The Post Game Podcast #64 Blake Lawrence: Building Opendorse, NIL in College Sports, and Life After Football
Blake Lawrence is a former University of Nebraska linebacker and co-founder of Opendorse, the leading NIL marketplace.
Opendorse has helped college athletes earn and maximize their Name, Image, and Likeness value through deals, endorsements, and sponsorships—making it a leader in the evolving NIL economy.
Topics Covered:
- Blake Lawrence’s transition from football to entrepreneur
- How Opendorse supports NIL deals for college athletes
- Turning locker room lessons into business strategy
- NIL, the transfer portal, and the future of athlete compensation
- The difference between having an idea and running a business
- Why building something great always takes longer than you expect
Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro to Blake
(2:30) Blake’s football background
(4:50) Sports and entrepreneurship overlap
(9:30) Starting Opendorse
(10:30) Founding Hurrdat
(11:45) NIL endorsements and early Twitter marketing
(15:30) Athlete branding in the social media era
(18:50) Landing the first customer
(21:50) The transfer portal’s effect on NIL deals
(27:15) Taking big risks after sports
(32:00) Will Compton
(34:30) Athlete influencers and marketing trend
(37:45) “Eating your own dog food” as a founder
(40:45) Biggest business lessons from Opendorse
(42:30) Ok with 90% market share?
(44:45) NIL stories: Favorite athletes and moments
(49:50) College baseball + NIL
(54:30) Where to find Blake
Links:
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Email Me: joe.poduslenko@gmail.com