For Immediate Release
April 14, 2026 — [City, State]
The first recruiting solution purpose-built for student athletes combines NIL compliance, AI-powered skill translation, and brand value scoring into a unified career development hub
Dakdan Talent, the premier university recruiting and internship platform, today announced the general availability launch of its dedicated athlete platform — the first recruiting solution purpose-built for student athletes at both the college and high school level. The platform integrates NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) compliance management, AI-powered skill translation, and proprietary brand value scoring into a unified career development hub, enabling student athletes to pursue internships and full-time roles without sacrificing athletic eligibility or compliance standing.
The Dakdan Talent athlete platform introduces a comprehensive suite of features designed specifically for the student-athlete lifecycle: a structured onboarding wizard that captures sport, position, division level, and season calendar; an AI-powered skill translation engine that converts athletic achievements into employer-ready career competencies; a full NIL deal management system with institutional compliance workflow and NCAA-aware audit trails; a Brand Value Score (0–100) that provides athletes and potential brand sponsors with a market-calibrated NIL valuation reference; an employer athlete search tool with sport, division, season-availability, and translated-skill filters; and a university compliance dashboard that allows career centers and athletic departments to monitor outcomes and maintain eligibility documentation.
Full deal lifecycle with compliance workflow, NCAA-aware audit trail, and guardian co-consent for minors
Converts athletic achievements into career competencies employers understand. Fully explainable and opt-out available
Matches athletes with opportunities compatible with practice schedules, travel, and competition windows
"Student athletes are among the most disciplined, high-performing people in the talent market — yet recruiting platforms have consistently failed them by treating athletic experience as a footnote rather than a foundation. We built the Dakdan Talent athlete platform to fix that. For the first time, athletes have a dedicated system that understands their calendar, respects their compliance obligations, and translates their unique achievements into the career language employers actually use. This is not a profile page — this is infrastructure for athlete careers."
The platform's university compliance dashboard gives career centers a new capability: the ability to automatically surface athlete-appropriate job postings to student athletes based on their sport, season schedule, and skill profile. Institutions can track placement outcomes by sport and division, generate NIL compliance reports for athletic departments, and maintain documentation required by both FERPA and NCAA institutional oversight standards. For universities with large athletic programs, this represents the first time career services and athletic compliance functions have been integrated into a single workflow.
Employers using the Dakdan Talent platform can now search for student-athlete candidates using sport-specific filters, division level, season availability windows, and translated skill competencies. A company seeking a disciplined, team-oriented summer intern, for example, can filter for "out-of-season available" athletes from team sports and receive a ranked list of candidates whose athletic skills have been translated into relevant professional competencies. Employers can also filter for athletes with NIL experience for roles in marketing, brand partnerships, and sponsorship operations — providing direct access to the next generation of sports marketing talent.
"Our athletes balance extraordinary academic and athletic demands, and finding employers who understand that has always been the challenge. With Dakdan Talent's new platform, we can finally connect our athletes with opportunities that fit their real lives — and we have the compliance documentation to back it up. This is a genuine breakthrough for how athletic programs support student career development."
Dakdan Talent is the premier university recruiting and internship platform, connecting students, recent graduates, and student-athletes with career opportunities at leading employers nationwide. The platform serves university career centers, athletic departments, and employers through an integrated suite of recruiting, compliance, and AI-powered career development tools. Dakdan Talent is purpose-built for the full talent lifecycle — from freshman onboarding to post-graduation placement — with dedicated features for student athletes including NIL management, brand value scoring, and season-aware job matching.
Dakdan Worldwide is the parent company of Dakdan Talent and a portfolio of workforce and talent technology platforms. Headquartered in the United States, Dakdan Worldwide develops technology that connects human potential with opportunity across education, athletics, research, and professional careers. The company's mission is to build infrastructure that makes talent markets more transparent, more accessible, and more equitable for every participant.
Legal Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements about future features, platform capabilities, and business outcomes. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, financial advice, or an offer to sell any product or service. NIL eligibility determinations are the sole responsibility of individual athletes and their institutions. Dakdan Talent does not make eligibility determinations and is not responsible for loss of athletic eligibility. Platform features described herein reflect the current product release and are subject to change. All trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
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