By Bradley Harp, Megan Tonnu, Liv Napier

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024) – Since 2021 athletes have been able to use their name, image, and likeness (NIL), to make a name for themselves and benefit off their own NIL. Over time there has been controversy about NIL though, as it becomes huge around the country people have had their own opinions about how NIL is deve

loped, how much each person makes, and how it operates overall as they are paying athletes to play ball.  

Indiana University kicker, Quinn Warren began his journey with NIL going through football. When speaking with him he disclosed that, “there are many different aspects to an NIL deal, but with mine I have Hollister posts and partnerships with caffeine gum.”

Reviewing NIL contracts now versus two years ago makes a huge difference, recruitment is different and when choosing where to go to school many factors of these contracts make a difference. “IU had people helping you with the contracts which was really important.” Warren said. Also being offered by different schools, IU stood out and had a good way of managing an NIL contract through people that offer their assistance in the process. Some contracts are by month, and some are a one-time thing.  

Many concerns with the new NIL agreement have been brought to the public’s attention such as, “Is it fair that student-athletes are getting paid more than other important professions?” When addressing this issue there are many different viewpoints on which is the right way to go about these contracts. Rising in popularity of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), NIL contracts are a huge factor to these athletes of many different sports. From having extreme measures of restrictions to athletes being able to be financially assisted through an NIL contract, it is a luxury to many student athletes to have these opportunities. Concerning the large amounts of money being paid to these athletes though, a frequently asked question is why should they be paid so much money? Some claim that it brings popularity to the schools which leads to funding. On the other hand, others disagree with the new NIL stance and feel that it is not right to have athletes be paid so much more than important occupations.  “It’s kind of insane they are making more money, but obviously it brings money to the school” Warren stated. As a student athlete himself he felt it is unethical to pay athletes more than important occupations such as a doctor but also views it as a gateway to publicity for the school. 

Indiana Universities Dr. Galen Clavio held a press conference with students from C250 on October 15th, 2024, to discuss more in-depth what all goes into NIL and how it has affected the world. “For the longest time the NCAA saw college athletes as just 

another student being involved in athletics while in school and that’s not what it is” Clavio said. During this time the NCAA learned that college athletes had the right to gain publicity off of their NIL. The NCAA decided in this case to allow the state legislators to make decisions on their own about what they will do with the concept of NIL and allowing athletes to use it for publicity and earning other contracts.  

Student athlete Maggie Ledwith believes that NIL agreements are well deserved and that they should not be labeled as controversial. Maggie is IU’s soccer team’s mid field player. She was not offered an NIL deal for any university, but she is very familiar with NIL deals in sports. When asked whether she thinks it is fair how much some of these athletes are making through NIL deals, she said, “

If they’re helping the company, might as well get paid for it.”  Maggie’s soccer season began in July,and she discussed that many times throughout the interview saying, “Athletes work so hard during the off season. We have practice 6 days a week, four hours at a time and we are constantly traveling for games” When asked if it is fair that athletes with NIL deals can make more than jobs such as a doctor, Maggie said, “In my experience, athletes work so hard. I think they deserve the money they make.” When it comes to student athletes the controversy comes from the idea that there are students who are in nursing school, pre-med, pre-law, etc. who leave college in debt, whereas the student athletes with NIL deals can make thousands and leave with little to no debt. “NIL deals are like an influencer getting sponsorship. A company pays the athlete to promote a product, then the company gets money from the people who buy that product,” Magge said.  

Despite the amazing things about being an athlete, there are also a lot of risks that come with it. When Maggie was in high school, she was injured and had a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding. She was in the hospital for several days and unable to play for 3 months. Maggie said, “Being an athlete comes with the risk of injuries. Injuries happen all the time…”. The risk of injury is enough to persuade Maggie that NIL deals are more than fair for athletes. But some people aren’t convinced. There are thousands of differing opinions about this topic on campus. 

NIL has taken over athletics and as it continues to develop and evolve people will too. Athletes all over the world love NIL and hope that it continues to grow.  

BLOOMINGTON, IN – October 20th, 2024 – Students went out and interviewed people on the street to learn what they think about NIL and if people should be paid as much as they should. Video shot by Bradley Harp and Megan Tonnu

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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By Chloe Epstein, Mike Badrov

BLOOMINGTON, IN (Nov. 5, 2024)

Feature Photo by Mike Badrov

Bloomington residents and visitors give their insights on the pressure high school athletes already face, and what could crack while NIL spreads its reach.

A droplet of sweat drips off her face, tightly gripping the basketball. The high school gymnasium is filled with eager faces of families latching onto the bleachers as she releases the ball. She scores the buzzer-beater basket as the clock ticks with ten seconds left and a tied game. The team ran onto the court as champions. The crowd jumps in the stands, their fists pumping, as their exhilarated smiles light up the room.

Beams of light appearing from the photographer’s camera add to the team holding up their new trophy. The essence of triumph from the team is enhanced by their frozen stillness on the camera’s screen. Amongst the joyous cheers, reality hits the high school team. The new Supreme Court ruling of the NCAA allows athletes to make a profit off of their name, image, and likeness. For some team members, a major endorsement is near, for others, an immense amount of pressure forms.

High school athletes are under a vast amount of pressure to brand themselves early in their athletic pursuits due to the implementation of NIL. What once was a competitive game of basketball is now heightened by the recognition and awareness of the players. Adding to the pressure of NIL, Indiana Public Media says, “It’s those deals that inflate what the average athlete makes, which is around $3,700, according to Opendorse, a leading NIL collective. It expects total NIL earnings to exceed $1 billion dollars in this year.” With NIL’s role in their careers, students must develop a compelling personal image to gain acceptance and appeal to athletic supportive brands and endorsement deals.

Cooper Komsthoeft, a Lyons Township High School Football Captain, shares his insight on how NIL affects the minds of high school athletes when deciding where to take their athletic careers next. He says, “NIL added a whole new idea into what colleges I would even consider. Schools like Oregon and Colorado show players making millions of dollars in college.” High school athletes now have to consider potential endorsements when deciding their futures. The growth of NIL changes the perspective of choosing a school for a student athlete in hopes to grow their personal brands. Komsthoeft continues to emphasize the struggles NIL brings into the athletic industry by saying, “I had older players telling me how hard it was to get NIL if you weren’t one of the ” “million dollar players” so it sort of stopped having me pursue it.” If you aren’t on the radar of major athletics, your chances of getting NIL are lower than those who have a name and reputation for themselves. For those who feel NIL won’t help grow their personal brand, it adds to the pressure put on their athletic careers. They unfortunately look towards a different direction for their future career paths.

NIL is not just focused on student athlete views, others have opinions on the topic such as Jeremy Gray. Gray is the  Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communicator for the IU Cuban Center. He says, “And I don’t think the average kid on let’s say the Bloomington South, and the Carmel High School, or the Munster High School, or the Schenectady North High School team you know is expecting to get [NIL] money.” High school athletes are strategic when creating their personal brand and image early in hopes they will one day be endorsed and profit off of themselves, which adds to the crippling pressure put on them. For others, they know they won’t benefit from NIL because they are not on top of the radar, making them a known player. Gray then says, “Parents on recruiting visits will ask, like, what kind of NIL opportunities are there at Indiana? And so it’s something top of the mind that way.” Students consider playing professionally. It’s important to gather information about financial decisions. Parents are enthralled in the idea of how NIL can shape their children when choosing a college. This has become a crucial factor in the decision making process.

 

 

 

 

 

High school athletes have to manage staying on top of their academics while taking part in their sport. Keeping academics high contributes to the pressure put on them to spread awareness about themselves through social media platforms and networking. Dr. Galen Clavio says, “If you’re an okay athlete and you’re trying to develop a media presence at the high school level with the idea that it will carry over into the college level, yeah, that is extra pressure, just like it’s pressure, if you’re a college athlete with a social media following to maintain your audience and build upon your audience.” High school athletes who aren’t as known for their athletic ability feel the pressure of NIL to obtain a prevalent online presence. Having a strong personal brand helps set oneself apart. Clavio compares how college athletes need to keep their audiences, while high school athletes need to have compelling profiles of themselves for branding purposes.

High school athletes focus on their sport while utilizing NIL to draw awareness to themselves. The pressure of branding lies in how they curate their personal image. The influence of NIL is shown not only on the field or court, but online. The NCAA’s ruling of NIL pushes these young athletes to go further in their careers while still remaining to represent themselves for new opportunities that arise.

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By Caroline Crawford, Jordan Campbell and Chase Dodson

Bloomington Indiana, ( November, 5th, 2024)

 The polished waxed floors squeak with the sound of shoes running up and down the court. The horizontal lines come together to create boundaries that make up the game of basketball. With people cheering in the stands, the players line up for their routine entrance. As the crowd sees their favorite players they get even louder and scream with anticipation for the game that’s to come. As the energy in the room intensifies, the game begins. 

With athletes seeming so untouchable, the topic at hand is wondering how easy it seems to be a college athlete and have your entire college tuition taken care of, a problem many college students worry about throughout their academic careers. With athletes being at the top of the social hierarchy, it seems to be the easiest job in the world, getting to do something they truly love and were born to do, while getting applauded and worshiped for it. Although the life of a college athlete seems glamorous and effortless, It’s actually quite the opposite with the discussion of how college athletes actually feel mentally and physically, while dedicating their life to playing their sport. Athletes’ troubles and challenges often go unseen, especially with the debate of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).

The hard work and dedication that every player consistently brings to each game is immense and deserves to be shown off and profitable, most would think. The game of basketball is seen as lots of effort and time, although the sport is rewarding, the discussion of how the game affects the players mentally is not a topic that the media usually covers. According to IU’s women’s basketball manager Aj Harmon “It’s a lot of time and commitment, and a major struggle being the time the players spend away from their families” said Harmon. The players spend most of their time conditioning, practicing and getting ready for games. It’s a full time job to be a college athlete, so that means the players have no way of getting a real paying job as their time as an athlete. Without sponsors and advertisements, the players are making no money from all their hard work and dedication. The labor they do becomes unseen without getting a paycheck at the end of the day.  The players give up their social life, including phone calls with parents, social gatherings, even something simple like down time. The struggle of trying to stay afloat is real for athlete’s while trying their best to play well.

Mental health varies from player to player, but the pressure is almost constant. The need to be the best and always give their all becomes a never ending cycle of mental defeat. While working hard on the court and outside of it, the players have no real compensation for their hard work. The amount of work they put in with no reward leaves the players burnt out and tired. With the risk of injuries and pressure to be the best during every game, college athletes ask themselves “what’s the point?” While being a full time student, the stressors of personal identity and self doubt come to the surface. Stated by D2 Freshman basketball player at Wayne State College, Darshan Thomas “Many of us sacrifice our time and our bodies while on the court, it takes a toll on me mentally to constantly think about my performance and not my school work so the team and school can be good”. Putting the skill from each player aside, the main part of being a team is each individual putting their talent together to create one big talent. Representing a school is an honor and each player must give it their all each game. The stress of being good for something other than yourself is tiring and leads to burning out. The anxieties of being injured or performing badly is immense when playing for a high division like D2. Without NIL, and not being compensated for effort, time and stress, the players can reach a point where they feel like their time and effort is not being appreciated or valued enough to it’s fullest potential. 

According to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education for the Media School, Dr Clavio “you do not get the same rights as the other people that are college students, despite the long-standing public relations approach by the NCAA, which tries to argue that college athletes are simply students who happen to be engaged in athletics”. While full time college students get the right to profit off their name image and likeness, College athletes unfortunately do not. Although a college student who is engaged with athletics or with a particular field of study, they are seen as two different students. College athletics, specifically basketball, bring in a big sum of money through ticket sales, merch and much more. Ignoring what each individual brings to the table, the players don’t even make money off the games as a whole, which people pay to see them play. With the liabilities of injuries and the serious impact on mental health that comes along with the game of basketball, the players are doing all the work while getting no reward. Punishing athlete’s for being extraordinarily good at something, is wrong and unfair for those who fight through and overcome mental and physical challenges while playing their sport.

People of Kirkwood discuss how student athlete’s are impacted mentally through NIL, without getting compensated for their hard work and dedication.

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• By Grace Selesky, Zachary Thompson, Nick Milentis

BLOOMIINGTON, Ind. (Nov. 5, 2024) –Breathing in the cold air, heart racing, game face on with a stick in hand, ready to break the tie and make the last shot on goal. The roars of the exciting game can be heard from outside the energized stadium. Sophia Hoover tightens up her grip holding her hockey stick, and makes a move. Her nerves are piercing through her body, as she attempts to beat the clock with fifteen seconds remaining. She makes her way toward the net with the help of her teammates, and goes for the shot. 

 

A brief silence breaks throughout the entire arena as the buzzer blares, awaiting to see if Hoover’s shot was a success. The entire crowd and team jump to their feet, erupting in celebration for the team, they celebrate Hoover’s shot, breaking the tie for the game.  After the game, Hoover took to social media to celebrate her team’s big win. As a current freshman at St. Catherine’s University, she has seen how social media plays a big role with athletes Name, Image, and likeness deals and profits. “For me as a woman in a collegiate sport the main difference between men and women’s sports isn’t competition or skill, it’s the way we get treated outside the game. In today’s society we solely run our lives through social media”, said Hoover. She is not someone who currently receives profit off of her sport, Hoover knows a lot about the gender gap that is currently at place with men and women’s sports. “Women’s sports get little to no recognition for the work in the game, therefore, no matter the results no one knows. You will see numerous accounts and posts catering to men’s sports giving them all the focus win or lose”, Hoover said. 

Name, Image, Likeness, more famously known as NIL, grants high school and college athlete the opportunity and rights to be able to profit off of their own personal image. NIL allows these athletes to be able to profit off of endorsement deals, merchandising sales, advertisements, and social media sponsorships and partnerships. Although Hoover is not part of the percentage that gains profit from NIL deals yet in her career, she sees how big of an impact it has made on other athletes, changing the way we view athletes today than ever before, with most of this attention coming from social media.

Social media has also played a huge role in the likeness of athletes and different sports getting recognized more easily on a daily basis. This can be a breaking point for many athletes of today, as keeping up with their social media can be tremendously beneficial for their image as an athlete. The media is a simple and quick way of finding your favorite player on the team on social media to keep updated with them and their sport. This seems like a factor that would make the gender gap more equal, but with the more renown men’s sports having more viewership, the reality of this is going to put these sports at an advantage for their personal NIL.

NIL has also recently began to be taught in high schools and colleges. With the way the media and society is changing, it has become a vital part to teaching and learning today. Recently, Dr. Galen Clavio spoke to a Story Lab 1 class and discussed his thoughts about NIL. As we know, college sports are becoming more popular as they are publicized, and using the athletes image to help promote the school gives the opportunity to reach larger demographics and a wider audience. Dr. Clavio, along with his many other roles here, is a Sports Media Professor, and has seen and heard an immense amount of different NIL deals, including with the gender gap. Even with the most popular women’s sports, they are still not even with the men’s version of the same sport. Clavio said, “There is clearly a ground swell of spectator interest in women’s sports from where we were 10 years ago, even 5 years ago. I think that was probably always going to occur as media became more decentralized.” Media is growing everyday, and although the gender gap has gotten better, we sometimes do not even realize how most of us view men’s sports publicity more than women’s.

 

Indiana University Athletics have recently gotten a much wider audience as of this year, with the football team currently being undefeated. This has led to leaving the other fall sports being left in the dark, even the other men’s sports. Jose Torres, a player on the school’s rugby team, has not gotten much recognition as deserved. Torres knows and understands the gap, even being in a men’s sport. “It all ties into that intensity factor. I’m sure football athletes are paid higher here than basketball athletes and it’s just because they bring more heads to the stadium,” Torres said. Although Torres understands fully why the football team has such a big audience currently, he wishes the other sports, that could be doing just as well, could be seen in such a spotlight, compared to the other men’s and especially women’s sports.

 

Social media has had the biggest impact on athletes and sports as we know today, the use of social media has increased their athletic accomplishments. Although this helps many athletes every year, the gender gap still involved within this leaves women’s sports in the shadow a lot of the time. NIL deals are much more than just a brand deal, they bring a whole new image to athletes and their career.

We went to the streets of the bloomington campus to get the opinions people have about the new NIL decision. We asked specifically to these people how they felt about the new NIL decision and how the new court ruling could present women with unequal opportunity to benefit from NIL

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