From College Athlete to Licensing Trailblazer — An Inside Look at Joe Summers and Onbase

 When you think of people who understand both the athlete mindset and the business of sports, few straddle that line as well as Joe Summers. With a background as a junior-college football player, followed by years in sales, and later hands-on work with athletic departments — Joe’s journey eventually led him to co-found Onbase, a licensing and NIL‑services firm that’s quietly changing how universities, brands, and athletes collaborate in the modern age of sports intellectual property.

From the Field to the Business World: Joe’s Journey

Joe’s sports story began at Utah State University (USU), where he played football. Just 30 days after his final college game, life took a big turn — his daughter was born. That moment marked a shift from on-field competition to a career in sales, where he spent seven years building business instincts and forging relationships.

Then, in 2021, Joe entered a new arena: helping collegiate athletic departments engage and re-engage alumni. He worked to build systems and processes that would support long-term relationships between schools and their supporters. But as the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) explosion redefined what’s possible for athletes — and what universities must manage — Joe saw a bigger opportunity. He shifted his focus to institutionalizing licensing, sponsorships, and NIL compliance. Before long, that pivot led to the birth of Onbase.

Today, Joe navigates a complex web of athletic sponsorships, collegiate and professional licensing, and NIL strategy for athletes. His past as an athlete isn't just a footnote — he credits it with giving him traits that make him a strong partner in sales and business negotiations: discipline, competitiveness, and a drive to win. And now, with Onbase, he gets to combine his passions — sports, licensing, and business — into a single mission.

Onbase: More Than a Middleman — A Full-Service Licensing Partner

As co‑founder and owner of Onbase, Joe runs the licensing operations and business development for all their clients. Whether a brand wants to produce wholesale gear with a university’s logo, or an athlete wants to monetize NIL, Onbase is the conduit — but with much more sophistication than a traditional licensing broker.

What sets Onbase apart:

• Case-by-case, customized service — Joe stresses that “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t work. Many brands who approach schools directly struggle to get traction; athletic departments are often understaffed, under-resourced, or simply unaccustomed to dealing with licensing, NIL, and sponsorship opportunities. Onbase fills that gap.

• Tech-powered efficiency — Onbase’s platform plugs into a client’s existing ERP (e.g., Shopify) to handle product submissions, contract and royalty reporting, and compliance. What historically has taken weeks — and required a whole department — can now happen in days with fewer people.

• IP protection + brand growth — For universities, licensing is about more than revenue: it’s about safeguarding brand identity and partnering with appropriate licensees. Onbase vets potential licensees and partners to ensure brand integrity. For brands, Onbase becomes a growth channel — helping them tap new demographics and convert sports fans into loyal customers.

• Licensing operations across the board — Whether a brand wants licensed merchandise from a college, NIL activation with athletes, or broader sponsorship deals, Onbase handles it all. The company’s founders – all former college athletes - bring varied expertise: Joe handles operations and licensing; another founder (an engineer) builds the tech side; yet another (with a business background) focuses on sales and development.

Now, Joe’s biggest goal: scale. He aims to double their customer base, improve IP management tools, and offer brands a better — more seamless — way to work with university IP, athletes, and sports licensing.

Joe says, “Most brands we work with have tried working with athletic departments on licensing and it isn’t an easy process and universities need help vetting brands, licensing their IP, and managing royalties and reporting… Onbase helps them figure out.” Onbase also identifies growth channels for their customers then helps them build out the channel and attract new customers who already love sports and the university brands associated with them. And as a bonus, Joe and the Onbase team see that that brands often don’t know how they’ll realize and measure ROI, so Onbase bridges that gap as well.

The Bigger Picture: Licensing, NIL, and the Broken College Sports System

Joe doesn’t just build systems — he’s also got a point of view. As a former athlete and someone now on the business side, he’s vocal about one thing that is broken in the current model of college sports: the constant coaching carousel. Coaches no longer finish out a season with a team before they accept new coaching positions, leaving some teams without a head coach during the most crucial time: championship games. The outdated idea of amateurism vs. professionalism and the gap between old scholarship-based models and modern revenue‑driven realities are a real pain point. Joe sees an opportunity for improvement for universities, teams, athletes, brands, and fans.

He’s blunt: there needs to be a complete overhaul of the system. For Joe, it’s not just business; it’s about winning for brands and for teams, fairness for athletes, sustainability for programs, and clarity for the college sports landscape.

What Drives Joe: Integrity, Competition, Growth

If you ask Joe to describe himself, he becomes introspective and says, “I’m honest and treating everyone with kindness.” This is at the core of how he does business. His athlete’s competitive drive remains powerful — he hates losing, and channels that energy into building something meaningful for athletes, universities, and brands alike.

In his downtime, Joe remains connected to his roots — watching his kids and coaching them in sports, exploring canyons and mountains on ATVs, and enjoying time outdoors with his family. He credits greats like Kobe Bryant for his competitive philosophy. Joe says, “Losing and winning are tied to emotion... but I’m focused on improvement, not attachment to outcomes.”

Why Onbase Matters — Especially Now

• Universities are overwhelmed. Licensing, NIL compliance, and sponsorship coordination are complex, time-consuming, and outside their core strengths. Onbase relieves that burden.

• Brands need clarity. Without a partner, many brands struggle to understand how to maximize NIL or licensing investments. Onbase helps them target the right audience and track ROI.

• Athletes crave fairness and opportunity. With NIL and digital licensing gaining traction, athletes deserve transparent, efficient, and athlete‑first systems to monetize their value. Onbase is building one.

• Tech + trust = future readiness. In an age of data analytics, e-commerce, and digital IP, manual systems no longer cut it. Onbase’s tech-driven approach ensures scalability, compliance, and speed.

For stakeholders across collegiate sports — athletes, athletic departments, and brands — Onbase is fast becoming the partner of choice for streamlined, ethical, and effective licensing and NIL operations.

What’s Next for Joe and Onbase

With organic growth already under way — even without heavy marketing — the next chapter for Onbase is expansion. Joe’s vision includes:

• Doubling their customer roster in the coming year

• Rolling out improved IP‑management tools and a more robust tech platform

• Deepening partnerships with universities, brands, and athletes to unlock new revenue streams and engagement channels

Most importantly, Joe aims for Onbase to become more than a service provider: to be a trusted advisor. A company grounded in integrity, built by former athletes, delivering on a future where properties, customers, and relationships are treated seriously, professionally, and fairly.

Final Thoughts

Joe Summers’ transition — from the gridiron to licensing boardrooms — reflects the evolving reality of collegiate and pro sports in 2025. With the rise of NIL, digital branding, and the growing monetization of athletic identity, there is an urgent need for partners who understand both sides of the coin: the athlete’s journey and the operational demands of licensing and brand management. That’s where Onbase fits in — led by someone who’s lived both worlds, and determined to build a fairer, more efficient system for all.

Learn more about Onbase at https://withonbase.com/