Are you on the Wavelength?
Are you on the Wavelength?
Two Syracuse University seniors attempt to break into the NIL space with their startup athlete agency.
With the ever-changing world today, many industries have been shaped by the adoption of new technologies, changes in business practices and shifts in public policy. One industry that has undergone significant change is college athletics.
Ten years ago, the idea that college athletes would one day be paid for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) seemed ludicrous – until the NCAA suspended its regulations concerning NIL on July 1, 2021. For the first time, college athletes could profit from endorsement deals, personal appearances and sponsorships. These developments created an opportunity for those seeking to break into the NIL industry.
Two Syracuse University seniors took advantage of this opportunity. Taran Krishnan and Zach Richter founded a startup NIL agency, Wavelength, combining their shared love of sports and analytics as a springboard.
Wavelength was born in the spring of 2025 when the two were studying abroad in Spain. Upon returning to the United States, they obtained a state-issued Athlete Agent Registration, which allowed them to begin signing athletes.
But building those relationships takes time, so the first main focus was marketing.
“We were partnering with a couple of big pages that helped us launch in the beginning, and then also got our name out there,” Krishnan said. “Through that marketing, we were able to start outreach to athletes.”
Once they were seniors, Richter and Krishnan continued their efforts to gain a foothold in the business and create momentum for themselves.
“The biggest obstacle was definitely our age,” Richter said. “People write you off when you’re young. Entering in and trying to sign clients while competing with guys with 40 years of experience is really challenging.”
Competition requires funding, and for college students, that can be difficult. However, a service at Syracuse University can provide a pathway – the LaunchPad. Located in Bird Library, the LaunchPad organization serves as a business hub, linking its global investor network to aspiring student entrepreneurs and inventors.
The LaunchPad regularly hosts pitch competitions, where students pitch business ideas to judges, with the winners receiving varying amounts of prize money.
Richter and Krishnan participated regularly in these events, which resulted in a grant of up to $4,000 from investors.
“The LaunchPad has been essential in helping us navigate different things for our business. It helps us with our legal fees, and we’re also going to be using the money to pay for our agent Frank Marciano’s NBPA (National Basketball Players’ Association) dues that are coming up this summer,” Krishnan said. “Also, by going to these events, we’ve been able to grow our network by talking to founders and CEOs, from the student level all the way up to something more concrete.”
Despite the funds Wavelength received from the Launchpad, Krishnan says capital remains one of the biggest challenges their operation faces.
“Not having the money to compete with top agencies definitely sets us back. In this industry, there’s a lot of money required for you to acquire top talent, which we just don’t have as college students,” Krishnan said.
As of now, Wavelength represents 14 division one college and high school athletes competing in sports such as basketball, football, track and field and volleyball.
Wavelength Director of Analytics and Syracuse University senior Marcus Mann attributes this early success to a collaborative work environment and a committed work ethic.
“Working under Zach and Taran is really good because everyone brings something different to the table, and we have a lot of room to learn,” Mann said. “They’re very committed, and they want this to work out. They know that if nobody is trying, then this isn’t going to go much farther.”
Despite encouraging early results, Richter says Wavelength still needs to evolve as they gain more industry experience.
“We try to give the best possible care for our clients so they know they’re getting a personal touch to their representation,” Richter said. “We’ve been trying to leverage our inexperience in that way. But that gap is also our biggest challenge, because we’re learning about the NIL space and the business as we go, while dealing with the responsibilities of being a student.”
The Wavelength team doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon and hopes to one day expand even larger.
“In the future, we want to take what we’ve learned to perfect our operations and business practices to make Wavelength scale and grow,” Mann said.
For Wavelength, the road ahead remains long as they find their footing in an industry defined by unpredictability. But one thing is certain– their spirit of innovation is still alive and well.
is a digital producer for The Newshouse.