a year earlier, before she hung up her football cleats, Fuller said she doesn’t focus on what could have been.
“I've thought about that, don't get me wrong. But you can't do what ifs,” Fuller said. “That's why I'm just taking advantage of these opportunities now. And I think it's great because I'm kind of able to mold the space of what it is."