Arkansas Edge NIL Collective Names Executive Director
The Arkansas Edge NIL Collective took a step in the right direction Thursday with the hiring of Chris Bauer as its first executive director.
Announced on Nov. 28, Arkansas Edge is the official NIL Collective for the UA. Bauer joins director of operations Sydney Lemmerhirt on the Arkansas Edge staff.
"I am both humbled and thrilled to be back on The Hill to lead the Arkansas Edge team," Bauer said in a statement. "As a native Arkansan and alum I know how passionate this state, our fans and our alumni are about the success of our Razorbacks. Arkansas Edge has the opportunity to be one of the strongest NIL Collectives in the country."
It's important to note that Bauer's position and responsibilities are much different than Lemmerhirt's.
"I am the Director of Operations for Arkansas Edge, which just entails player on-boarding, player events, and marketing," Lemmerhirt told HawgBeat on Dec. 19.
A native of Hot Springs, Bauer graduated from the Sam M. Walton College of Business in 2003 with a marketing degree. According to the UA, Bauer will lead the collective in "driving new fundraising and membership growth, developing corporate partnerships, managing the collective’s team and the relationship with the athletic department, and serving as the collective’s public face."
Most recently, Bauer was the VP of Marketing at global advertising agencies Kinesso and Matterkind under Interpublic Group focusing on B2B growth marketing, sales and product launch strategies, per the UA. He also spent 12 years leading marketing strategy and client engagement at Acxiom, plus he's had marketing stops at Duke and Clemson in the past.
“NIL is one of the most exciting and innovative changes to happen in collegiate athletics in decades,” Bauer told Arkansas Athletics. “It’s changing the game for many programs – and, more importantly, it’s changing the lives of student-athletes who get to lend their platforms to charitable causes, businesses, and their local community.”
Bauer does have experience working in the Arkansas athletic department, as he spent time marketing women's athletics, managing in-game promotions, programming and merchandise sales will he was a student at the UA. He was also a member of the Razorback Marching Band and the Hogwild Pep Band.
With an executive director in place, Arkansas Edge should be able to really get off the ground now. Look for events to start being scheduled and hopefully much more activity on social media.
"We’re certainly grateful for all those who gave to (Arkansas Edge)," head football coach Sam Pittman said Dec. 20. "We needed it. We’re using it wisely in the NIL department."
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