NIL Creates Opportunity and Tough Decisions for Student-Athletes and Schools
As March Madness wraps up, universities are ramping up NIL education workshops to help athletes navigate a landscape that offers millions in earnings but also real confusion and risk.
A New Era, A New Set of Questions
As March Madness concludes, student-athletes have earned millions of dollars through name, image, and likeness (NIL). But the money has arrived with a wave of confusion and tough decisions for both athletes and the schools that support them.
From Amateurism to Enterprise
For decades, the NCAA operated under a framework of amateurism that treated student-athletes as students who came to play on teams rather than as professionals or university employees. Athletes couldn't earn outside of their sport, even as coaches' salaries and television revenues soared.
That began to change with the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit, which challenged the use of athletes' likenesses in video games without compensation. State legislation followed, culminating in the NIL rules that now allow athletes to sign endorsement deals, appear at events, and monetize their social media presence.
The Caitlin Clark Effect
WNBA player and former college basketball standout Caitlin Clark became a prime example of the new model.
"Caitlin Clark didn't necessarily have to rely on ESPN or any other network to get her out there. She was going directly to followers on her social media platform, and that helped create the brand of Caitlin Clark."
Athletic prowess creates attention, but other factors, like an existing social media following, can also create opportunity, even for Division II or Division III athletes.
Schools Step Up Education Efforts
In response, many institutions are putting their student-athletes in a position to learn. Ohio University's Center for Entrepreneurship, for example, runs workshops that help athletes build their personal brands and develop entrepreneurial skills for life after competitive sports.
The Transfer Portal Complication
NIL has also reshaped roster movement. Players now transfer in search of better deals, much as coaches and professionals always have.
"It's really hard to get mad at a student-athlete for jumping ship from one school to another to be able to earn more money, because coaches have been able to do that."
What Comes Next
Observers predict that, much like professional sports, we'll see more multi-year deals between players and universities, bringing some stability to a system that has been defined by annual churn.
For now, the message from educators is clear: the opportunity is real, but so is the need for guidance.
