A lot has changed in college sports since athletes started earning compensation for their name, image, and likeness back in 2021, but one thing remains stubbornly the same: the loudest voices still want to claim it’s ruined everything. While a tiny percentage of athletes have absolutely banked big due to their talent and marketability, the overwhelming majority are seeing much more modest income, if any cash at all. Professor Brennan Berg, who has been deep-diving into these policies since day one in 2021, says there are serious misconceptions about how NIL actually works.
The “Purity” Myth and How NIL Actually Works for Most
You hear the old guard complain about NIL destroying the “purity” of college sports, right? It’s the same song the NCAA has sung for ages, always fighting against athletes profiting from their own intellectual property. Heck, even President Donald Trump has jumped into the fray, worried that current NIL policies could “cause serious damage to college athletics” and dropping two executive orders in his second term to try and “save” college sports. But Berg’s studies, published in 2023 and 2025, paint a different picture. The truth is, it’s not a free-for-all money grab for everyone. We’re talking about a small slice of athletes getting rich, with most others just picking up some extra pocket change, which frankly, they deserve.
From State Laws to Collectives: The NIL Evolution
This whole NIL thing didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. Starting July 1, 2021, the NCAA finally let athletes earn income from their name, image, and likeness, a massive reversal of their old policy that would threaten eligibility. But they were kinda forced into it, with over 30 states already passing their own legislation to allow athletes to monetize their brand, and a bunch of court rulings siding with the athletes. Instantly, deals started rolling in. We saw Jackson State defensive end Antwan Owens link up with 3 Kings Grooming, and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who’s now with the Denver Broncos, sign a deal with Milo’s sweet tea. Athletes like the Cavinder sisters, who played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, already had huge social media followings and quickly snagged endorsements with Boost Mobile and Six Star Pro Nutrition. Soon, these “NIL collectives” popped up. These are nonprofit groups, usually funded by boosters, alumni, or just plain fans, set up to help athletes land sponsorships. It created what some call an “unregulated pay-for-play system,” where talent finally got paid.
The Clock Is Ticking: Why Athletes Need to Cash In Now
Here’s the cold, hard truth: most college athletes will hear that they’ll be “going pro in something other than sports.” The NCAA and universities aren’t wrong when they point out that the chances of making it to the professional level, let alone having a long, lucrative career, are incredibly slim, often less than 1% across many sports. That means the window for these athletes to profit from their incredible skills and marketability is super narrow, usually just a few years while they are students. So, when people argue against them cashing in, it really makes you wonder if they grasp the reality of an athlete’s career timeline. NIL, in many ways, offers a chance for these athletes to get a piece of the pie while they can, before the dream of going pro likely fades.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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