Sporting Kansas City announced today the Sporting U NIL Program Class of 2025, featuring Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) agreements with seven local NCAA Division I student-athletes.
The Sporting U NIL Class of 2025 consists of five athletes who were members of the program’s inaugural class during the 2023-2024 school year—Blake Craig, Jericho Frigon, Keegan Good, Kallie Klanke and Jaylin Noel—as well as two new additions in Arkansas baseball player Kendall Diggs and Nebraska volleyball player Skyler Pierce.
Sporting U NIL Class of 2025
- University of Missouri kicker Blake Craig (Liberty North HS alum)
- University of Arkansas outfielder Kendall Diggs (St. Thomas Aquinas HS alum)
- Kansas State University defender Jericho Frigon (Liberty HS alum)
- University of Missouri midfielder Keegan Good (Park Hill South HS alum)
- University of Kansas forward Hallie Klanke (Lee’s Summit West HS alum)
- Iowa State University receiver Jaylin Noel (Park Hill HS alum)
- University of Nebraska outside hitter Skyler Pierce (Olathe Northwest HS alum)
Diggs, who attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas, was an All-SEC Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2023, finishing with 12 home runs and a team-best 63 RBIs. He delivered another strong campaign as a junior this spring, belting seven home runs and adding 34 RBIs with just two errors in 53 starts as a right fielder. At St. Thomas Aquinas, Diggs was a Collegiate Baseball High School All-American in 2021.
Pierce, a freshman for perennial powerhouse Nebraska, attended Olathe Northwest High School where she received numerous accolades as one of the nation’s most coveted volleyball prospects. She was the MetroKC Volleyball Player of the Year as a junior in 2022, a 6A All-State First Team honoree as a senior in 2023, and a two-time Sunflower League Player of the Year. She was also part of the U.S. U21 National Team that finished sixth at the 2023 FIVB U21 World Championships in Mexico.
The Sporting U NIL initiative provides a platform for Sporting KC to celebrate and interact with homegrown athletes on college campuses across the Midwest who have excelled in their sports. The Sporting U NIL athletes receive a financial stipend, tickets to Sporting KC home matches and exclusive experiences at Children’s Mercy Park, club merchandise and inclusion in SportingStyle photo shoots. The club’s investment in the Sporting U NIL program offers further value for student-athletes through assistance with strategic marketing and brand building campaigns, access to professional development resources—including mentorship and networking connections—and community impact opportunities.
Collegiate athletes interested in receiving more information about Sporting U NIL can visit SportingKC.com to contact the club for future consideration. Men’s soccer players are ineligible to sign NIL agreements with Sporting KC in order to remain compliant with all conflict-of-interest protections in place for NCAA sanctioned student-athletes.
The Sporting U NIL Program is one of two major Sporting KC initiatives tailored to college students. The Sporting U Pass provides students with an .edu email address the opportunity to support Sporting KC with $15 single-match tickets and discounted $240 season tickets in the Supporters’ Stand at Children’s Mercy Park. New in 2025, the Sporting U Pass Season Ticket Membership will include a free one-year membership to the KC Cauldron, an invitation to a career development panel with Sporting KC executives, and each of the following additional benefits:
- Sporting U Season Ticket Member and KC Cauldron specialty scarves
- Access to annual Season Ticket Member and KC Cauldron events
- Opportunity to win prizes via Sporting Blue Rewards
- 15% discount at SportingStyle and Children’s Mercy Park concessions as well as Sporting Kansas City camps, clinics and adult soccer leagues
- Dedicated Membership Services Executive for future match exchange program and access to Season Ticket Member pre-sales
All Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Memberships, including the Sporting U Pass Season Ticket Membership, also feature a free subscription to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
