Michigan State hires alumnus with NFL experience to handle NIL negotiations as revenue-sharing kicks off in 2025

On Wednesday, Michigan State Athletics announced the hiring of the Detriot Lions front office executive Jon Dykema. The university alumni will serve as the executive senior associate athletic director/student-athlete management and assistant general counsel.

Dykema, who was previously the Spartans men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo’s student manager, will take on a newly established role at the university. He will actively oversee NIL contracts, commercial partnerships and sponsorships, media rights and employee contracts.

Jon Dykema has spent the past 14 years as the Lions' director of football compliance and lead football counsel, managing contracts and navigating salary cap considerations. Before that, he spent four years at the University of Utah as the director of men's basketball operations.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to the place where my career in athletics administration began,” Dykema, who graduated from the university in 2003, said in a release on Wednesday.

“I’m very excited to start working with the coaches, staff and student-athletes across multiple sports at Michigan State, especially coach Izzo, who has been a big supporter of mine since I was a student manager for the basketball program.”

His strong connection with the university and his professional experience presents him as a right fit for the new role in the Michigan State athletic department. He will work to ensure success in all programs as he did with the 2000 men’s basketball national title-winning team.

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An increased effort by Michigan State on NIL

The hiring of Jon Dykema is a strategic move by Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller. It underscores a significant escalation in the university’s commitment to navigating and capitalizing on the evolving NIL landscape.

With the hiring of an experienced hand to take care of what has become a critical aspect of collegiate athletics, Haller is reinforcing the Spartans’ dedication to optimizing NIL opportunities. It also shows the intent to strengthen commercial partnerships while ensuring compliance.

“With the constant evolution in college athletics and revenue sharing on the horizon, this is an incredibly important hire for Michigan State athletics,” Haller said in a statement.

“Jon brings a wealth of experience working with contracts and the salary cap at the NFL level, where he has played an important role behind the scenes in the Detroit Lions’ success. He will be a great resource to Spartan coaches and administrators as we navigate our new landscape.”

In this new role at the university, Dykema will report directly to Haller. He will also maintain an alignment with the university’s Office of General Counsel, ensuring a cohesive and legally sound approach to NIL management across all programs.