Injury protection solution offers insurance for colleges' payments to top athletes and access to player risk insights as the name, image and likeness era transforms sports
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. and MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new era for college sports, Zurich North America and Players Health, a leading provider of athlete safety and insurance solutions, have teamed up to introduce a first-of-its-kind Critical Injury Protection Insurance solution for colleges, universities, collectives and their student athletes who receive name, image and likeness (NIL) payments. The new insurance protects these institutions' financial investments in top student-athletes in the event the athlete suffers a season-disrupting injury.
The Critical Injury Protection Insurance policy provides cover to the college or collective for NIL contract payments made or owed to an athlete who suffers an injury in official play, practice or training that causes them to miss a significant portion of the season (typically 40% or more). As the NIL space continues to evolve rapidly, the surplus-lines coverage is customizable and tailored to the value of NIL contracts. Another iteration of the offering can provide coverage to athletes for potential loss of future NIL-related income due to injury.
The policy, underwritten by Zurich, is distributed exclusively through Players Health, which also makes it available through a recently announced integration with Teamworks, the Operating System for Sports.™ Teamworks provides college athletics software used by 99% of Division I athletic departments and more than 6,500 elite sports teams globally.
Beyond insurance, the Zurich-Players Health collaboration offers injury and sports risk insights drawn from Players Health's database, one of the largest of its kind. The Minneapolis-based company was founded over a decade ago by a former college football player to support and enhance athlete safety. His team, largely composed of former college and professional athletes, has tracked injury data since the company's inception. They've created an injury probability model and used their data to help advise organizations across the country on how to better support athlete safety and mitigate risks.
"Every major change in college athletics should start with one question: does this make the game safer and more sustainable for athletes? This partnership allows us to answer 'yes' in a tangible way," said Players Health founder and CEO Tyrre Burks, who played football for Winona State University and the Canadian Football League before retiring due to injuries. "I started Players Health to create the safest and most accessible environment possible for athletes to play the sport they love. As Players Health has grown, we're excited to take this next step with Zurich. Working with a leading commercial insurance provider to fulfill an emerging need is a force multiplier that helps us protect more organizations and athletes as the playing field gets more complex."
The policy debuted for college football season and is now being marketed for men's and women's college basketball, as well as the college football 2026 transfer portal. It is part of Zurich's and Players Health's broader strategies to support institutions through the professionalization of collegiate athletics, to lead the market in NIL-related financial protection and to support healthy participation in play.
"The Zurich-Players Health NIL offering is about much more than insurance," said Marty Banaszek, Head of Group Accident at Zurich North America, who together with Players Health began developing this novel solution over a year ago. "It's a relationship born out of Players Health's broader mission to support athlete safety and Zurich's commitment to help organizations and individuals to meet tomorrow prepared."
Education is part of the value, especially as the NIL transition is in its infancy and continues to evolve. Players Health leaders have deep experience and relationships with college athletic departments and understand the needs of buyers and nuances of NIL. Zurich has customized Accident & Health products for employers, educational institutions and affinity groups for over two decades.
"Athletic directors and coaching staffs are looking for smarter ways to manage risks to athletes and protect their programs," said Tate Gillespie, VP of collegiate and NIL strategy at Players Health and previously Director of NIL Strategy at the University of Kansas. "This policy gives them a competitive edge with the protection and information needed to manage budgets and make confident decisions."
Zurich Global Head of Accident & Health Jim Villa praised Players Health and innovation in this arena. "Zurich is proud to be a first mover with Players Health, not just with insurance but with a holistic, comprehensive protection offering for colleges and athletes," he said. "Together we're delivering an inventive, consultative solution for an exciting new era of college sports, which bring joy to so many."
About Players Health
Players Health provides insurance protection and risk-management solutions for youth, amateur, fitness, and collegiate sports nationwide. Protecting more than 5.5 million athletes across 40,000 programs, Players Health delivers insurance coverage, athlete safety education and compliance resources that help create safer environments and reduce risk. Guided by the belief that every athlete deserves a safe place to play, Players Health works to strengthen safety standards across the sports ecosystem. Learn more at www.playershealth.com.
About Zurich North America
Zurich North America delivers insurance and risk management services to help make businesses and people more resilient. As one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals, Zurich serves mid-sized and large businesses, including over 90% of the Fortune 500. It employs 10,000 people in the United States and Canada. Recognized by Fortune as one of the "World's Most Admired Companies," Zurich has earned its reputation through dedication and excellence.
Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich), a leading global multi-line insurer founded over 150 years ago. Zurich serves over 75 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories, delivering industry-leading total shareholder returns.
Reflecting its purpose to "create a brighter future together," Zurich offers protection services that go beyond traditional insurance, to support its customers in building resilience. Since 2020, the Zurich Forest project has supported reforestation and biodiversity restoration in Brazil's Atlantic Forest.
The Group has more than 63,000 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information is available at https://www.zurich.com/Â and https://www.zurichna.com/.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zurich--players-health-offer-injury-insurance-for-nil-era-of-college-sports-302653206.html
SOURCE Zurich North America
