College Athletes Making Money: A Beginner's Guide to NIL Deals & Compliance

Arch Manning debut at the University of TexasPhoto byX (Twitter)

Student-athletes are making money. This is a change from past years. And the easiest way to do that is to understand the rules.

In June 2021, the NCAA started a policy on a student’s name, image, or likeness (NIL) and to make money from their personal brand. This shattered the long-standing rule that prevented student-athletes from getting deals from companies until they moved on to professional status. 

It is important to note that there isn’t one standard law covering this. Every state, college, and university has its own rules concerning NIL. 

One college in Texas has one NIL rule and another college in Texas will have a different rule. Then some colleges may not have their own rule. 

NIL also can affect students in high school. 

According to the NCAA, they state three general rules.

1. Athletes can engage in NIL activities if they follow the state’s laws where their school is located. Schools must ensure these activities comply with state law.
2. Athletes in states without NIL laws can still participate in NIL activities without breaking NCAA rules.
3. Athletes are allowed to seek professional service providers for their NIL activities.

What is allowed in one state may not be allowed in another state. Early preparation is key. Students should seek guidance from their school or hire a UIL professional. 

For instance, Texas has a NIL law for college students but the high NIL requirement is still pending. 

Then the neighboring state of New Mexico has a NIL law for college students but not for high school students. 

California has a NIL law for college and high school students. 

Activities students can participate in continue to change but NIL provided these examples:

• Autographs and memorabilia
• Camps and clinics
• Personal appearances
• Merchandise
• Affiliate/ambassador roles
• NFTs
• Blogging
• Podcasting
• Public Speaking
• Music, art, etc.

Despite the opportunity for students, they must still maintain their grades. School is still a priority as a student. 

What else should a student know?

Students should start building their online profiles. This does two things.

1. Helps college recruiters know more about you 
2. This opens the door for possible NIL deals

If still in high school, contact your school’s athletic director for more guidance. 

NIL deals are allowed as long as the state and school have policies supporting this activity for students. 

Not following the law could jeopardize a student’s college athletic career. 

NIL deals

These are some deals that student athletes have with NIL according to 1075 The Fan.

1. Bronny James, University Southern California – $6.1M Valuation

2. Shedeur Sanders, University of Colorado – $4.1M Valuation

3. Livvy Dunne, Louisiana State University – $3.2M Valuation

4. Arch Manning, University of Texas – $2.9M Valuation

5. Caleb Williams, University of Southern California – $2.6M Valuation

6. Travis Hunter, University of Colorado – $1.8M Valuation

7. Evan Stewart, Texas A&M - $1.7 M Valuation

8. Angel Reese, Louisiana State University – $1.7M Valuation

9. Drake Maye, University of North Carolina – $1.5M Valuation

10. Bo Nix, University of Oregon – $1.4M Valuation

Recommendation

This doesn’t cover everything about UIL but is a starting point. It is best to review details on the NCAA UIL site and to make sure you are familiar with the rules and requirements. What I provided is just a small part of it, but highlights the key things you should know.

With social media, it’s easy to share any and everything. But if you are planning to get an offer from UIL, you need to be strategic using social media. Anything bad you share can reduce your chances of getting a UIL offer.  

The opportunity is there. But some careful planning and discussions with key school personnel and UIL professionals.