Rutgers Athletics hires Reed Zak as NIL general manager

Rutgers has been determined to improve its standing when it comes to name, image, and likeness.

Recently, the athletic department made another stride in this. On Thursday, Rutgers announced the hiring of Reed Zak as its General Manager who will oversee the efforts in NIL opportunities for student-athletes.

“As a New Jersey native, it’s an honor and privilege for me to work alongside Rutgers Athletics,” Zak said in a press release via Rutgers. “The tri-state region offers abundant NIL opportunities for Scarlet Knight student-athletes, and the entire Rutgers team acknowledges the advantage this provides in maintaining competitiveness within the Big Ten.”

“Drawing from my background as a student-athlete with professional experience in corporate partnerships, I understand how to connect athletes and brands. I’m excited to utilize Altius’s resources to enhance the services accessible to all Rutgers stakeholders.”

Earlier in the year, it was announced that Rutgers partnered with Altius Sports Partners to search for the right candidate for this position. In the end, Zak was highlighted because of his fit in the search.

Prior to Rutgers, Zak spent two years as sales manager with REVELxp. He was involved in hospitality sales at Colorado State and Arizona State, where he set records for most tailgate packages sold in a single season.

“We are delighted to welcome Reed aboard,” said Rutgers Athletic Director Pat Hobbs. “He is part of our continuing efforts to ensure that our student athletes have every opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness. With so many potential partners in the New York Metropolitan area, it was important to have someone focused every day on promoting Rutgers Athletics and the incredible student-athletes who compete for us.”