Nine days after breaking the NCAA record in the 10,000 with a 26:52.72 at Sound Running’s The Ten, Northern Arizona University star Nico Young has signed a Name, Image and Likeness deal with adidas.

Here’s what you need to know:

– Young announced his partnership with Adidas on Instagram. He joined his teammate Drew Bosley as NAU athletes with NIL deals with the three-stripe sportswear giant. NAU is also an adidas-sponsored school.

– Young is coming off one of the strongest indoor seasons in collegiate history. He stunned many with his 3:57.33 mile at altitude on NAU’s oversized track on Jan. 19. He backed up that fitness by breaking the NCAA 5000m record with a 12:57.14 at Boston University on Jan. 26. At the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Young finally claimed the individual NCAA titles that had been evading him by winning the 3000m in 7:41.01 and 5000m in 13:25.29 – both breaking the meet record.

– Young capitalized upon his indoor season fitness by jumping into Sound Running’s The Ten and broke the collegiate record, which stood since 2010. With his 26:52.72, he secured the Olympic qualifying standard, which means he can focus on finishing the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June to secure his spot on the Olympic team for Paris.

– Young has said that this upcoming outdoor season will be his last with the Lumberjacks. He does have a season of cross country eligibility remaining.

– Young’s brothers, Lex and Leo, have their own respective NIL deals with On.