- Nearly two years into the NIL, his impact on college sports begins to show during March Madness.
- Most Final Four teams in both men's and women's basketball have strong NIL support.
- The changes in NIL and transfer portals have created a "perfect storm that has allowed some schools to cash in on talent," an expert said.
Almost two years after student athletes were allowed to monetize their names, likenesses and likenesses, the NIL's impact on college sports begins to show during March Madness.
The majority of teams participating in the Final Four stages of the men's and women's NCAA Basketball Tournament come from schools with significant NIL activity:
- Several University of Miami basketball players have signed large NIL deals, including women's team Hayley and Hannah Cavinder, who according to Forbes earned nearly $2 million in NIL deals; and male Nigel Pack, who received a two-year, $800,000 contract with LifeWater and the use of a car in exchange for a promotion at the company when he joined UM last year. (LifeWallet is owned by Miami billionaire and UM supporter John Ruiz, who is heavily invested in NIL and has deals with several UM athletes.)
- LSU's Angel Reese has gotten the most zero-rates of any college baller, Just Women's Sports reports based on SponsorUnited's zero-rate tracking data. According to the post, the school has a strong program to help student-athletes navigate the NIL landscape.
- Many schools have large endowments set up by various donors, often high-profile alumni, to create zero opportunity for student-athletes by offering lucrative payouts to their players, like South Carolina's 100-person women's team. dollars, $25,000 each. per season, San Diego State Aztecs scholarship players earn $2,000 a month or more.
While schools are involved to varying degrees in NIL activities due to NCAA regulations and their effort to allow such arrangements, those that have opened the door for student-athletes to do more with the NIL seem to be gain momentum. in this March frenzy, though experts say it's too early to tell the long-term impact on the balance of power in college sports.
"It's very difficult to reach that conclusion, especially shortly after July 1, 2021," said Darren Heitner, a prominent NIL sports attorney, referring to the date the NCAA NCAA policy changed. "We are starting to see signs that the NJL is changing the balance of power, but it will take time."
Hytner pointed to Florida Atlantic University, the Division I men's Final Four team that had just reached a zero team and whose players had a "minimum of zero" before the season, Sports Illustrated reported, citing the director varsity athletic.
According to On3, which tracks NIL activities, many NIL teams have publicly stated their intentions to attract and retain top talent. This may mean creating a lucrative financial package to attract top players. But it's not just about the money. In some cases, the flexibility to allow student-athletes to license and use team logos on promotional materials or merchandise, on-campus films, etc. it can be a boost to underprivileged students knocking on their doors. .
"It's been a boon for recruiting to be a school with a more liberal approach to NIL activities," says Christy Dosh, a consultant and author who founded BusinessofCollegeSports.com.
The NIL isn't the only turning point in college basketball. A 2021 change to the NCAA transfer portal policy to allow players to transfer once without waiting a year before playing for their new school has also increased transfers.
The UM Pack transferred from Kansas State last year and has been a key player in the tournament.
"Transition portals and NIL happening at the same time, to me it's the perfect storm that allows some schools to take advantage of talent," Dosh said.
