In 2021 the N.C.A.A. (National Collegiate Athletic Association) adopted new regulations allowing student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). With the introduction of NIL deals, the culture within American college and professional sports has taken a swing, but is this a change for better or worse?

How does the opportunity for revenue at the collegiate level affect the competitive nature of sports? 

What does this mean for the future of college athletes and professional sports?

Let’s talk about it…

Nowadays college athletes are able to receive compensation for endorsements, sponsorships and their athletic ability. This means student-athletes can now profit from advertisements, autographs, and really any content surrounding their name. Although this is a major change for collegiate sports, it is nothing unfamiliar to the sports world as a whole. Let’s make a comparison. 

Anyone who considers themselves a fan of the NBA or American sports, in general, is very familiar with this logo. You know the brand, the shoes, and the name behind the brand. Since signing in the 1980s, Jordan is still reportedly making $100 million a year from Nike. This should be no surprise to anyone, as these athletes have names that are as big as the sport alone, and the Jordan brand is nothing without Michael Jordan. This is why so many people are supportive of the new NIL deals within the N.C.A.A.. This is a capitalist country and if the opportunity to make money off your name is there, no one should be telling you not to.

This brings up the question, how does this change sports? Before the NIL deals, playing professional ball was the one and only shot to turn your passion into a living. Some may say that these deals have taken the focus away from the game and transferred it to the opportunity to make money. Would you rather go to conditioning practice or take photos for someone offering a paycheck? This decision scares sports fans across the nation. But an opposing argument can be made. The money only follows talent, and if you don’t get it you won’t have NIL chances. If you want to be behind the next Jordan shoe brand, you have to be the next Michael Jordan…

As far as the future of sports, who really knows? Teams like the Tar Heels have taken on a solution before real problems actually arise. Instead of honing down on a player’s performance and effort toward the game, they have decided to push for more sponsorships, photoshoots, and money for their players. This adds a big attraction to anyone looking to play at a high college level. Marketing, branding, and deals will now be something that every athlete has to think about. But only time will tell how this affects sports and the way we watch them. For any fans, expect more photos of your favorite players, more autographs, more shoe deals, and more in general. As they say, money makes the world go round, and right now money is making college athletes spin.