The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws and policies are allowing student-athletes to capitalize on their personal brands through all kinds of deals and partnerships. In 2023, this market saw significant growth, with estimates predicting earnings to double from the previous year’s $900 million. Student-athletes are securing lucrative NIL deals due to their talent, high profile, and personal brand reach. Student-athletes you might never heard of are also able to earn by leveraging their NIL. Here are examples of student-athletes and how they are using their NIL with links to the articles for more information.
Bronny James signed Nil deals while attending Sierra Canyon Highschool last year and is currently on the University of Southern California Trojans basketball team. Valued at $7.6 million by On3 NIL, Bronny has attracted attention due to his family name and emerging talent. His talent, name recognition, and social media following made him a desirable candidate for brand. He secured deals with Nike, saying it was special to continue his family’s legacy with them. He also signed with Beats by Dre, becoming the first high school athlete to do so, and with PSD Underwear, where he has his own signature collection.
Arch Manning a freshman quarterback at the University of Texas. Arch has a football legacy and a valuation of $3.7 million. He signed an exclusive NIL deal with Panini America, a trading card company. The deal includes trading cards and exclusive autographs, with the first release being a one-of-one Prizm black card autographed by Manning. He stated that all proceeds from the sale of the trading card would go to a Central Texas nonprofit.
Mikey Williams a basketball guard for the University of Memphis he has a $3.6 million valuation. He signed a multiyear endorsement contract with Puma, which includes future campaigns and product launches. He’s the youngest member of Puma’s roster and his first involvement was part of Puma’s “Not Yet Rated” campaign. Update he lost the NIL deal with Puma.
Caleb Williams is a Heisman Trophy winner at University of Southern California with a $3.2 million valuation. Caleb has secured deals with Dr Pepper for their Fansville campaign and deals with United Airlines and PlayStation. He has also used his reach to create the Caleb Cares Foundation, focusing on anti-bullying, youth empowerment, and mental health awareness. His deal with Dr Pepper will benefit Caleb Cares. Additionally, Caleb has agreements with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, Neutrogena, AT&T, Beats by Dre, and AC+ION Water.
Olivia Dunne is a gymnast enrolled at Louisiana State University with deals from ESPN, Grubhub, and more, valued at $3.2 million. She received a $1 million NIL deal with activewear brand Vuori. Olivia combines gymnastics content with top trends and personal life videos on her platforms which has garnered her a large social media presence.
Shedeur Sanders is a quarterback for the University of Colorado, his Nil deals are worth 5.1 million in 2023. He Signed a deal with Gatorade and Mercedes-Benz, promoting the company’s electric EQB SUV and receiving a 2022 model of the vehicle. The deal with Mercedes-Benz was brokered by WME Sports.
Marvin Harrison is a wide receiver at Ohio State University Football, with a $1.6 million valuation. He has a deal with Monarc a sports robotics company which includes using their technology for training. His NIL deal with a Chevrolet dealership in Columbus ,OH provided him with a Chevrolet Tahoe amongst other things in exchange for regular social media posts.
Drake Maye quarterback for the University of North Carolina has an annual valuation of 1.5 million in NIL deals. Some notable NIL deals are with Jimmy’s Famous Seafood where he receives weekly meals in exchange for social media posts this deal was handled by UNC’s, Heels4Life. He has promoted Bose products on social media and has partnerships with TABLE, Corcoran Home Properties and the Rock.
Hansel Emmanuel is a basketball player at Northwestern State University with a $1.5 million valuation. His NIL deals include names like Adidas, T-Mobile and Dreamer. He starred in a commercial for Gatorade.
Sunisa Lee attends Auburn University. She is an Olympic gold medalist with a $1.5 million valuation, leading all female underclassmen and ranking 2nd in the women’s NIL Top-100 and 10th overall. Her NIL deals include Crocs, Fairway Auto Brokers, CLIF Bar & Company, Amazon, Invisalign, Gatorade, Target, PrettyLittleThing ,VinFast, and GK Elite Sportswear.
All student-athletes can benefit from their NIL, offering them opportunities to develop their personal brands and gain practical experience. Ashley Le a volleyball setter at the University of Virginia. Ashley secured a deal with Avoli, a company focused on female volleyball players.
Other Students at the University of Virginia have used a resource named Cav Futures which is in place to help Virginia athletes with NIL opportunities. Camryn Taylor is one of these students and she used Cav Futures to partnership with TAPS which is a military support organization.
Examples of Florida student athletes who have capitalized on their name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities can be found here a list of rankings on top Florida NIL Deals. A specific example from the State of Florida would be Tyrese Chambers is a wide receiver who secured an endorsement deal from Taco Time, a fast-food chain. Additionally, he partnered with Branded Bespoke on 8/31/23. His NIL deals highlight the potential for athletes to engage with both local and national brands, leveraging their athletic status and personal brand to benefit financially.
This touches on the broad scope of NIL deals, ranging from high-value contracts for well-known athletes to smaller, yet significant agreements that help lesser-known student-athletes grow their personal brands and gain valuable experience. The NIL policy not only contributes to the financial wellbeing of these athletes but also provides them with opportunities for personal and professional development. There is a shift in the landscape of college sports where athletes are now recognized not just for their sports achievements but also for their marketability and influence.
Other informative links related to the topic of NIL:
The NJCAA NIL Marketplace powered by Opendorse
Here is a site that appears to be dedicated to all things on NIL: https://www.nildealnow.com/?s=tj
