40 Tigers, one golfer: Arni Sveinsson joins Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite NIL class
Updated: 2 days ago
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 named to the brand's 2026-27 Blue Ribbon Elite class, spanning 14 programs.
Blue Ribbon Elite brings athletes into marketing campaigns, product development, and creative direction, resources that help them build their brands.
The sportswear giant launched the program at LSU last December with 10 athletes, alongside a partnership extension running through 2036. Nine months later, the Tigers' class has quadrupled, with six returning and 34 newcomers. Nike has not disclosed deal terms.
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, Sveinsson enters the partnership off a season with three top-10 finishes, including a win at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational and a 12th-place team finish at the NCAA Championship.
In June, he became the first Icelander to compete at the U.S. Open, coming through a four-player playoff for the final spot in the field at Shinnecock Hills. A month later he played his second straight Arnold Palmer Cup for Team International.
"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."
Represented by Hambric Sports, Sveinsson added Michelsen 1909 to his partner roster in July. He joins as LSU's first golfer in the program, following Texas additions Tommy Morrison and Farah O'Keefe in March.
He kicks off his junior season with a major already behind him, and Nike now in the picture for whatever else comes next.
