We are pleased to announce that the First Euro NIL Symposium in Belgrade (June 1–2, 2026) met expectations and generated valuable insights from leading experts regarding the future of basketball. This is only the beginning.
We will remain open to suggestions from all those who believe they can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the NCAA and the rest of the world, with the goal of ensuring that all stakeholders in this relationship can achieve their interests.
We would like to express our gratitude to our partners, sponsors, speakers, guests, and everyone else who took part in the First Euro NIL Symposium.
In the coming period, we will publish selected opinions from our speakers on the impact of NIL regulations on European basketball and how the transfer of talented players to the NCAA should be regulated. As organizers, we present several conclusions we believe are essential:
We urgently call on FIBA and the national federations to meet as soon as possible and discuss how they can best adapt to and align with NIL regulations.
Utilize European Youth Championships (Men's and Women's) as a platform for American colleges and European clubs to connect, engage in direct discussions, strengthen cooperation, and address challenges and opportunities related to NIL and the recruitment of European players.
Establish a system of compensation for coaches and clubs that have developed players (up to age 18) who subsequently move to colleges and receive NIL agreements.
Create a legal framework allowing player developers (clubs and coaches) to receive a percentage of NIL agreements.
We propose that the NCAA establish regulations under which it would certify agents and advisors who place players with colleges.
Ensure every national federation has a dedicated NIL Advisory Group, providing players, coaches, and parents with regular updates and legal assistance on three types of agreements: domestic contracts, scholarship agreements, and NIL contracts.
Establish clear timelines and deadlines for defining and implementing all of the above measures.
Euro NIL 2026 — Belgrade, Serbia • June 1–2, 2026
Explore video messages, interviews, and expert insights related to the Euro NIL Symposium.
Select a video to watch key perspectives and media content around Euro NIL.
Read the latest media coverage, announcements, and insights about the Euro NIL Symposium.
Mozzart Sport writes about Euro NIL in Belgrade and the opportunities NIL agreements can create for athletes, clubs, and the wider sports ecosystem.
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Sport Klub announces the Euro NIL Symposium in Belgrade, highlighting the conference program and the importance of the topic for regional basketball.
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Meridian Sport covers Belgrade as the host of the Euro NIL Symposium and explains the growing relevance of NIL agreements in European sport.
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We are pleased to announce that WestPac Wealth Partners is the Golden Sponsor of the Euro NIL Symposium in Belgrade (1-2 June, MTS Hall). It is a company that Fortune magazine has recognized as the best mid-sized company to work for in the nation.
WestPac Wealth Partners is a privately-held wealth management firm, founded with the intent to assist our clients in every aspect of their financial lives. Our focus centers on our clients' vision for their future to create a lasting impact on their wealth potential. Uniquely positioned to offer our clients access to one of the most comprehensive financial product platforms available today, we envision and enhance our clients' goals by designing a customized strategy and creating a life map to achieve and protect their wealth. Recognized across the nation as one of the best workplaces, we strive to translate our incredible culture into top-notch service for our clients.
Changing the community and the world for the better starts from within. WestPac Wealth Partners has focused on its people since the beginning by hiring quality associates and treating them right. When team members are taken care of, they can give 100% of their attention to their clients. Today the company’s regard for culture, benefits, and community is getting recognized across the country. Our business is built on a foundation of thoughtful client relationships.
FORTUNE Magazine has ranked WestPac Wealth Partners as the #1 Mid-Sized Company in the nation to work for! Whether you're an employee or an employer, we're not just a great place to work, but a great team to work with.
Recently, Fortune Magazine acknowledged WestPac for leadership in multiple areas. It started with a listing on the magazine’s Top 10 Best Mid-Sized Companies, which was followed by the Best Workplaces for Millennials, where we landed the 5th place spot. And on the publication’s Financial and Insurance Listing, WestPac took 1st place. Not only has the firm been recognized for its great environment, but Fortune Magazine included us in its issue, 50 Companies Focused on the Future, featuring an article on our CEO, Nash Subotic, and how his dreams have driven the dreams of our associates and thereby the success of the company.
Nash Subotic is the Founder and CEO of WestPac Wealth Partners, a national wealth management firm serving more than 40,000 clients across nearly 15 states with over $5 billion in assets administered. He founded WestPac in 2007, before the global financial crisis, with a vision to create a firm where entrepreneurs work with entrepreneurs, and since then, the firm has grown from a three-person startup into one of the fastest-growing financial firms in the United States.
Today, WestPac is home to more than 375 professionals and oversees $5.37 billion in assets under administration, over $227 million in recurring in-force premium, and $26 billion in life insurance face amount. Nash is deeply committed to helping financial advisors reach their full potential through the firm’s proprietary Blue Ocean strategy and team-based infrastructure. In 2025, that vision contributed to a historic milestone, with 10 WestPac advisors recognized on the Forbes Top 100 and Best-in-State lists.
Nash’s journey to building WestPac began long before 2007. He came to the United States at age 13 as a refugee of the Bosnian civil war with $50, a basketball scholarship, and no English. That experience shaped his belief in personal responsibility and becoming the master of one’s own destiny, a philosophy that continues to guide his leadership today.
At the core of WestPac is a people-first culture and a philosophy of Life-Work Integration®, helping entrepreneurs, professionals, and families align their business, personal, and financial lives to make smarter decisions for the future. This commitment has earned WestPac national recognition, including being ranked the #1 Best Workplace in Financial Services & Insurance™ by Fortune and becoming a seven-time Great Place to Work® Certified company.
Outside of work, Nash enjoys sports and traveling with his wife, Marija, and their two children.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome WestPac Wealth Partners as our partners in putting together the first ever Euro NIL Symposium,” said Zak Ivkovic.
“It is even more exciting that our event friend and CEO Nash Subotic is the epitomy of the American dream and represents the pathway to a higher education thru sports that we are prioritizing with this event.”
In addition to being Gold sponsors, Nash will join a panel to discuss the implications of competing and earning potential of international student-athletes in the ever changing NIL age.
In cooperation with Belgrade’s best — St. Regis Luxury Hotel — we are offering a very special rate for our guests visiting Serbia’s capital city between May 30 – June 3rd. Located in the heart of the Belgrade Waterfront on the Sava River, the hotel offers a 5-star experience with spa facilities, a wellness center, a 360-degree observation deck and is next door to high end shopping at Galerija Mall.
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You are invited to the Euro NIL Symposium press conference, ahead of the event taking place on June 1–2, 2026 at MTS Hall in Belgrade. The press conference will be held on May 27 at 12:00 PM at MTS Hall.
Speakers at the press conference will include event organizers Žarko Ivković and Aleksandar Miletić, along with one of the symposium lecturers, basketball coach Marin Sedlaček.
At the Euro NIL Symposium, the first symposium of its kind in Europe, American and regional experts will discuss new basketball trends related to young players pursuing opportunities at U.S. colleges. Topics will include what NIL regulations are, what opportunities they create for young athletes, and how these changes affect the local basketball ecosystem.
Players, parents, coaches, clubs, and everyone involved in the sports system will have the opportunity to learn more about these important developments. This topic is also highly relevant to many other sports within the NCAA system.
Media InquiryFirst ever European NIL Symposium will be held in Belgrade, Serbia at MTS Hall on April 27-28, 2026, and will gather US and regional experts to discuss new basketball trends and opportunities for studying and playing sports at US colleges and universities. What is NIL (Name, Image & Likeness), and what it means for the careers of young players; what is its influence on the regional basketball ecosystem – this is the chance for the players, parents, coaches, clubs and all other to find out first hand from experts in the field.
„I am honored to co-host the first ever NIL symposium in Belgrade this year in an effort to aid in the professional development of sports coaches throughout Europe on the latest and most important aspects of playing sports at American higher education institutions. Being able to combine my two worlds (33 years in college athletics in USA & Serbian roots and current residency) and bring several extremely knowledgeable guests from NCAA-affiliated universities to Europe, in order to share their experience and know-how around a subject that is highly profitable for today’s student-athletes, unlike anything we have even seen before. The goal of the symposium is to inform the European coaches on the latest trends related to NIL and how the new rules can be of great benefit to all parties; the athletes, the US universities and the clubs that helped to elevate the young talents into D1 student-athletes.“
Zak Ivković,
President / CEO NYC Basketball Hall of Fame
The international presence in NCAA basketball isn’t just a March Madness phenomenon – it’s a trend that has been steadily growing, according to NCAA data:
The number of international student-athletes in Division I men’s and women’s basketball has more than doubled since the 2009-10 season, going from 668 to 1,838 in 2024-25. Men’s basketball increased from 406 to 888 in that time, while women’s basketball skyrocketed from 262 in 2009-10 to 950 in 2024-25. Europe contributes the most talent, with 879 student-athletes in Division I men’s (505) and women’s basketball (374) this season. The women’s total is up from 112 and the men’s from 179 in 2009-10.
Founder
Bringing structure and vision to the future of NIL in Europe.
Founder
Creating opportunities for the next generation of athletes.
Biography - Zak Ivkovic
Biography - Aleksandar Miletic
Meet our expert lecturers from across the basketball ecosystem. Explore the experience, leadership, and achievements behind each speaker.
Sponsored by WestPac Wealth
Welcome & Introductions
What is Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) & how does it benefit / hurt today’s basketball / sports ecosystem in Europe and beyond?
Dissecting the Financial Pie? Does the NIL ecosystem allow for everyone to benefit? Is it a WIN-WIN scenario? If not, who are the losers? What are the implications for international SAs? Who carries the tax burden & where?
Lunch Break / More Panel Discussions to follow
Where, if and how does FIBA & the national Basketball Federations fit in or benefit from such a transaction? What changes do European basketball leagues need to make to help themselves? Will the exodus of talent continue?
What Are the Player Benefits? How does it work for international players in NCAA? What are the US rules that one must follow in order to benefit?
How does NIL affect your basketball club? Is it an opportunity or a threat? How do the little clubs survive?
View from the World / Answering the tough questions
Zak Ivkovic (host) • Marin Sedlacek • Andrej Tesla • Kosta Jankov
Seeking Solutions; NIL view from European clubs & how to navigate the new normal
Roundtable: Conclusion on the Prospects and Potential of NIL + Key Takeaways
Afternoon Session with Parents & Players
Separate admission — not included in the main symposium ticket.
Growing Impact of NIL on European Players — What should you know & prepare for?
Navigating the Recruiting / Scholarships landscape for US colleges.
Questions & Answers Session.
Be a part of the engaging conversations about the latest international phenomenon called the NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) – where the focus will be on the win-win aspect of this American collegiate platform; win for the players, win for the universities and potentially for the clubs that produce these talents
Tailored for clubs and coaches looking to adapt, compete, and succeed in a rapidly evolving basketball ecosystem shaped by international recruitment.
Suited for top athletes in all sports and their parents to help educate them about US college recruitment realities & how to navigate the NIL world thru the perspectives of coaches and sports management personnel with whom you would be negotiating your future
We’re looking forward to hearing from you
