Hiepler to Serve as General Manager of NIL for Pepperdine Athletics
7/15/2025 1:00:00 PM | General
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine University Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner has announced the addition of Ryan Hiepler (J.D. '22) to serve as the department's first General Manager of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
Hiepler will assist in the development and implementation of Pepperdine Athletics' institutional NIL program and other opportunities enabled by the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. He recently served in a similar role as the Executive Director of NIL for Liberty University basketball.
"We are excited to welcome Ryan Hiepler back to Pepperdine in this important position," Gardner said. "Effectively navigating the evolving NIL landscape is critical to supporting our student-athletes and advancing our vision. As a former student-athlete and successful attorney with deep experience in the NIL space, Ryan brings the unique expertise needed to develop a successful, sustainable, and values-driven NIL program."
In his role, Hiepler will collaborate closely with Pepperdine Athletics senior staff and coaches to further develop an NIL program in alignment with the department's vision and values. He will advise coaches on NIL strategy and market insights to support student-athlete recruitment and retention and serve as the primary resource for student-athletes on all aspects of the NIL process. Additional responsibilities include working alongside the athletics External Relations teams to identify and generate resources in support of NIL and consulting with Pepperdine Athletics leadership on strategies and best-practices related to NIL, ensuring the department remains at the forefront of realizing opportunities created by the House vs NCAA Settlement.
"Pepperdine has always stood for purpose-driven excellence," said Hiepler. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to help carry that legacy forward in this new era of college athletics, and excited to work with the amazing staff here at Pepperdine."
Hiepler has multiple years experience in the legal field at the Law Offices of Hiepler & Hiepler. His career has seen him demonstrate strong legal acumen in complex litigation to serve his firm's clients.
Hiepler is a 2018 graduate of Liberty University, where he studied Business and Managerial Economics while competing as a Division I basketball player. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2022, where he served as symposium editor for the Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship and the Law, and clerked for both the Pepperdine Caruso Religious Liberty Clinic and the Supreme Court of Rwanda.
Following law school, he accepted a judicial clerkship with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas under the Honorable Judge Pittman, where he contributed to numerous published opinions and earned recognition as a top-tier legal writer.
His most recent position in athletics saw him serve as Executive Director of NIL for Liberty University basketball. Hiepler and his wife Emily have one daughter, Goldie.
