Michigan State Spartans are making big moves to revamp their approach to NIL deals. Instead of sticking to the usual playbook, the program is taking a fresh direction by creating a brand-new position on its front staff.
To fill that role, they have their sights set on Jon Dykema, a former student manager under Tom Izzo, who was formerly with the Detroit Tigers. Dykema has been a key part of the Detroit Lions’ legal team since 2011, but his roots in college athletics run deeper than they seem. During his time earning a Law and MBA degree at Utah, along with a semester at Akron, he gained valuable experience in collegiate sports.
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Michigan State officially announced the hiring of Dykema on Feb. 19. He will oversee the Spartans’ NIL contracts, media rights, employee agreements, commercial partnerships, and sponsorships. His role will be instrumental in shaping the program’s approach to NIL.
Dykema isn’t new to handling high-stakes negotiations. As the director of football compliance and lead football counsel for the Detroit Lions, he spent the past 14 years managing contracts and salary structures at the NFL level. Even On3’s Pete Nakos took to X to report the news.
“Michigan State is set to hire Jon Dykema of the Detroit Lions as the executive senior associate AD/student-athlete management and assistant general counsel. Dykema will handle negotiating and managing contracts for Athletics. He was the Lions’ Director of Football Compliance/Lead Football Counsel,” Nakos wrote.
Sources: Michigan State is set to hire Jon Dykema of the Detroit Lions as the executive senior associate AD/student-athlete management and assistant general counsel. Dykema will handle negotiating and managing contracts for Athletics. He was the Lions Director of Football… pic.twitter.com/gzhY67zPjd
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 19, 2025
The Grand Rapids native has also talked about receiving a new opportunity at East Lansing and thanked his mentor, Coach Izzo.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the place where my career in athletics administration began,” said Dykema, who was a student manager for the 2000 Hoops national title team before graduating in 2003. “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.
MSU Is Excited To Add Jon Dykema to Staff
Dykema is no stranger to Michigan State. A proud alumnus, he graduated from the university in 2003, but his connection to the Spartans runs even deeper. During his college years, he was an integral part of the men’s basketball program, serving as a team manager for four seasons and stepping up as head student manager for two of them.
His time with the program coincided with some of Michigan State’s most dominant years. While he was on staff, the Spartans captured the 2000 NCAA Championship, secured a Big Ten Tournament title, won two Big Ten regular-season championships, and made deep postseason runs with two Final Four appearances and four NCAA Tournament berths.
“With the constant evolution in college athletics and revenue sharing on the horizon, this is an incredibly important hire for Michigan State athletics,” said MSU vice president and director of athletics Alan Haller.
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“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.”
This move has the potential to be a game-changer, not just for Michigan State’s football program but for the broader landscape of college athletics. With Dykema’s experience in contract negotiations and compliance, the Spartans are signaling a serious commitment to refining their NIL approach.
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