In a move that really highlights how college sports are changing, Zurich North America and Players Health have teamed up to launch a Critical Injury Protection Insurance product for the NIL era. This insurance is meant to protect colleges, universities, and collectives that pay student-athletes for their name, image, and likeness (NIL), helping to secure those financial commitments if a serious injury happens.
As NIL deals get more common and valuable, the financial risks tied to athlete injuries have shot up. This new policy steps in to help manage those risks, offering coverage for NIL contract payments that are disrupted if an athlete gets badly hurt.
Understanding the Critical Injury Protection Insurance
The Critical Injury Protection Insurance is a first-of-its-kind product aimed at the financial gaps faced by schools and organizations involved in NIL deals. It covers NIL payments already made or still owed if an athlete suffers a major injury during official play, practice, or training, and ends up missing a big chunk of the season—usually 40% or more.
Customization and Coverage
This surplus-lines policy is built to be flexible. It can match the value of individual NIL contracts, letting each school or group protect their own unique commitments.
There’s also a separate version of the policy that covers athletes themselves, guarding against the loss of future NIL income if they get injured.
Distribution and Integration
The policy is underwritten by Zurich North America and distributed only through Players Health. It’s also available through an integration with Teamworks, which is a pretty popular sports operating system in Division I athletic departments around the world.
This integration makes it easier for schools to access and manage the policy within the systems they already use.
Benefits Beyond Insurance
There’s more to this partnership than just financial protection. Zurich North America and Players Health also offer access to injury and sports risk insights from Players Health’s big injury database.
With more than a decade of athlete injury data, Players Health uses this info to help schools and organizations boost their safety strategies and risk management efforts.
Enhancing Athlete Safety
Players Health founder and CEO Tyrre Burks says every big change in college sports should start with making the game safer and more sustainable for athletes. This partnership reflects that idea by offering real solutions aimed at athlete safety.
Burks, who launched Players Health to create safer, more accessible spaces for athletes, sees working with Zurich as a meaningful step toward that goal.
A Force Multiplier for Protection
Teaming up with a major insurance provider like Zurich really expands what Players Health can do. The partnership helps address new needs in the complicated world of college sports, offering more protection for organizations and athletes alike.
The Broader Implications
The launch of this Critical Injury Protection Insurance during college football season is pretty noteworthy. Now, it’s being marketed for men’s and women’s college basketball too, which just shows how much college sports are starting to look more professional.
Specialized insurance like this points to a shift toward stronger financial safeguards as the NIL landscape keeps evolving.
Commitment to Preparedness
Marty Banaszek, who heads group accident at Zurich North America, says this NIL insurance is about more than just coverage. It’s rooted in Players Health’s bigger mission to back athlete safety, and in Zurich’s focus on helping people and organizations be ready for whatever comes next.
This partnership is a real example of taking proactive steps to handle the financial and safety challenges that come with college sports.
Future Prospects
As NIL deals keep spreading, the need for insurance like Critical Injury Protection Insurance will probably keep growing. Schools and groups involved in NIL have to deal with the financial risks of athlete injuries, and this policy gives them a practical way to do that.
By offering customizable coverage that fits each institution’s needs, Zurich North America and Players Health are really raising the bar for athlete protection.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Zurich North America and Players Health to launch the Critical Injury Protection Insurance product is a big deal for the NIL era in college sports.
This insurance doesn’t just tackle the financial risks when athletes get injured—it also helps boost athlete safety by giving access to injury data and risk insights.
College sports are changing fast.
Partnerships like this might just be what keeps the whole thing sustainable and safer for everyone involved.
Want more details? Check out the official announcement.
- Schools Covered
- College Football Articles
- Men's College Basketball Articles
- Men's College Soccer Articles
- Women's College Basketball Articles
- Olympic Athlete Articles
- Men's College Baseball Articles
- College Sports Media Professionals Articles
- Hall of Fame Member Articles
- Former College Player Articles
- Game Previews
