Certification tracks for the people who actually run college sports — athletes, parents, coaches, compliance leaders, agents, brand partners, and executives. Built on one promise: the athlete comes first.
Disclosure: Couth NIL Institute™ is a planned certification program in active development. It is not currently accredited and does not confer legal, tax, or agent licensure. All credentials described below are forthcoming.
The Standard
Six principles every track is built on
Athlete-First
Every module is judged by whether it makes the athlete safer, smarter, or freer.
Compliance-Honest
We teach the rules as they are, not as anyone wishes them to be.
Money-Literate
Plain-English finance, taxes, and structure — no jargon, no upsell.
Identity-Anchored
Wellness and identity are core curriculum, not an elective.
Research-Backed
Built on Dr. Michael Johnson's research and a growing evidence base.
Stackable
Foundations → Professional → Executive. Credentials compound.
Certification Tracks
Nine tracks. One standard.
CNI-101
Foundations
Certified NIL Athlete™ — Foundations
Student-Athletes (HS & College)
The athlete-first NIL literacy baseline. Rights, responsibilities, brand identity, and red-flag awareness — built for first-year eligibility.
6h
Length
8
Modules
Athlete Foundations
Credential
Outcomes
Understand NIL rights under state law, NCAA policy, and school code
Identify predatory deals, undisclosed risks, and bad-faith actors
Build a baseline brand identity grounded in character and values
Draft a personal disclosure workflow for every deal
View curriculum (8 modules)
What NIL Is — And What It Isn't
Your Rights, Your Record, Your Reputation
Reading a Term Sheet (Plain Language)
Disclosure, Compliance & The Couth Standard
Brand Identity for Athletes
Social Media Risk & Recovery
Red Flags: Agents, Collectives, Promises
Building Your First Deal Plan
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-201
Professional
Certified NIL Professional™ — Athlete Track
Upper-class & High-Earning Athletes
For athletes operating at scale. Tax structure, LLC formation, agent selection, royalty splits, and long-horizon brand strategy.
12h
Length
10
Modules
Athlete Professional
Credential
Outcomes
Structure an LLC and quarterly tax workflow for NIL income
Evaluate agents and agencies using standardized criteria
Negotiate royalty, exclusivity, and territory terms
Build a 3-year brand and career roadmap
View curriculum (10 modules)
Entity Formation (LLC, S-Corp) for Athletes
Quarterly Taxes & 1099 Reality
Agent Evaluation Framework
Royalty, Equity & Performance Bonuses
Contract Red-Lines You Must Know
Long-Form Brand Strategy
Media Training & Crisis Communication
Investing the First $100K
Insurance, Disability & Loss-of-Value
Post-Career Transition Planning
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-301
Professional
Certified NIL Compliance Leader™
Athletic Departments, Compliance, GCs
The operating manual for compliance offices in the House-settlement era — rev-share, cap management, disclosure workflows, and Title IX intersection.
16h
Length
12
Modules
Compliance Leader
Credential
Outcomes
Operate a defensible NIL disclosure and review workflow
Manage revenue-share cap implications across rosters
Coordinate with general counsel, Title IX, and finance
Build athlete-facing education that actually lands
View curriculum (12 modules)
Post-House Operating Reality
Revenue-Share Cap Management
Disclosure Systems & Audit Trails
State Law × NCAA × Conference Policy
Title IX & NIL Intersection
Collective Coordination Boundaries
Athlete Education Programs That Work
Investigations & Enforcement
Vendor & Platform Diligence
Data Privacy & FERPA
Crisis & Public Records
Building the Annual Compliance Calendar
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-220
Professional
Certified NIL Coach Leader™
Head Coaches, Position Coaches, Staff
How coaches lead inside the NIL era without becoming the deal broker. Culture, roster strategy, and the language of money done right.
10h
Length
8
Modules
Coach Leader
Credential
Outcomes
Lead an NIL-aware locker room without compliance exposure
Talk about money with athletes using a shared framework
Protect culture in revenue-share roster construction
Partner with compliance instead of working around it
View curriculum (8 modules)
The Coach's Role (and What It Isn't)
Roster Strategy in the Rev-Share Era
Money Conversations Without Recruiting Violations
Identity, Character & The Locker Room
Transfer Portal Realities
Coaching Through Big-Money Mistakes
Working With Compliance & Collectives
Building a Program That Lasts
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-310
Professional
Certified NIL Representative™
Agents, Marketing Reps, Managers
A fiduciary-first standard for anyone representing athletes. Conflict of interest, fee structures, and the ethical floor below which no rep should operate.
14h
Length
10
Modules
NIL Representative
Credential
Outcomes
Operate to a documented fiduciary standard
Disclose conflicts and fee structures in plain English
Avoid the conduct that ends careers and licenses
Build a representation practice athletes actually trust
View curriculum (10 modules)
Fiduciary Duty in Plain English
Fee Structures & Disclosure
Conflict of Interest Mapping
Negotiating With Brands & Collectives
Contract Drafting Essentials
Athlete Mental Health Awareness
When To Say No To A Deal
When To Fire A Client
Recordkeeping & Audit Readiness
The Representative's Code of Couth
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-240
Professional
Certified Brand Partner™
Brands, Agencies, Local Businesses
How brands engage athletes the right way — clean briefs, clean contracts, clean activations, and durable long-term partnerships.
8h
Length
7
Modules
Brand Partner
Credential
Outcomes
Write athlete-friendly briefs that convert
Structure deals that survive a compliance review
Measure impact beyond followers and impressions
Build a multi-year athlete partnership portfolio
View curriculum (7 modules)
The Athlete as a Brand Partner
Brief Writing for NIL
Deal Structure That Lands
Compliance-Safe Activations
Measurement Beyond Vanity
Local Business NIL Done Right
Building A Multi-Year Roster
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-110
Foundations
Certified NIL Family Guide™
Parents, Guardians, Family Advisors
The plain-language guide for the people closest to the athlete. How to ask the right questions, spot the wrong people, and protect the long game.
4h
Length
6
Modules
Family Guide
Credential
Outcomes
Ask the right questions of every advisor and offer
Spot predatory patterns early
Coordinate with school compliance without friction
Protect the family's financial future
View curriculum (6 modules)
What NIL Actually Means For Your Family
Reading A Deal Without A Lawyer
Choosing Advisors Who Earn Trust
Tax & Financial Reality
Mental Health & Identity
The Long Game After Sport
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-250
Professional
Certified Athlete Wellness Partner™
Wellness, Mental Performance, Chaplains
Identity, pressure, performance, and money — the human layer underneath NIL. Built for the practitioners who hold the athlete together.
10h
Length
8
Modules
Wellness Partner
Credential
Outcomes
Recognize NIL-specific stressors and warning signs
Build identity work into season-long programming
Coordinate handoffs with clinical and crisis resources
Support athletes through windfalls and downturns
View curriculum (8 modules)
Identity Beyond The Jersey
The Psychology of Sudden Money
Social Media, Comparison & Burnout
Family System Pressure
Faith, Values & Anchors (Optional)
Crisis Protocols & Handoffs
Working With Coaches & Compliance
Long-Horizon Wellbeing
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
CNI-401
Executive
Executive Certificate — Future of College Sports™
ADs, Presidents, Trustees, Conference Leaders
The board-level program. Strategic, financial, and reputational stewardship of an athletic enterprise in the post-House era.
20h
Length
10
Modules
Executive
Credential
Outcomes
Set institutional NIL strategy at the board level
Align rev-share, Title IX, and donor strategy
Lead enterprise risk and reputation work
Build a multi-year transformation roadmap
View curriculum (10 modules)
The Enterprise Reality of College Sports
Rev-Share, Cap & Roster Economics
Title IX in the Rev-Share Era
Donor & Collective Strategy
Brand & Reputation Leadership
Athlete Welfare as Strategy
Conference Realignment Pressure
Federal Policy Horizon
Building The Multi-Year Plan
Board Communication & Stewardship
Enrollment opens Charter Cohort
Stackable Pathways
Credentials that compound
Every certification stacks into the Couth Passport™ — a verified, lifelong record of leadership, learning, NIL literacy, and service.
Athlete Pathway
1.CNI-101 Foundations
2.CNI-201 Professional
3.Couth Passport™ Verified
Compliance Pathway
1.CNI-301 Compliance Leader
2.CNI-401 Executive
3.Couth Verified Office™
Family Pathway
1.CNI-110 Family Guide
2.Annual Refresher
3.Family Advisor Verified
Industry Pathway
1.CNI-240 / CNI-310
2.Code of Couth Pledge
3.Couth Partner Directory
Couth Verified™
A credential that means something
Every Institute graduate signs the Code of Couth — a public commitment to athlete-first conduct. Certifications are revocable for conduct that violates the standard. The credential is only as valuable as the floor we hold.
Public verification page per credential
Annual recertification to stay current
Conduct review with athlete-protection focus
Listed in Couth Verified Directory™
Faculty
Built with practitioners
Curriculum is being developed with athletic directors, compliance leaders, athlete attorneys, mental performance clinicians, and former student-athletes — anchored by Dr. Michael Johnson's research.
Faculty announcements with Charter Cohort
Charter Cohort
Help us build the standard the next generation deserves.
Charter members shape the curriculum, pilot the assessments, and earn founder-level recognition inside the Couth Passport™.