FRISCO, TX — Two Angelo State University student-athletes recently received an opportunity to be ambassadors for Lone Star NIL, the nation’s first independent statewide name, image, and likeness program. Austin Beck, a member of the Rams’ Baseball team, and Carringtyn Johnson, Rambelles Soccer, will endorse and promote Lone Star NIL through social media, in-person and virtual meetings, and other media appearances and promotional opportunities.
About Lone Star NIL:
LONE STAR NIL’s unique program exclusively serves Texan students enrolled at any of the state’s 116 universities and colleges. Intent on driving enrollment, retention and graduation at statewide institutions, LONE STAR NIL purposely targets opportunities for college athletes within the robust Texas business community, including professional development, community service, and charitable activities.
The Ambassadors, six female and four male student-athletes, represent nine sports at eight Texas institutions, four at the NCAA Division I level, and four in Division II. The initial Ambassadors’ program begins in December and concludes in May.
“We’re extremely proud to announce our first name, image, and likeness activity, the LONE STAR NIL Ambassadors’ program,” said Founder/CEO Tom Burnett, a native Texan and former longtime NCAA conference commissioner. “These high-achieving student-athletes are representative of what we originally identified as a successful way to develop a first-of-its-kind, statewide NIL program.”
Related to following name, image, and likeness guidance, LONE STAR NIL strictly adheres to Texas state law and the bylaws of the NCAA (and other collegiate governing bodies). Once activity is developed and agreed upon, the financial arrangements and task obligations are transparently disclosed to the student-athlete’s institutional athletic departments. Also, LONE STAR NIL does not target financial giving from individual supporters of universities and colleges, instead focusing more directly with corporate brands and local companies.
In Texas, there can be no NIL-created conflicts with a student-athlete's team contract, an institutional contract, the student honor code, or another policy of the institution’s athletic department. Further, there is no current NIL opportunity for Texas high school student-athletes until they graduate and are enrolled as college students.
“Our advisory group of veteran athletic administrators, strategic business leaders, and student-athletes began planning and working on our concept in January,” added Burnett. “We’re very happy to roll out the beginning of what we see as an intentional series of successful Texas-focused NIL activities that will benefit students and businesses throughout our home state. Ultimately, we’d love for LONE STAR NIL to play a part, even a small part, in developing leaders that help build the future Texas workforce.”
Angelo State Student-Athletes Austin Beck and Carringtyn Johnson
(Credit: angelosports.com)
Austin Beck - Jr., Angelo State University, Baseball, Major: Exercise Science, Allen, Texas (Allen HS)
Austin helped lead Angelo State to the 2023 NCAA Division II College World Series title. He was also a 2022 D2CCA Second Team All-American and an ABCA Third Team All-American. He earned 2022 Lone Star Conference 1st Team, Freshman of the Year & Tournament MVP honors. Beck also garnered the 2022-23 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.
While at Allen High School, he earned first-team all-district honors at third base and was selected for the North Texas 6A High School All-Star Game. He aspires to play professional baseball, followed by a chiropractor/physical therapy career. Austin enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies, shows and sports, and cooking.
Carringtyn Johnson - So., Angelo State University, Women’s Soccer, Major: Criminal Justice, Wylie, Texas (Wylie HS)
Carringtyn is a standout defender for Angelo State’s soccer team. Played in 17 matches as a sophomore this season, starting 14 of them. In her freshman year, Carringtyn made four starts in 15 matches played, including a season-high 85 minutes in the NCAA Tournament against UC-Colorado Springs. At Wylie High School, she was a 2022 academic all-state selection and a 2021 second-team all-district pick.
Carringtyn was also an accomplished track and field competitor at the prep level. She is interested in furthering her education by pursuing a master’s degree in criminal justice and expresses a desire to work for the FBI or become a private investigator. Carringtyn also enjoys cooking, drawing, reading, and photography.
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