By Claire Wong ’25, News Staff Writer

Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans, one of the top NIL earners across the nation. (Image courtesy of USA Today Sports)

In 2021, the NCAA made it legal for collegiate athletes to profit off of their fame. Instead of giving all money earned from sponsors to their school, athletes would be compensated for what they have earned from their “Name, Image, and Likeliness” (NIL) — a revolutionary change. However, there are numerous downsides to NIL, which have been manifested in the record-high number of student-athletes entering the transfer portal, a private, online database that includes every NCAA athlete and tracks any and all players who show interest in transferring to a new school, this year. Although the media has discussed NIL’s detrimental side effects since its implementation, the conclusion of this year’s college football season drew even more attention to the disadvantages, as following the College Football National Championship game, ESPN reported that over 2,000 football players across the country had entered the portal.

Instead of prioritizing academics, many students are looking for colleges that offer the best opportunities for NIL deals. Consequently, many athletes leave their current schools to increase their earnings. More often than not, smaller schools end up losing their best players to larger, more profitable schools, further exacerbating the disparity between Power 5 institutions (schools in the SEC, ACC, PAC-12, BIG 10, and BIG 12 conferences) and other universities. Some student-athletes play for three or more colleges in their four years of eligibility, which raises the concern that universities are becoming marketplaces instead of educational institutions. 

Despite these complaints about NIL, the majority of sports fans, coaches, and athletes have expressed approval of its benefits. NIL incentivizes top athletes to pursue higher education because they will be able to make good money playing in college while finishing their degrees. Before the NIL was implemented, top tier college athletes were forced to choose between furthering their education — hence earning no money from sponsorships — or turning to professional leagues. Now, they can get the best of both worlds while learning more about financial literacy; the NIL requires athletes to learn how to sign contracts, pay taxes, and decide whether to save or invest.

Another positive effect is the increased attention to women’s sports. Many women’s college athletes, such as Olivia Dunne and Caitlin Clark, are making significantly more money in college than they would as professionals because they are able to maximize the peak of their athletic career and promote their sport through their school’s name on social media. In fact, as of May 2022, four of the top five NIL earners are women. NIL has opened doors for female athletes to earn money and recognition through sponsorships and brand deals, which has led to increased media coverage of female athletes and evened the playing field for gender equality in college sports. By increasing representation, NIL is creating a bright future for all women in sports, beyond just those in the NCAA. 

Beyond paving a path for gender equality and shining a spotlight on our favorite collegiate legends like Michigan quarterback J.J McCarthy or Duke shooting guard Jared McCain, NIL also has implications for some of our very own future collegiate stars. Seniors Owen Markowitz (Duke Swimming), Jasper Schneiders-Smith (Connecticut Swimming), Victoria Pevzner (Notre Dame Fencing), Jenna Shoman (Harvard Fencing), Kat Dakos (CNU Basketball), Andrew Kotzen (Columbia Tennis), Josh Mandelbaum (Rice Tennis), TJ Betlow (Cornell Golf), and Dagny Slomack (Central Connecticut State University Basketball) will all have the opportunity to earn money from sponsorships and grow their social media platforms, potentially promoting NA in the process. What’s more is that NIL can impact the Minutemen who do not intend to pursue a sport in college, since the money earned from NIL deals can affect how much financial aid a student receives: if a student-athlete ends up making enough money to comfortably cover their tuition, they free up scholarship money for other athletes and students — ensuring that all college attendees, even non-athletes, reap the benefits of the NIL.