In this episode of NIL Edge, Brennan White — Assistant AD and General Manager for NIL Administration at Illinois State — joins the show to discuss what it really takes to build an effective NIL program at the FCS level.

Brennan shares how Illinois State approaches NIL strategy with limited resources, why relationships with local businesses are critical to creating opportunities for student-athletes, and how programs can remain competitive without trying to match the budgets of Power Four schools.

The conversation also explores athlete education, managing NIL expectations, and how smaller programs can succeed by focusing on people, trust, and long-term partnerships rather than chasing volume.