Saugerties’ Marricco among Jewish athletes receiving NIL support

Rick Remsnyder | August 22, 2025

Originally Published in Daily Freeman HERE

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — Saugerties High graduate Madeline Marricco, who is competing in her junior season for Fairleigh Dickinson University’s women’s soccer team, is among 50 Jewish college athletes who will receive direct financial support from Tribe NIL this year.

In June 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy on name, image and likeness, or NIL, allowing student-athletes to make money from their personal brand.

Tribe NIL is the first of its kind initiative dedicated exclusively to supporting Jewish NCAA student-athletes.

Through direct financial support, career development, and brand-building rooted in Jewish values, Tribe NIL empowers its roster of student-athletes to lead on the field, on campus, and in their communities.

“Tribe NIL is not just about brand deals — it’s about direct-to-athlete impact, athlete-led advocacy, and building a global network of Jewish sports leaders for the next generation,” said Tribe NIL Co-Founder and CEO Jeremy Moses.

“It’s not the easiest time to be a Jewish college student, especially a Jewish student-athlete,” added Tribe NIL Co-Founder and President Eitan Levine. “We want to show them that the Jewish community as a whole has their support.”

Tribe NIL Board member, former professional soccer player and “Survivor” winner Ethan Zohn said, “Connecting Jewish student-athletes to the Jewish community through NIL, programming, and community building is an amazing opportunity to highlight the next generation of leaders. As a former Jewish student-athlete myself, I wish something like this had existed when I was in college.”

In a phone interview with the Freeman, Marricco said she became aware of Tribe NIL while working for FDU’s media team.

“One of the athletic directors came into the office and wanted to know if there were any Jewish players on my team because there’s a new NIL organization that is looking for athletes,” Marricco recalled. “I said, ‘Well actually, I’m the only Jewish athlete on my team.'”

Following a phone conversation with Moses and Levine, Marricco said she was selected as one of the 50 student-athletes to receive NIL support from the new organization.

“It’s been really great,” Marricco said. “They’ve been very communicative, open and clear about everything. So far it’s been really awesome and already so many opportunities for me and the other athletes they’re working with.”

Marricco will receive a monthly stipend from Tribe NIL. As part of her agreement, she has been asked to attend certain events both in person and virtually and to post on social media platforms to spread the word about the organization and make people aware of Jewish student-athletes competing in various sports across the nation.

“We’re basically getting our names out there and making people more aware of the Jewish community in sports,” she said. “It’s a lot smaller than people think and not talked about as often as it should be.”

Marricco said she is more than happy to talk to people about her Jewish heritage.

“For me, it’s definitely always been something I’ve been super proud of,” she said. “Growing up I had a couple friends who told me they didn’t like telling people they were Jewish. They felt uncomfortable or scared about it. But I always thought this was my family. This was my history. I wasn’t raised necessarily religious, but I still see it as so much of my culture and a part of who I am. I think too many people are afraid of their Jewishness when it should be something we should be proud of because we’ve been through so much.”

A junior midfielder at FDU, Marricco has played two years on the Division I squad after graduating from Saugerties High in 2023. The daughter of Sara and John Marricco, she played varsity soccer since the eighth grade for the Sawyers, was on the varsity track and field team, was the president of the National Honor Society and was a Key Club member. She also worked for the school newspaper.

“I tried to be as involved as a I could,” Marricco said. “Saugerties is a small town. You have to keep busy and have as much impact as you can.”

Marricco is majoring in sports management and wants to pursue sports media as a career when she graduates from FDU.

“Things like graphic design, creative stuff and broadcasting,” she said.

FDU (0-1) will  travel to Bucknell on Sunday, Aug. 24, for its next outing.

“I’m really looking forward to the team doing well and I’m honestly honored and excited to have an impact and hopefully make other Jewish athletes know they should be proud of their heritage and it’s worth letting people know that’s who you are,” Marricco said.