By; Marcella Losso, Maiza Munn, Aleta Shephard, Thomas Fels

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024)

College athletics has and continues to evolve as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights have changed, giving athletes new opportunities to financially benefit from their talent, even those in less popular sports. Two Indiana University freshmen, Adrianna Lojewski and Claire Stuhlmacher, swim for the school and share their take on how NIL impacts their sports performance and teammates. Galen Clavio also shares how the ever-changing world of NIL has developed and functions through his press conference. 

Lojewski grew up in Florida surrounded by a family of swimmers. She competes as a girl’s sprinter swimmer here at IU. Lojewski chose IU because of its strong swimming program and uplifting environment. Stuhlmacher competes as a distance swimmer which was paved by her past experiences. She has moved countless times in her lifetime, one location being Hawaii, where she competed in open-water swimming starting at a young age. Stuhlmachers made her way to the Junior World Championships, which she says were major stepping stones in her swimming career.

Both Lojewski and Stuhlmacher have interacted with different opportunities regarding NIL. During Dr. Clavio’s press conference, he discussed how athletes have to do it all on their own,  he discussed how we as humans have the right to benefit from our names, looks, etc. New rights were not made for NIL. “The removal of restrictions that were being imposed by college athletic apartments upon college athletes,” Clavio says.  They find the process straightforward and easy. “It’s as easy as DMing companies or having them reach out to you,” Stuhlmacher said. With such an easy process they have been able to focus on creating a personal brand specifically through social media. Social media gives athletes a platform to present a good, positive image to gain more partnerships with brands. “You don’t have space limitations in social media,” Dr. Clavio says. 

Some people wonder if there is pressure for athletes to secure NIL deals within their sports. Both Lojewski and Stuhlmacher say it does not take away from their focus but it pushes them to a deeper commitment to swimming. “It just shows our dedication; nobody is trying to outdo each other,” Lojewski says. IU’s swimming community stays strong as each athlete supports one another in opportunities and successes. Including things like reposting one another’s social media and helping them film content. 

Oftentimes people question the fairness of NIL, considering there are less prominent sports such as swimming. Lojewski and Stuhlmacher both see this issue and acknowledge it because some sports are so popular. They still appreciate their opportunities and take advantage of them. “We understand that larger sports may attract more attention, but any chance to pursue NIL is a good one for us,” Stuhlmacher says. Dr. Clavio also discusses how certain schools do not have the financial stability to support NIL as much as others do. “There are too many teams in the mix who do not have the financial resources to compete,” Clavio says. The pool is so big and it all depends on the success of these schools’ athletics to gain these financial resources to compete. 

IU has invested a great amount of time and money into supporting its athletes and their NIL experiences. They have hosted NIL fairs and give athletes direction on how to navigate their opportunities and learn more about the topic. Lojewski and Stuhlmacher explained how appreciative they are of IU’s support because it has allowed them to feel confident in their decisions and feel well-educated on NIL. Dr. Clavio also expresses how important he thinks it is to educate student-athletes starting at the high school level when deals may start to come their way. 

The NIL world will continue to develop and athletes like Lojewski and Stuhlmacher believe that colleges should make it a point to educate their athletes to make sure they have a grasp on how to manage their NIL deals to their fullest advantage. These swimmers also believe that equality needs to come to fruition to make sure all athletes’ hard work can pay off through NIL. As athletes work their way through this new era with the support of their colleges they can benefit from their sports even those in less “popular” sports. The future holds many opportunities for Lojewski and Stuhlmacher along with all the other athletes looking to monetize from the NIL world.

https://youtu.be/nD9EhSCfPW4?si=sfIz_ImMEE5QAZC4

BLOOMINGTON, IN – November 5, 2024 Voxpop interview on Indiana University campus and Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana to determine public opinion on college athletes receiving NIL benefits. Video taken/edited by Maiza Munn and Thomas Fels

By Caitlin Givand, Aaralyn Mills, Stella Abodeely

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (November 5, 2024)

College athletics is undergoing major changes following NCAA legislation recently passed. The impact on former and current collegiate athletes with regard to name, image and likeness (NIL) leaves many athletes unfairly compensated.

Over the past few years, the sphere of college athletics has undergone transformations surrounding NIL, sparking debate concerning whether former athletes deserve payment for their contributions to their athletic departments. For example, Skip Mills, a former Ball State basketball player, aided the department in significant growth averaging 18.6 points per game in the 2005-2006 season. However, no financial compensation was awarded to Mills as he was considered an “amateur athlete” during his collegiate career. Some current players with similar, or less impressive statistics are being compensated handsomely for their efforts, which some see as unjust.

Indiana sports media professor Dr. Galen Clavio discusses the impact that a social media presence can have on an athlete’s value both in college and beyond. “Well now, if you’re a female athlete and you have some juice in the marketplace because you have a large social media following, you have the ability to capitalize on that yourself,” Clavio said.

 

This shift has brought many cases to light in the new era of NIL. Caitlin Clark, was a top recruit coming from the University of Iowa is a good example. Her stats paired with her social media presence allowed her to gain exposure through advertisements. Notably, her campaigns with Nike, Statefarm and Gatorade resulted in large payouts for Clark, something unfathomable for a college athlete years ago. A current senior on the Indiana University rowing team, Phoebe Inall, discusses the competitiveness between athletes and how those with large NIL deals behave. “The ones who are making a lot of money- they think they are so much better than the ones who are not, which is leading to a divide between student-athletes as well,” Inall said.

Even though many see this implementation of NIL strictly as a benefit for student-athletes, a majority of non-revenue sports athletes are facing negative repercussions in this transition. Indiana University senior rowing coxswain Lilly Gintert has experienced this firsthand. “I think that with all the changes that happened too, like Tobias and everything, the ones who are making NIL don’t even care about it because they don’t need to but it is impacting the sports that don’t make as much money,” Gintert said.

At Indiana University, Tobias Nutrition Center (TNC) is the exclusive athlete dining hall located at Memorial Stadium, offering a variety of nutrition options and to-go containers for the typical student-athlete in a rush from practice. In years prior, athletes were able to eat breakfast in TNC for free, giving them the ability to perform better throughout the day with easier access to a satisfying breakfast. However, starting this year, to pay funds to the NCAA for NIL settlements, IU Athletics has started charging student-athletes for meals, with breakfast increasing $10 from before. Due to this, many athletes do not use the nutrition center anymore and struggle to fuel after workouts.

Clavio mentions the importance and urgency of the NCAA passing this significant piece of legislature. “One of the reasons why the NCAA is trying to get this settlement put in the books is they lock out previous potential classes of athletes from being able to sue for lost funds or lost compensation,” Clavio said.

NIL has reshaped the college sports landscape, allowing athletes to profit from their talents unlike before. For athletes like Skip Mills, a former All-MAC Ball State University basketball player from 2003-2006, this opportunity to profit from personal branding was non-existent. “My dad used to tell me, if I could get a hit, he would give me five or ten dollars. Knowing that, if NIL was there when I was in college, it definitely would have made me more motivated,” Mills said.

 

 

By Catherine Hattery, Ginger Jia and Brianna Rudnet

BLOOMINGTON, IN (Nov. 5, 2024)

The stadium erupted with loud cheers as the football forcefully soared to the other end of the field. Marlboro ‘Cignetti’ towels waved from the side lines to the nose bleeds. The large number of fans crammed into Memorial stadium is a stark contrast from attendance last year, as Indiana Football has had a considerably better season this fall, still undefeated well into the season.  

 The crowd, a sea of red, exploded as Freshman kicker Quinn Warren successfully punted the ball to the opposing team, Washington, to begin the game. 

Warren’s life has changed in more ways than one since signing to IU’s football team back in February- not just in terms of athletics. Because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2021, declaring that the NCAA could not prohibit student athletes from benefiting from their name, image, and likeness, Warren is able to monetize his brand; establishing sponsorships, brand partnerships, and growing his social media presence.  

 

Warren has stressed the importance of establishing his brand. “To build a personal brand is fairly important. You want to create an account that is marketable, and one that companies are willing to give a deal to and market their product through,” Warren said. 

Although around 10 companies have reached out to him, Quinn has only partnered with the popular clothing brand Hollister and Max Caffeine Gum and has been compensated through the form of products and payments. “They sent me clothes and I had to post two Instagram posts, three photos, and then a reel, and made $200. It was that simple.” Warren said.  He described using the app Postgame to become a Hollister Ambassador. “The app evaluates people who have applied and select a handful to market the brand through our social media platforms.” Warren said.  

While the NIL ruling has provided collegiate athletes with countless opportunities like the ability to profit from brand partnerships and the many connections that social media can create, others have wondered if the ability to make a profit would affect the legitimacy of a player’s recruitment.  

For Quinn, the NIL benefits were simply that- a benefit. “Although the opportunities some schools gave for NIL were intriguing, I played football at Indiana University because of the sport itself not because of the NIL aspect.” 

Galen Clavio, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education for Indiana University’s Media School, an NIL expert, agreed. “Look at the attention on IU football. They are not selling out games because they have popular NIL players on their team. They are doing it because they have got good players that are winning games.” Dr. Clavio said. 

 

Clavio also highlighted the Cavinder twins, popular basketball players who transferred from Fresno State to Miami University, illustrating there was no correlation between recruitment and one’s name, image, and likeness. “Maimi did not take them because of their NIL capabilities. They [the Cavinder twins] chose Miami because of the possibilities of the marketplace there.” Clavio believes that although a player may equate more NIL benefits to certain schools, like the Cavinder twins did, a school’s drive to recruit a player does not lie in their social media presence, nor their ability to market themselves- only in their talent.

Clavio continued, adding that when considering professional sports, a team would not sign a player based on their ability to market themselves, but their capability to perform. “For the most part, at the professional level, you do not see professional sports teams going and signing athletes solely because they are popular on social media.” Clavio argues that the relationship between NIL and college athletes should mirror professional sports and the profitability they get to experience in regards to the recruitment process. 

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications, Jeremy Gray, emphasized the importance of marketing through social media. “How do you advertise to someone under the age of 25? You don’t read newspapers. You don’t watch traditional television. You don’t listen to radio.” Gray contended that college athletes are major influences among college students, citing Sydney Parish, a member of the IU Women’s Basketball team who has amassed many followers, as a major influence among students in Bloomington.

“The best way to reach that group [18 to 25-year-olds] is by paying social media influencers to market your products, businesses, restaurants, and the like. They [college athletes] are valuable to the community to market to businesses,” Gray said.  

Gray illustrates the major incentive for companies and brands to create relationships among college athletes, as a majority of their followings are made up of college students who are influenced  to purchase products from certain brands if prompted to. Without NIL, companies would lack the benefits college athletes provide their brands through social media, emphasizing the important role athletes play in the scope of marketing. 

As Indiana University’s football team continues to win, so do the players financially. With more attention on the teams success, the players continue to reap the benefits as companies reach out for brand deals and partnerships due to their popularity. Athletes like Quinn Warren emphasized the role of NIL in his college career so far. “NIL has changed my view of playing college football. I have gained so much from simply being a college athlete because of the courts ruling in 2021.”

On Friday Oct. 18. both students, staff, and residents of Bloomington were interviewed about their thoughts on the growing opportunities provided to athletes through NIL. Those interviewed believed NIL granted college athletes numerous opportunities to market themselves through brand deals and partnerships, providing them the ability to profit through their name, image, and likeness.

###

 

By Mason Jones, Kamryn Eskew, and Elizabeth Conley

 

 

Just imagine this. You play college soccer for the Indiana Hoosiers and are in the middle of the championship match. You are a forward. It is a cool, autumn Thursday evening at Indiana University and you and your team are playing against the Clemson Tigers. The smell of the damp ground fills the air as you breathe deeply. The score is tied at 1-1, and you are up to take the game-winning penalty kick. The stadium is filled with students, families, and children screaming and shouting, but in your mind, it is silent. Nothing is more important than this moment. A deep inhale of oxygen is taken, followed by a slow exhale. After taking three steps backward, your cleats dig into the grass, and your eyes are glued to the soccer ball on the ground. You then run towards the ball and kick it. The ball goes left towards the goal, but the goalie leaps to the right, missing it. The crowd roars and your teammates are running towards you. The Indiana Hoosier’s soccer team just won the championship game because you made the penalty kick. Ever since that moment on that night, your name and face have been everywhere. As a sophomore athlete at Indiana University, you have been the best player on the team and have had many outstanding performances during games. Still, after you made the championship game-winning penalty kick, your image has soared through the media. You are no longer one of the most famous college athletes in the country, but now the most famous athlete. Growing up, being a professional soccer player was your dream, but you never imagined being this big in the NCAA. Stress and anxiety begin to overtake you as you think about how much pressure you have gotten from being all over the internet, and you worry about how it will affect you. A question lingers in your mind: “Is there a way to handle my image without the stress and pressure?”

In June 2021, the Supreme Court allowed college athletes to finally benefit from their name, image, and likeness, also known as NIL, which changed college sports. In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision that NCAA restrictions on “educated-related benefits” for college athletes violated the antitrust laws. 

When former high school cross country runner and baseball player Gunner Jones was asked about his general thoughts on NIL in the NCAA, he expressed that there are positive benefits from it, while also being mishandled. “NIL in today’s college sports is a good thing, but it has just been mishandled,” he said. “I do believe that student athletes are entitled to make money off of their name, image and likeness, but I also believe that there has to be regulations and rules set in place in order to protect the student athlete.” 

“I do believe that more successful athletes do have a right to negotiate better terms and have larger NIL,” Jones said. 

It was also important to know what a college athlete’s thoughts on the topic were. Jackson Kelsey, a former high school soccer player, track runner, swimmer, and football player, played soccer for Manchester University, located in Indiana. He transferred from Manchester University to Indiana University but does not play for the Hoosiers’ soccer team. The financial aspect of NIL is a big part of what keeps them going. “I think NIL is a great way for athletes to receive compensation beyond scholarships,” Kelsey said. “It gives student athletes an opportunity to profit from their own personal grants… Money can get in the way of college sports spirit, and I think, to an extent, it takes away the element of amateurism that is college sports.”

Kelsey also talked about his thoughts on how to better manage an athlete’s NIL. “I think there needs to be clear guidelines on the rules around NIL to ensure fairness and compliance,” he said. “While the management is sort of all over the place right now, I do think with the NCAA v. House Case, we will start to see a more uniformed system.” 

Indiana University’s Media School Associate Dean, Galen Clavio is an expert at NIL and when it comes to athletes earning money from other companies besides the university. “The NCAA is trying very much to put legal protections in that would allow them to essentially operate a financial monopoly…by making them the sole distributor of money,” Clavio said. So, there is always competition for colleges with a talented athlete who is getting many brand deals. 

Overall, NIL has improved the lives of many college athletes. It gives them a sense of belonging in their sport, while giving them financial benefits.

On the topic of NIL, we asked a couple members of the IU community their opinion. They shared their thoughts on the topic of managing NIL in a better way.

###

By Emily Hunter, Matthew Brenner and Malachi Williams

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (November 5, 2024)

With college right around the corner for high school recruits, where they decide to play is a major decision. An even bigger decision for some: can they make a profit? As college athletics progresses, introducing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for student-athletes has created a new world.

This adopted policy allows athletes to profit from NIL activities. It plays a tremendous role in the decision-making for striving athletes, affecting their recruitment process at universities across the country, including Indiana University. Ian Stephens, a second-year basketball player for the Indiana Hoosiers, credits the policy adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2021 to his decision-making in his choice of university. “It’s definitely made me look at things from a financial perspective. There’s definitely not just an athletic side to things because you’re getting paid to do something.” A perspective on the money side of athletics highlights how NIL has prioritized financial considerations for many athletes when choosing schools post-2021 policy change. NIL has opened opportunities for athletes at IU that have not been offered before, placing IU on the radar for aspiring collegiate athletes. Creating an environment where young students can strive as athletes and have financial freedom was a factor in choosing the right school for Stephens and fellow teammates.

In 2021, a Supreme Court ruling allowed student-athletes, recruits and their family members to engage in NIL activities in compliance with state laws. The ruling provides resources and guidance, answers questions, and allows athletes who attend schools without NIL laws to participate without violating NCAA rules (NCAA). 

A correlation exists between students wanting to profit off their play and interests in attending Indiana University, found by Luke Bosso, Director of Athletics at Indiana University Indianapolis. “The athletes that we are recruiting, it’s one of their first two questions, is do you have a NIL program.” Bosso, a former football player himself, says he has seen an influx of student enrollment now that IU supports NIL activities. Students who enter a transfer portal will even search for NIL-positive programs at various levels of college, looking for a sufficient amount of money.

A study conducted by Mark Owens, working in the Department of Economics and Finance at Penn State University found elite programs that offer NIL activities statistically have the largest NIL deals, high recruiting and most players to be drafted into the NFL. The NIL ruling has enticed students like Stephens to be a part of a program where they can strive academically but also financially, “It’s just opened up many financial doors for me.” Stephens was aware of his opportunities when looking into IU’s basketball program. “There’s a lot of NIL events through Hoosiers for Good which is one of our philanthropy companies that’s doing a lot of good work around the community. It takes a bunch of student-athletes and we go into the community building homes, it’s really good.”

Dr Galen Clavio, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at IU, describes this process in two categories, being a good athlete and utilizing your resources, “a lot of it is what market are you bringing to the table.” These partnerships are reaching an audience of supporters and place pressure on big names and those striving for a platform. The rise of women’s sports credits this NIL policy change. Over ten years, the rise of digital media and growing revenue allowed female athletes to profit not only at the college level but professional and Olympic levels. Although Bosso saw positive feedback from athletes regarding their newfound opportunities, being paid, is not everything, “Winning entices athletes more than anything to go to a school, not money.” With three hundred sixty-three Division 1 basketball programs, almost all of them offer NIL activities.

Looking towards the future, there are ongoing advancements to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for athletes. The question, “Can I profit at a place I also want to play?” is something high school recruits think about when applying for schools. With NIL activities being allowed, there are resources available at all Indiana University campuses for athletes regarding signing contracts and taxes. As more and more marketing opportunities come up for athletes, the work they put into their financial decisions can become tricky. Without a proper understanding of NIL, student-athletes can prioritize money over play time, something Bosso looks out for. Playtime should always be prioritized over financial gain. Stephens recognizes this trade-off as well, “It’s okay to point out that you are getting paid if that’s what you want to do with your life then go be serious about it and go get paid as much as you want, but you still have to perform and be able to do your job at the highest level.”

https://youtu.be/SIIQjcfaAlo

Emily Hunter, Matthew Brenner and Malachi Williams interviewed individuals on Indiana Univerity’s campus on IU’s NIL opportunities. Interviewees’ feedback gave insight into what the average person thinks about IU’s offered NIL opportunities. 

With support from top universities like Indiana University aiding potential students in their profitable opportunities, athletes across every sport have incentives to become a Hoosier. 

###

By Audrey Pfeiffer, Katie Newett and Ryan Beauregard

BLOOMINGTON, IN (Nov. 5, 2024)

When Mya Ayro attended Greenwood Community High School as the outside hitter on the volleyball team, she never would have imagined the tumultuous path that NIL would pave in her collegiate career.  

Ayro is a four-year letterwinner and holds the record for the most kills in program history at Greenwood Community High School along with competing in the AAU National Championships with her club volleyball team in 2021 

The 19-year-old was driven by the power and initiative that volleyball provided and knew that she wanted to find the right fit in a college—a perfect combination of athletics, academics, and the ability to provide a successful career. 

As she chose her school, she reflected on the values that really matter to her.  

“At the end of the day, I’m focused on my performance and education,” Ayro said. 

For her freshman year, Ayro excitingly committed to University of Connecticut. Throughout her time there, she was very successful—playing 27 matches for the team and recording a career-best kill count of 16 against Yale last September. 

But there was always something missing at UConn for Ayro. She entered the transfer portal for her spring semester and chose Wright State University, another Division 1 school, where she has continued to attend through the 2024-2025 school year.  

This season, Ayro is a successful athlete at Wright State, and is projected to continue her career there.  

Ayro is not alone in her decision to transfer schools, but some may do it for the wrong reasons. Transfer athletes could be motivated to transfer for a variety of reasons—relationships, location, education, or in our research, NIL. Many believe that NIL can be a selfish or immoral reason to transfer, including Ayro. 

“As a transfer athlete myself, transferring for personal pay ruins the whole point of sports,” Ayro said. 

Professor of Sports Media and Director of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University Dr. Galen Clavio describes the experience that athletes have and the expectation that they’re incapable of balancing all the components that come with being a collegiate athlete. 

“A lot of how we approach athletes is we almost infantilize them. We treat them like they’re incapable of making their own sense of priority,” Clavio said. “We don’t do that for other college students, do we?” 

First year IU thrower Seth Brosseau also picked his university based on the academic performance, as opposed to NIL money. More uncommon sports like throwing or tennis are less likely to make as much money comparatively to basketball or football, simply based off the amount of viewership and popularity the sport has. 

“I know that, personally, as a male track athlete, my opportunities with NIL and making money from them are more slim than other athletes in other sports,” Brosseau said. 

Ayro has found similar issues in relation to gender bias in sports. Men’s sports tend to gain a bigger viewership and, therefore, more money. 

Similarly to Ayro, Brosseau believes that NIL is secondary to sports and academic performance, and it would be immoral to transfer simply for the money. He thinks that there should be some restrictions set on the amount that athletes are allowed to make on top of the amount for transferring, for the sake of the team dynamic.  

“I think that it is fair that athletes have their school fully compensated for, as athletes bring a specialized skill to their college,” Brosseau said. “I do think that there should be some better devised limits on the amount of money that athletes are able to make outside of having their school paid for.” 

Ayro believes that NIL is secondary to performance and practice time, since it is not one of the main factors that she put into the consideration of picking her school.

“NIL is just an opportunity to network. My program isn’t focused on the fame and money. We are focused on how we perform; NIL is just something that may happen for us,” Ayro said. 

Clavio also included that it is extremely important as an organization to educate athletes on the importance of how to use social media and handling their affairs correctly. Many times, athletes don’t realize how much they can capitalize off their careers and end up losing out on opportunities. 

“I would strongly recommend that we start teaching about social media, branding, and the utilization of digital media at the high school level for everybody because that is where most people are communicating these days,” Clavio said.

 Sex is a factor that may play into NIL as well. Ayro thinks that men are more likely to talk about their deals and get bigger deals, since viewership is typically biased toward males.  

“NIL is a bigger aspect in male sports. That’s where it generally becomes an issue,” Ayro said, “They want all of the benefits they can get and if a school offers more benefits compared to another, it tends to sway their choice.” 

Despite the idea that male sports have a larger viewership in general, Clavio acknowledges the growth that women’s sports have had since the rise of popularity in women’s basketball, starting with Caitlyn Clark. 

“It’s nowhere near the amount of money that men’s revenue sport athletes are getting just for existing in many cases, but it has meant that there are some female athletes who have been able to capitalize at the college level,” Clavio said. “Now that they are more known commodities, which might open up additional commercial possibilities that weren’t there before.” 

NIL is an ever-growing and evolving idea, but the foundations for first year and transfer athletes will remain the same—performance and education come before any type of compensation. 

We headed to campus to ask students and fans about their opinions on NIL deals.

###

By Matilyn Martin, Max Kirsch and Whitney Householder

BLOOMINGTON, Ind (November 5, 2024)-

For a long time, college athletes have played their sport and built a strong fanbase for themselves by attracting fans with the skill level they play their sport with and also how they go about their daily lives and interact with people. However, these athletes were not getting paid for anything despite the program that they were apart of being worth millions of dollars. Now things have changed for the better. In the past couple of years, there was a change to college athletic programs that completely changed the way that fans were able to view their favorite athletes.

With the not so recent law change affecting college athletes, there still seems to be some confusion regarding college athletes and how they can promote themselves through their sport for profit. In June 2021, the Supreme Court passed a ruling that all college athletes have the ability to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This law especially helped out large campuses like Indiana University. With Indiana University being a large Big Ten school, this ruling allowed the university’s athletic department to bring in more popular athletes and to also market said athletes and set them up for a future not only with their sport, yet how they can market themselves in their own social media.

Although this sounds like a good thing for student athletes and is, it does leave room for questions about certain aspects of the ruling. Is there an increased pressure to perform, knowing that there could be financial risks at stake? NIL deals are of course a good thing for the athlete, but there is always something to counteract the positives. In this situation, the athlete is getting an offer for an NIL deal, but at what cost did it come at? Did the athlete perform in their game a certain way to secure future deals? A deeper dive into this topic could only be done by interviewing the professionals themselves.

An Indiana University Sports Media Professor came to a C250 class and let students ask him questions regarding everything related to NIL. Dr. Galen Clavio, who is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students in the Media School, shared his insights on this topic. “Name, image, and likeness in college sports has rapidly become one of the more misunderstood things in college sports over the last four years” Clavio said. This he is right about; there are a lot of subcategories within the NIL umbrella that leave a lot of people still questioning what exactly it is. Clavio touched on the history of NIL and how people questioned the money being made by the schools but not the players. Clavio talked about if this pressure starts even as early as high school. Are high school athletes worried about potential NIL deals in their college careers? He thinks that it does bring a certain pressure to the table, especially for athletes who are good at practicing media. These athletes might expect to bring a certain amount of NIL deals once they get to college, and this could lead to a pressure to perform better. “It’s pressure if you’re a college athlete with a social media following to maintain your audience and build upon your audience.” Clavio said. There is a difference from athlete to athlete. There is the athlete who is good at media and the athlete who is good at their sport. He suggested that the athletes should learn social media practices sooner rather than later, when they are in the midst of earning off of their NIL. This would be helpful to them since this is how the world communicates with each other, so it would give the athletes an insight into how to navigate social media, which in the end would be beneficial when they start getting NIL deals to know how to market themselves and such.

Mario Landino, a freshman at Indiana University, is a defensive lineman for the Hoosiers football team under a new coaching staff led by Curt Cignetti. Coming out of high school in Pennsylvania, Landino wasn’t too familiar with how NIL changed the game of football once entering collegiate competition. He shared information and experiences about how NIL has affected his career at IU. In his first semester at Bloomington, he has already received an offer from the IU NIL store, “The store is a place student-athletes like myself are able to create gear and post it to the website. So with that being said, I would say I started that just around 1 month ago,” Landino said. While Landino has been lucky enough to acquire such opportunities, they do not come as easy as it seems. When asked how often athletes get deals like his, Landino responded, “Athletes truly must have multiple or high-end deals, need to be in the P4 conferences and be well known for your team. Since it is hard you really need to seek out deals and persuade businesses to work with you.” Getting handed a NIL deal so early in his collegiate career means Landino only has larger expectations as time passes and he adjusts to becoming a starting player. Now that there are financial risks at stake, it could lead to added pressure on and off the field. Additionally, tension could potentially arise between teammates who may have not received similar offers if any at all. “In general there is always pressure and competition within football. Everyone is chasing to make money and be the best player. Naturally, the process will unfold and everyone can have the ability to dabble in NIL,” Landino said. He adds that NIL and money related topics are generally not talked about in the locker room much. He also feels that everyone who gets opportunities worked hard to earn it. From local merchandise deals to partnerships with national corporations, the possibilities for deals are endless. Everybody needs to start somewhere, and Landino seems to be highly optimistic about how his deal has been treating him. “With this type of NIL, it is not a set price you receive. It is based on the sales of your merchandise. Everything I earned feels well deserved as I know how hard we work to get here,” Landino said. Leaving off on a high note, Landino provided genuine words of wisdom as he added, “Every day without trying to further your abilities is another day you miss an opportunity.”

Oumar Ballo, currently plays the center position for the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team. Before playing for Indiana University, he played basketball for Arizona, which is where he was when the NIL ruling came into play. “It wasn’t very popular or important at first, didn’t really make much of a difference for a lot of players” Ballo said. He explained how NIL began to change his basketball career and specifically the amount of money he was making. “The experience was different for me because I am a foreigner here, certain offers I had to turn down because the contracts did not align with the stipulations of my work visa” Ballo said. He feels that there is a pressure to perform better in order to make more NIL deals and money. Ballo believes that all of his teammates have this pressure as well. He considers NIL deals as a business and stands by that. When asking him how this affects the energy between him and his teammates, he says how it had never really been competitive between them and that they always liked to see each other receive new opportunities. Ballo talks highly of the NIL experience and the effect it has had on his basketball career. “I feel like I deserve everything that I have gained from transferring to Indiana, there was a lot of money coming in just from coming here and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I have worked very hard to get here and I love playing for the Hoosiers” Ballo said, speaking very highly of his achievements.

There is always pressure to do anything in life. Especially with competition. Athletes will still get NIL deals regardless of anyway that they play their sport because they also have the ability to find opportunities themselves. However, there is a definite connection between the way athletes perform and the NIL deals that they receive. The extremity differs from athlete to athlete but one thing remains the same. Every player feels they have worked hard to earn each opportunity, no matter what.

Bloomington residents give their insights on if there is a connection between performance level and the amount of NIL deals. Indiana Hoosier fans are very loyal to their favorite IU teams.

By Saige Arnold, Karen Flores and Andrea Minuto

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024) — The struggle of balancing athletics and academics has always been a challenge for student athletes, but the inclusion of NIL rights has significantly added a new layer of complexity. As they navigate the opportunities and difficulty of earning money from their personal brand, many find themselves struggling to execute the benefits of NIL while being a student athlete. 

In July 2021, name, image and likeness laws went into effect benefitting college athletes to get paid through their NIL. This allows the athletes to accept money for their popularity which can be seen in many different ways. The athletes are able to do commercial endorsements, appearances and social media posts, hosting camps and more. However, these tasks are already too much to put on a student athlete.

Student athlete, William Jansen, a junior diver at Indiana University, seeks to grow his NIL and use his image to his advantage and for the opportunity to make some money. Jansen expresses that he does not have the time to lean into his NIL opportunities. “There are some days when like I won’t come to practice at all just to focus on school, and then I’m about to miss school on Thursday and Friday for a meet.”  With practices and meets being incorporated into Jansen’s academic schedule, it can be hard to find the incentive and interest in implementing it. 

Dr. Galen Clavio, Associate Professor in the Media School at Indiana University answers questions at a press conference on October 15th, 2024. Dr. Clavio explains that social media plays a huge part in the world, allowing people to make a living off of their name on social media. When it came to NIL in the sports world, there were often times where college athletes names were being used by the university or even other companies like NCAA video games that were benefiting off of these athletes name, image and likeness. After many court cases, the NCAA was no

longer allowed to keep student athletes from using their name, image and likeness to make their own money. Although these students now have the access to their NIL, it doesn’t exactly mean they’re able to focus on it. Dr. Clavio explains that the schedules young adult student athletes have don’t always allow them to use NIL, “To me its a false dichotomy in a lot of ways and its part of a larger problem with the way we think about athletes at the college level in many cases, which is that they need saved or that they need all of this special structure around them, when in reality a lot of the reasons for this is because of the insane scheduling that we place on them in the first place.” With student athletes trying to manage such a time-crunched schedule, all of the NIL deals they could be taking, they don’t always have time for.

Marina Fuduric, a freshman tennis player at Indiana University, experiences the same challenges. With being a first-year college student and athlete, she struggles to find the right balance, on top of growing her NIL. She currently does not have a large following on social media, but works to grow her account. Working with what she has, she tries to reach out to people and brands, but since she does not have a large following and certain brands have follower requirements, she gets denied. She has to find other ways to grow her platform and to have brands be excited or willing to work with her. “I’m trying to figure out different ways to get more followers and I might have to make content or something in the future,” Fuduric said. This is prevalent in new student athletes because this is not necessarily taught or implemented within their sports. Student athletes have to go out on their own to find these experiences, having no guide on securing deals. It is significantly more challenging if the sport is not popular on a college level, making it harder to seek opportunities. 

Fuduric talks about her experiences balancing playing tennis with her academics. Allotting free time on top of her sport, education and personal life. When she talks about this, she said that if you want to study, maintain yourself and find time to hang with friends, you will have to be efficient with your time. But it is not easy for Fuduric, especially when trying to get the hang of being a first-year student. Accountability is a huge thing that Fuduric has to do.

Because of the benefits that come with NIL, it is important to Fuduric and her future plans. She wants to rely solely on her NIL as an income to help support herself. As she settles and comfortable with being a student athlete at Indiana University, she sees herself growing her platforms and finding ways to get deals. She wants to learn how to grow her NIL and motivates herself to endure the obstacles that come with it.

NIL is crucial to student athletes, as it leads to greater opportunities for them in the future.

Students at Indiana University answered questions involving their opinions on name, image and likeness. Having strong ideas on what NIL can do for student athletes, if they take full advantage of it.

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 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.

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.”

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.

###