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NIL: Issues, Pressures, and Effects on Collegiate Athletes

By Sophia Trout, Sukari Williams and Molly Wrightsman

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024)

“BALLS UP” yelled Josephine’s teammate. As she looked up, it seemed as if she watched the ball hit the floor in slow motion. She looked around to see disappointment on her teammate’s faces as that was the point that just lost their entire season. The look on their faces portrayed the way she had felt all season, disappointed.

Josephine Mulligan, a volleyball player at Indiana Northwest University, talks about how college has impacted her mental health in an interview.
Josephine Mulligan, a volleyball player at Indiana Northwest University, goes up to tip the volleyball over the net. Mulligan describes how being a college athlete has impacted her mental health greatly. Photo courtesy of Josephine Mulligan.

Josephine Mulligan had just transferred to Indiana Northwest University after playing three years of volleyball at Keiser University. After she transferred, she realized that the promises she was guaranteed were just broken promises. Josephine was not taken care of physically or mentally.

“Being a college athlete has definitely taken a toll on my mental health,” Mulligan said. “My first college had great counselors who helped me through my anxieties and struggles learning how to live away from home. My second college did not have that and it took a huge toll on me to the point where I had to leave.” As a college athlete, outside audiences do not often associate these athletes with having mental health struggles nor do they realize the intense amount of pressure they are put under everyday.

Dr. Galen Clavio gives a press conference about NIL to students in C250
Dr. Galen Clavio, the associate dean of the Media School at Indiana University, passionately explains the intricacies of NIL to a group of students. NIL is a growing subject that many are unaware about. Photo taken by Mike Badrov.

In June of 2021, college sports changed tremendously. In prior years, getting money as a college athlete would cause these athletes to lose their eligibility. However, after the Supreme Court ruled against NCAA v. Alston, all of this changed. College athletes are now able to earn money based on Name, Image, and Likeness, also referred to as NIL.  “The idea was that athletes don’t have intrinsic value and the NCAA and its members believed that so strongly that they thought the whole thing would go away by not providing that level of support, ” said Dr. Galen Clavio, an NIL expert at Indiana University, during a press conference. “The opposite has occurred.” Many athletes have taken advantage of NIL and are using it as an opportunity to succeed in the media world.

The NCAA is still figuring out the rules and regulations surrounding NIL. “You have to present yourself as an individual,” Clavio said. You cannot wear the logo of your school when in an NIL situation, unless the school has partnered with you. This is just one of the many rules the NCAA has created thus far.

Athletes before NIL were worrying about playing time and trying to go professional as that would be the only way they could make money playing a sport. However, NIL has now created additional pressures on these athletes which could potentially have detrimental effects. “There are a lot of outside expectations that people may have of you,” Brady Simmons, a football player at IU, said during an interview. “There are a lot of internal pressures like wanting to please your family and impress your coaches.”

Brady Simmons, a football player at Indiana University, gives an interview on how NIL has impacted his college experience.
Brady Simmons, wide receiver at Indiana University, smiles for the camera. Simmons shares his thoughts and struggles that he has experienced with NIL. Photo taken by Molly Wrightsman.

College athletes already are putting pressure on themselves to perform well- is NIL only going to make this issue worse?

Not only is extreme pressure applied to perform well on the court or field, but also on social media platforms. Since the pandemic in 2020, mental health in college athletes has continuously and rapidly decreased. According to the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, adding NIL pressure can be too much for athletes and put their mental health at risk. NIL does have its pros, including helping athletes financially, however, putting too much pressure on an athlete to secure NIL deals can lead to burn out (Sitzler et al., 2023).

NIL is not only affecting mental health, but can also cause friction between teammates. “I definitely think NIL can affect relationships if teammates are not getting the same opportunities, but I also think that comes with every job in life,” Mulligan said. Some sporting programs are a close knit community where NIL may not affect teammates’ bonds. “At the end of the day when you have a place like this, a good support system, and a good group of people that you surround yourself with everyday, money is kind of the last thing on your mind,” Simmons said. Every school’s sporting community is different, so NIL can influence teams differently.

Each athlete has a different experience with NIL. Many only hear the good things, so it is important to understand the risks that come along with NIL. For Josephine Mulligan, when she was struggling with her mental health, due to added pressure, her school unfortunately did not provide the resources to help her get through it. Now that NIL is rapidly growing, each school must have counselors for athletes so they do not get put in the same situation as Mulligan. If NIL is used correctly, it can be a great tool for athletes to have, but if not, it can put their lives at risk and potentially ruin their love for the game.

Student’s on Indiana University’s campus tell their thoughts and opinions about how NIL is affecting college athletes. NIL has added extra pressure to athletes to perform not only well in their sport, but also on social media.

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Public Relations Story

Apple Changes the Technology World Forever, Announcing the Release of the Apple Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apple Changes the Technology World Forever, Announcing the Release of the Apple Watch
Media Contacts
Sophia Trout
Sofia Harari
Carter Moran
Cupertino, California (Sept. 9, 2014) – Apple publicizes the new Apple Watch today, unveiling a new way to communicate and upping the technology game forever. The Apple Watch is a new form of technology that combines the iPhone and regular watch, creating the Apple Watch. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, announced the Apple Watch at the Flint Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, California.
The Apple Watch is much more than your typical watch. It introduces a screen with digital crown- also relayed as the home button. This button essentially is where you can unlock the screen, zoom, scroll, or open an app. Just for basics, it is connected to your iPhone to make communication, work, and life easier. The Apple Watch can receive/make calls, iMessages, emails, and manage many more apps that are connected to your iPhone or other Apple products. The Apple Watch is created to provide a wide range of features to enhance and simplify everything you do daily basis. The Apple Watch is a device that can’t be topped for assisting everyday living and allowing individuals to have accessible tools at hand, all day long.
Joel Thomas checks his new Apple Watch for his reminders as he waits on his check, effortlessly managing his day. Gifted by his wife and kids for is birthday, the watch serves as a powerful tool in helping him stay on top of important tasks, including managing his type one diabetes with timely reminders.
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn.” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We believe this product will redefine what people expect from its category.” The Apple Watch allows physical and technological worlds to collide. The Apple Watch is designed to add to the evolution of technology and opening a new chapter to the Apple category allows them to continue to outdo themselves. The Apple Watch adds yet another milestone that Apple has created to make history adding onto the iPhone, iPad, and iMac. The connectivity involved allows the Apple Watch to receive any notifications sent to any of the other existing devices owned by the wearer.
Not only does the Apple Watch get worn for a more enhanced experience and connection to the outside world, but it is also equipped with a built-in accelerometer, allowing your health to be tracked. Although the iPhone has included the health app, this new and improved feature provides day-to-day updates on analysis of how many steps you have taken or track workout sessions to give you accurate diagnostics to keep track of your health. Apple Watch uses LED lights that can track your heart rate, evolving the iPhone’s health features to a personalized device that can keep you aware of your health. Not only does the Apple Watch health feature track your fitness, but it also reminds you to stand if you have been sitting too long and tracks the amount of sleep you get. It can also help alert you of any heart rhythms or cardiovascular/aerobic issues that seem abnormal to potentially help aid and save a life.
Mia Cornell, several minutes into her routine nightly walk, receives a call from her roommate Abigail Blythe. With easy access to communication through her new watch, she is reminded to pick up a few packages just before returning home.

 

The Apple Watch’s release will be including many different color options in stainless steel. A band is provided with the Apple Watch and a variety of different colors and textures can be interchanged to your preference. The Apple Watch is a prime example of innovation, providing technology to merge with reality to create convenience and reliability. With the features including health tracking, connectivity, accessibility, and variety, Apple has overachieved when it comes to creating products that make everyone’s lives better.  Brace yourselves, the Apple Watch will be getting released early 2015 starting at the price $349.
Apples designs produce technology that is used globally along with other software. Apple has not only sculpted technology products but has created other listening devices for the music industry such as iTunes, Apple Music, iPods, and Air pods. The creation of technological innovation doesn’t stop here.

 

Tim Cook examples how the crown on the Apple Watch is used. Tim shows that the crown can be used to zoom in, scroll through lists, and go back to the home screen.

 

Kevin Lynch shows off  some new features of the Apple Watch. By holding the crown down on the Apple Watch, Kevin asks Siri to display movies playing in Cupertino.