By Paul Hof-Mahoney
January 15, 2025
University of Georgia 400m runner and Team USA Olympian Aaliyah Butler has signed an NIL deal with Nike. The junior is only the second sprinter to ink an NIL contract with the sportswear giant, joining USC freshman Mia Brahe-Pedersen who signed hers in July 2023.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Butler returns to Athens, Georgia, for her third NCAA campaign with an Olympic title to her name after running in the 4x400m prelims in Paris. In the open 400m, Butler made it to the Olympic semi-finals after a runner-up finish at the U.S. Trials.
- She finished 4th in the 400m at the NCAA Indoor Championships last March and became the 9th-fastest woman in collegiate history outdoors when she ran 49.79 at the SEC Championships.
- Nike’s most recent NIL additions were nine distance runners announced in late October. Among them were Team USA Olympian James Corrigan of BYU and indoor 3000m collegiate record holder Ethan Strand of UNC.
The following interview has been edited lightly for clarity and length.
CITIUS MAG: What was your first semester like back on campus in Athens with the title “Olympian” next to your name?
Aaliyah Butler: It’s been a lot. When I came back I definitely had a lot of stuff to do with the school, doing a lot of stuff that people wanted and a lot of interviews. But coming back to school is not fun, just a lot of classes and the cold weather. It was kind of normal, [but] with “Olympian” next to my name now, just more busy than usual.
As we’re now heading into the indoor season, how’re you feeling about how your fall training went and where you’re at now?
This was the best fall training I’ve ever had. Going to the Olympics definitely gave me a new type of confidence. My teammates really want it and we all work hard together and we really push each other. I think we can really do something special this season.
Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Going back to your 2024 season, there was a ton of improvement from you. You dropped a second-and-a-half off your 400m PB. Can you talk about what was different for you between your freshman year and your sophomore year?
It was definitely training. We got a new 400m coach, Coach Karim [Abdel Wahab], and his program was completely different, something I never did before. He’s very knowledgeable, he knows what he’s doing in the 400m. He’s coached other girls in the 400m that have been very successful so I knew coming in it was going to be a big difference for me. He really cares about us and he talks to us about what we want and our goals, and he really wants us to hit it. So it was definitely him and Coach Caryl [Smith Gilbert] changing up the whole plan for us 400m runners.
You had one of the coolest stories of the Olympic Trials. Obviously NCAA Outdoors didn’t go the way you hoped they would, but then you finish runner-up at the national championships and punch your ticket to Paris. What were you telling yourself in those two-and-a-half weeks or so in between NCAAs and the Trials to clear your head of what happened and stay focused on the bigger goal?
After I didn’t make the finals at NCAAs I had a very long talk with my coach and she just put me in the mindset that if I want it, I can get it. She told me I had to believe and just keep believing no matter what. My coaches were there and my trainers to keep me healthy during that time, but the message was just to have fun and not overthink it. Things happen and it’s meant to happen, and fortunately I was able to make the team in the end.
Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Was there any part of you that felt like there was less pressure on you going into the Trials as opposed to if you would have ran really well at NCAAs?
Definitely. If I did make the final [at NCAAs] and ran a crazy time, there definitely would have been a lot of pressure to make that team. I still had the same goal to just go out there and try to make the team, which I did, but yeah there was just a different mindset. Go out there and have fun, and what happens happens.
You talked about the difference that Coach Karim coming in made, and that wasn’t just for you because it also happened to Christopher Morales-Williams on the men’s side. Can you speak to how special it was to have two of the fastest 400m runners in NCAA history both representing Georgia on the national stage last year?
It was an amazing feeling knowing that we both ran the 400m, getting coached by the same coach, running the same workouts, and just seeing how far along we came since our freshman year. It was definitely special and it kind of put our names on the map. You’d think Georgia would just be a short sprint school, but it’s not.
What was your experience in Paris like on your first senior national team?
I was nervous, but I wasn’t really nervous because I know I have more chances to make Olympic teams. It was a learning experience for me to know what to do when I go again to another Olympics. I was learning from other people that are professionals and have been there and done that before, getting to know them and getting advice, and getting that information so I can take it along all the way to the next Olympic Trials.
When you come back to the NCAA this season, two of your biggest competitors in the collegiate scene this season [Bella Whittaker and Kaylyn Brown] were your teammates in Paris. Does seeing them up close and how they worked through relay camps and situations like that get you a little more excited for coming back home and going head-to-head against them this season?
Yes, I definitely think we all can do something really special in the 400m. They’re training together right now, and I know when we go head-to-head it’s going to be something special.
We’re here to announce your NIL deal with Nike. Could you talk a bit about what appealed to you about Nike and what has you most excited about what is to come from this partnership?
I’ve been a Nike girl since I was born and it’s always been Nike for me. I’ve never worn any other brands so when Nike came to me and wanted an NIL deal it was a no-brainer. Being with Nike, how they treat their athletes is really good and seeing what they do for their professional track athletes right now. I knew it was Nike all the way.
In the NCAA, it feels like the NIL deals have been more distance-heavy. For Nike, you’re only their second sprinter behind Mia Brahe-Pedersen. What does it mean to you to know that Nike sees your potential and is willing to invest in you like that?
It means a lot, it means that my hard work is paying off. To have a company like that even know that I exist is a big deal.
What do your goals look like for this upcoming indoor season?
My goal is to go out there and win, run the times I want to run and hit the goals I set for myself. I want to focus on myself and not think about anybody else, I need to go out there and run my race.
It feels like every week we see a new announcement that Georgia is signing some new insanely good athlete, either out of high school, the transfer portal, or internationally. Can you give us a glimpse into the excitement inside the facility right now that even though some of these recruits might not get there until after you graduate or go pro, Georgia is being set up for so much success in the future?
We’re very excited. People are saying on TikTok that we’re recruiting the Avengers, and we’re like, “Yeah!” When we get recruits, we go all out and we make connections with them. It’s not just like a “Hi, how are you?”—we get really personal with them. We’re very excited to see what they’ll bring to this next season, and we’ll be the Avengers next year.
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Paul Hof-Mahoney
Paul is currently a student at the University of Florida (Go Gators) and is incredibly excited to be making his way into the track and field scene. He loves getting the opportunity to showcase the fascinating storylines that build up year-over-year across all events (but especially the throws).
