How name, image and likeness funding is rapidly changing the atmosphere of college athletics
College athletics is changing — how this plays out over the next few years could be quite drastic
In the past few years, the recent wave of college student-athletes entered a new generation that was long overdue. The times of aspiring individuals and potential professionals looking to get a pay day for their dominance in their respective sport finally came to fruition just a few years ago, which has led to the massive change in the college landscape today.
What could that possibly be?
Name, image and likeness (NIL) refers to the rights of athletes to profit from their own identity, allowing them to earn money from endorsements, sponsorships and other commercial opportunities. Before diving into this vastly different scene than what it was, it is important to look at what came before.
The beginning of something new
The timeline for NIL deals has been in discussion for almost 70 years.
In an article by Anthony Dalimonte, NIL legislation in the United States has been ever evolving. The two most notable dates to focus on are the 2019 update, and the 2021 update.
According to the article, in 2019, California was the first state to pass NIL legislation, which basically let athletes earn compensation without punishment.
Then, in 2021, in a U.S. Supreme Court case, it was decided that — for the first time — student-athletes would “benefit financially from their name, image, and likeness without fear of NCAA penalty,” the article states.
This chain of events has led the relationship between the NCAA and its athletes to where we are today.
How athletes have capitalized on NIL deals
“I would say that athletes are better off now. Five to 10 years ago, we weren’t getting paid for the money we contributed to our school or the NCAA, but now it’s different,” said Gunnar Gray, football quarterback at the University of Buffalo.
While Gray said his life hasn’t changed much pre-NIL to post-NIL deals, the benefits are noticed regardless.
“I think it’s cool to be able to grow yourself and your business. Networking with local businesses near your college is also a super huge benefit for after school is done. I think that’s the biggest thing that NIL deals have given athletes,” Gray said.
A bit closer to home, San Diego State University (SDSU) is no stranger to letting athletes get their bag among the many NIL deals located near campus.
Brenden Hill, NIL coordinator for SDSU athletics, is the go-to person when an athlete is looking to get involved with an NIL offer.
“Everything from student-athlete development, education, compliance, and outreach. Working with NIL vendors in the merchandise space, point-of-contact, just everything NIL related for San Diego State,” Hill said.
These positions weren’t around even 10 years ago. Hill only came into his position relatively recently.
“It started in 2021, when NIL was approved at the NCAA level. There was a person in my role prior to me. I was hired in June of 2023,” he said.
Hill also noted that San Diego State was one of the first schools that created a position like his, a role that was solely dedicated to helping athletes in their NIL endeavors.
“The future is now old man”
Where does this drastically evolving landscape head into the future? The media is already starting to highlight it, with athletes such as Iowa basketball standout Caitlin Clark receiving a multi-million dollar offer to play in the BIG3 league.
Other athletes, notably LSU gymnast Olivia “ Livvy” Dunne, have made a living (no pun intended), off of TikTok, and sponsorship deals with big name brands.
To add to that, NIL allows players to seek opportunities financially. These players may enter the transfer portal, and schools can offer payment and scholarship, giving athletes a chance to go to a “bigger market” school. In layman’s terms, it’s like the pros becoming free agents to seek a payday with a new team.
The point is, athletes want to get paid, and after a long back and forth, the NCAA is allowing that to happen.
“Overall — in my opinion — we (SDSU) have one of the best NIL ecosystems in the country, because we have a person like myself in the department, and we have a ton of different resources set up for our student-athletes,” said Hill. “Whether that’s merchandise platforms, or a way for people to book them for camps and lessons, autographs and appearances. We have the support of a ton of corporate sponsors.”
Having a support system like the one in place at SDSU can be replicated in different campuses across the country, but having those around each student-athlete actively helping them earn what most would consider rightfully theirs, is important.
As the landscape of NIL continues to change and develop, it will be important to monitor that and allow the athletes who have worked their tails off to be where they are, to earn what they deserve.
This project was produced by Jared Knobloch as a published learning experience in JMS 550 Multimedia News Lab, part of the Journalism and Media Studies Program at San Diego State University.
