University of North Texas Athletics
UNT Athletics Earns Honors as Top NIL Performing Program by NIL Store
6/15/2026 12:30:00 PM | Football, General, NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS
Mean Green football sits inside the top-five in NIL sales for all G6 programs, Cherry named finalist for NILGroup Admin of the Year
DENTON, Texas – The UNT football program and Name, Image and Likeness personnel have been recognized as top performers in the NIL space by NIL Store following a successful 2025-26 campaign.
UNT Director of NIL Lauren Cherry has been named a finalist for the Group II NIL Admin of the Year and the Mean Green football team finished inside the top five among all Group of 6 programs in NIL sales.
Cherry was recognized for her fantastic efforts in the space as one of just five finalists for the Group II NIL Admin of the Year. Fans can now vote for Cherry to win the award on the NIL Store website here.
Following a stellar season that saw a program-best 12 wins and a victory in the 2025 New Mexico Bowl, UNT football joined Boise State, Hawai'i, Temple and VMI as one of the top five performing G6 schools in the country in NIL sales on the NIL Store.
In addition to the team sales, North Texas also had two of the top five male athletes in Group II merchandise sales on the NIL Store in quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins. UNT was the only program with multiple athletes in the top five.
Among all FBS players in the 2025 season, Mestmaker was the eighth-highest earner in the NIL Store while Hawkins ranked 20th in the country. UNT joined Indiana, Iowa and Ohio State as one of four schools with multiple players in the top-20 in sales.
UNT Director of NIL Lauren Cherry has been named a finalist for the Group II NIL Admin of the Year and the Mean Green football team finished inside the top five among all Group of 6 programs in NIL sales.
Cherry was recognized for her fantastic efforts in the space as one of just five finalists for the Group II NIL Admin of the Year. Fans can now vote for Cherry to win the award on the NIL Store website here.
Following a stellar season that saw a program-best 12 wins and a victory in the 2025 New Mexico Bowl, UNT football joined Boise State, Hawai'i, Temple and VMI as one of the top five performing G6 schools in the country in NIL sales on the NIL Store.
In addition to the team sales, North Texas also had two of the top five male athletes in Group II merchandise sales on the NIL Store in quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins. UNT was the only program with multiple athletes in the top five.
Among all FBS players in the 2025 season, Mestmaker was the eighth-highest earner in the NIL Store while Hawkins ranked 20th in the country. UNT joined Indiana, Iowa and Ohio State as one of four schools with multiple players in the top-20 in sales.
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