Staff Directory

Brian Mason

Title:
Director of NIL Strategy
Email:
Phone:
608-279-8659
Sports & Areas of Focus:
Name, Image & Likeness (NIL)

Brian Mason serves as Director of NIL Strategy at Wisconsin, leading development of strategic initiatives related to NIL and overseeing operation of the Badgers’ holistic NIL program.

An 18-year veteran of Wisconsin Athletics, Mason leads UW’s internal NIL department, serves as liaison to Athlete Administration in support of roster construction efforts, and fosters collaboration between internal units and external partners with a focus on generating commercial NIL revenue.

Mason is a link to key stakeholders, including corporate partners and donors, on NIL-related issues and works closely with Badger Sports Properties to drive revenue growth through athlete integration into corporate sponsorships. He was instrumental in the creation of Badger Athlete Partners, a dedicated NIL vertical that operates within Badger Sports Properties, in 2025.

Beyond revenue generation, Mason also contributes to the development of NIL-related educational programming and resources for student-athletes, in collaboration with Badger Built staff.

Mason has played an integral role in the Badgers’ efforts in the NIL space dating to 2020. He worked as project co-lead during the development and initial rollout of Wisconsin’s NIL program, culminating in its launch in June 2021. He then served alongside senior administrators on UW Athletics’ internal NIL management team prior to being named Director of NIL Strategy in August 2022.

Mason moved to that role from a longtime position with the Badgers’ communications staff. He spent 12 seasons working directly with the Wisconsin football program and promoted the Badgers during a run that included three Big Ten championships, six appearances in the Big Ten Football Championship Game and six New Year's Six bowl games.

In more than a decade with the football program, Mason promoted 21 first-team All-Americans, including awards campaigns for Heisman Trophy finalists Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon. Ball, Gordon and Jonathan Taylor each won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Mason also helped champion the inspirational story of D’Cota Dixon, who won numerous accolades for his perseverance, character and success on and off the field, including the 2018 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.

Mason and the Badgers’ football communications staff were recognized for their efforts with a Super 11 Award from the Football Writers Association of America in 2018. He also was honored with the CoSIDA Achievement Award from College Sports Communicators in 2021.

In addition to football, Mason worked with the UW men’s basketball team during the Badgers’ NCAA tournament appearance in 2010 and Sweet 16 season in 2011. He later assisted with communications efforts during the program's consecutive runs to the Final Four in 2014 and 2015.

Mason also spent five years overseeing coverage of Wisconsin’s highly-successful track and field and cross country programs, including the 2011 NCAA champion men’s cross country team. Additionally, Mason served as the first editor of Wisconsin Athletics' weekly digital magazine, Varsity, and later co-hosted the “Behind the Badgers” podcast.

Prior to joining the staff at Wisconsin in 2008, Mason spent three years in the athletics media relations office at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa.

A native of Waverly, Iowa, Mason resides in Madison with his wife, Laura, and daughters, Emily and Elizabeth.