There was a time when amateur athletes (specifically collegiate athletes) were focused solely on applying their craft to their respective sports. Athletes competed for pride and the right to represent their school or locally organized team. The thought of these amateur athletes competing for monetary compensation was unimaginable. It was implied that these athletes should be grateful to wear their university’s colors while competing in high-stakes competition that only made their universities wealthy at their expense. Many of these athletes come from disadvantaged upbringings. Collegiate sports were a springboard for them to gain entry into the professional leagues of their choice. And, if they maintained their health and continued to play at a high level, that multi-million dollar contract won’t be far behind.
The creation of NIL has changed. NIL is an acronym for “name, image, and likeness”. It is defined as “an individual’s ability to control and monetize their brand, specifically their name, image, and likeness, for commercial purposes”. Sadly, not every athlete can capitalize on NIL because of the principles provided in its definition.
Promotion is a major factor in NIL. Most people have a cell phone, and many use their phones to access social media. Social media has proven to be an effective tool for self-promotion. However, athletes must prove proficiency on the field, court, or ice to build their brand. Brand is defined as “a concept distinguished from other concepts”. Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player. He also provides the perfect example to support the definition above.
Football contains separate units for offense and defense. Hunter played as a two-way player, playing wide receiver on offense and cornerback on defense at the University of Colorado. He was able to parlay his unique talent into earning sponsorships with Adidas, NerdWallet, United Airlines, and Celsius, valued at approximately $5.7 million. Huner gained these endorsements before he was drafted second overall by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2025 NFL draft.
Many collegiate athletes have not built their brands efficiently enough to earn the type of NIL money Hunter has earned. This isn’t a knock on them. Athletes must bring great value within or outside of athletics to gain such consideration. If collegiate athletes are charismatic or funny enough to draw the attention of potential sponsors outside of athletics, there is a possibility of potentially high NIL earnings. Those types of attributes are few and far between when considering collegiate athletes. However, these young athletes can utilize the opportunity to gain an education, hopefully opening doors for them in the future.
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