Game Changer: How NIL Deals Are Revolutionizing Collegiate Athletics

Published on April 17, 2025, at 2:51 p.m.
by Evie Feinour.

Short for “name, image and likeness,” NIL refers to the way collegiate athletes are now permitted to earn money. Athletes can leverage their NIL to secure brand deals and pursue other promotional opportunities — something that was prohibited under NCAA regulations until just a few years ago.

As of July 1, 2021, it became legal for college athletes to profit from their NIL. Since then, however, the landscape has been marked by uncertainty and chaos surrounding state legislation, university policies and the fundamentals of collegiate athletics.

While many associate NIL with the top 1% of college athletes — such as Ryan Williams, Caitlin Clark and Livy Dunne — the policy extends far beyond the biggest names. Under current NCAA rules, athletes can earn income by monetizing social media accounts, signing autographs, teaching camps or lessons, launching entrepreneurial ventures and more. In addition to monetary value, NIL also provides athletes with advantages in other ways, such as financial literacy, brand management, community engagement, career development, etc.

These advantages may seem overwhelming, but in theory, NIL rules grant collegiate athletes the same rights as any other college student. As Madeline Walsh, Assistant Director of NIL at UCLA, put it: “It isn’t something that was given — it’s something that was taken away. Because the right to monetize your platform, your image, your celebrity, is something that we all have, right?”

It’s easy for sports fans to envision athletes from powerhouse programs like Alabama football or Duke basketball cashing in on NIL deals. But the policy also empowers athletes in lesser-publicized sports — or those who don’t see much playing time — to build their personal brands and promote themselves in ways their athletic performance alone might not allow.

Walsh, touched on this, saying, “There is this perception that NIL is for the top, top football players and basketball players, and that’s true to an extent… But I’ve seen other athletes across all sports take advantage of just getting free products, which is fun, [or] working with brands they genuinely care about, working with small businesses in the area for free food, or promoting social causes that they care about.”

She then gave an example of how she worked with an athlete whose family included several military veterans. She helped connect him with a nonprofit supporting veteran mental health. The athlete chose to support the organization in exchange for nothing more than a hat, not because he expected compensation, but because he was passionate about the cause, showing how NIL has encouraged community and philanthropic engagement, even though the majority of NIL coverage highlights high-level monetary partnerships.

While there are many positives to the NIL opportunities awarded through the NCAA’s 2021 policy, the chaotic nature and multitude of unknowns about the future of collegiate athletics became the building point for extreme criticism about NIL. Kensey McMahon, a 2-time NCAA swimming champion for the University of Alabama, said this when asked about her initial reaction when the NCAA announced that student-athletes could profit from their name, image, and likeness in the middle of her collegiate career, “I think the opportunity to use your name for things such as your own personal company or teaching lessons is really great. However, knowing that my sport wouldn’t benefit greatly, I wasn’t super excited about NIL because I thought it’d lead to more negative consequences for college sports than positives.”

It’s a sentiment McMahon shares with many other athletes and fans. One of the main criticisms of NIL is its impact on team dynamics. While athletes can partner with teammates, NIL is primarily an individual pursuit — one that can, by nature, feel self-serving. “So many athletes seem to just be in it for themselves and how they can profit the most…” McMahon said. “If an athlete is prioritizing brand trips, commercial shoots or something along those lines before practice and the greater good of the team, that’s an issue.”

And McMahon would be correct. Recently, Tennessee football parted ways with starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava amid ongoing NIL contract negotiations. Iamaleava’s representatives reportedly demanded that his $2.4 million deal be increased to $4 million, but Tennessee responded that it “wasn’t going to flinch.” On April 11, Iamaleava failed to report for spring practice, and it has since been reported that he will not return to the program. Head coach Josh Heupel addressed the team and media, stating that the integrity of Tennessee football could be compromised by individuals who see themselves as bigger than the program’s tradition — and that, as a result, it was best for both sides to part ways.

Selfishness and disrupted team dynamics are just a few of the concerns often raised in criticisms of NIL. Other drawbacks, according to Sportsepreneuer, include reduced competitiveness and increased distractions from both academics and athletics. Balancing school, sports and NIL opportunities can quickly become overwhelming — which is why UCLA and many other universities have added dedicated roles like Walsh’s to support student-athletes navigating the NIL space.

“I tell student-athletes that NIL should be the cherry on top of your experience,” Walsh said. “Their school comes first, athletics comes first.” She encourages athletes who are interested in NIL to pursue it, but emphasizes that academics and athletics should remain the priority. “I present NIL as something that’s fun. As an extracurricular,” she added.

With NIL regulations and trends constantly evolving, it’s crucial that athletes, brands and universities continue to adapt. Since July 2021, numerous NIL agencies have emerged to help athletes build their personal brands, secure partnerships, negotiate contracts and protect their best interests.

For example, at the University of Alabama, the athletic department partnered with LEARFIELD to create The Advantage Center, “an innovative display of leadership in the collegiate name, image and likeness (NIL) space.” McMahon discussed a little bit of Alabama’s offerings saying, “There’s a whole team dedicated to NIL at UA that includes a few great former student-athletes,” such as softball player, Jenna Johnson, and gymnast, Lexi Graber.

In addition, many schools have established or partnered with NIL collectives — organizations that raise funds to distribute to student-athletes through NIL agreements. These collectives also support athletes by offering media training, brand development and other resources to help them navigate the ever-changing NIL landscape. Examples of successful NIL collectives include The Texas One Fund at the University of Texas at Austin or The Grove Collective at Ole Miss.

            Both collectives, agencies, and in-house professionals work to help athletes become powerful storytellers and marketable personalities in their own right. NIL is decentralizing sports PR, and the focus has shifted from just team-centered narratives to individual branding, requiring more nuanced, influencer-savvy, and flexible communications strategies.

            In just a few short years, NIL has transformed the landscape of collegiate athletics — not only by opening doors for student-athletes to earn income, but also by reshaping how schools, brands, and fans engage with them. While challenges remain, including concerns over team dynamics and shifting priorities, NIL has also sparked innovation in support systems, brand strategy, and sports public relations. As the space continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the era of the student-athlete as both competitor and brand is here to stay — and those who adapt will shape the future of college sports.