NIL era brings cautious optimism to college-town businesses

Posted Jul 19, 2021
Bret Oliverio says he wants college athletes to endorse his Sup Dogs restaurant on the main Franklin Street drag steps from the University of North Carolina. He is just being patient before jumping into a brave new world. Like other small business owners in college towns, Oliverio is sorting out what it means to strike an endorsement deal with athletes. (Associated Press)

Related: Campus Connections

Live from Ireland: Festivities begin in Dublin
UNC leaders, student-athletes, fans, and alumni are arriving in Ireland ahead of the Tar Heels’ football season opener against Texas Christian University as part of...
Tue Aug 25, 2026

UNC move-in photo from the past stirs up big emotions, especially for parents
August brings the annual ritual of college freshmen leaving home to move into college dorms. Digging through the archives, I was struck by this 1997...
Tue Aug 25, 2026

To UNC's Freshmen — Trust Your Gut
You may or may not know your major. You may or may not stick with your original choice of study. A freshman at Stanford joined...
Sun Aug 23, 2026

These UNC summer camps bring the wow
Oooohs from kids crouching eye-to-eye with a praying mantis or studying salamanders in a creek. Aaaahs of children holding a space rock or trying to...
Sat Aug 22, 2026