40 Tigers, one golfer: Arni Sveinsson joins Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite NIL class

by Golf NIL Staff

September 9, 2026

Arni Sveinsson just landed the only golf spot on Nike's newest NIL roster. The LSU junior is one of 40 athletes selected for Nike's 2026-27 Blue Ribbon Elite class, and the only golfer on a list spanning 14 LSU programs.

Blue Ribbon Elite brings athletes into marketing campaigns, product development, and creative projects. Nike launched it at LSU last December with 10 athletes, alongside an extension of a five-decade partnership that now runs through 2036. Nine months later, the class is 40 deep—six returners and 34 newcomers—with football the largest group of any school in the country. The program is Nike's entry into NIL at scale, named for the company's original identity as Blue Ribbon Sports.

LSU's Arni Sveinsson adds Nike to his NIL portfolio as the only golfer in the brand's 40-athlete Blue Ribbon Elite class | LSU, Nike

"This announcement has been the better part of a year in the making, including 14 team content shoots and many months of planning and execution from Nike, our student-athletes and the talented staff within The Brand at LSU," said Zach Greenwell, LSU Deputy AD and Chief Strategy Officer.

Ranked No. 16 in the Golf NIL College Men's Rankings, the Gardabaer, Iceland, native enters the partnership off a season that put him on a major championship stage. In June, Sveinsson became the first Icelandic man to qualify for the U.S. Open, coming through a four-player playoff for the final spot at Shinnecock Hills. He was also named to his second straight Arnold Palmer Cup International team and opened this season as a Golf Channel Preseason All-American.

"To have this opportunity at a young age, with so much still ahead of me, is really special," Sveinsson said. "Nike represents being elite, and that's what I strive for every day. To compete at the highest level wearing the Swoosh is something I'll always cherish."

Sveinsson is represented by Hambric Sports and added Michelsen 1909 to his partner roster in July.

He kicks off his junior season at world No. 22 with a major already behind him. Nike is now in the picture for whatever comes next.