By now it can be assumed that we all know about the NIL deals and how they have changed college sports in a very dramatic way over the past couple of years. It is crazy to think that now, college athletes can just make money through sponsorships, endorsements and even through social media. But even though this sounds really amazing for college athletes because it gives them great opportunities to make money while getting a degree, at the end of the day it does bring some problems. Lets look at how NIL deals might actually be hurting college sports instead of helping it, especially for younger athletes, and how it could also be affecting the overall fairness of college sports.

THE BIG PROBLEMS WITH NIL DEALS…

There are a lot of issues and problems that we could talk about, but one of the biggest issues that I want to hit on is how the NIL deals have actually really encouraged older college athletes to stay longer, since they can make pretty good money. I mean why even rush to go pro when you are already making pretty good money and still getting a degree, some athletes even remain in college for extra years. The NCAA has reported a 15% increase in fifth-year athletes staying to play, which means there are now few spots for new high school athletes. I mean what coach wants to recruit a 17 year old now when he can have a 5th year or even a 6th to keep the program strong. Coaches are even waiting for the transfer portal to open up to see what older athletes are wanting extra years in college.

UNFAIR RECRUITING…

NIL deals have not just allowed athletes to stay longer in college, but they have now changed how schools recruit athletes. Programs that are pretty wealthy and have strong alumni connections can potentially offer way bigger NIL deals to their athletes. This means many of the athletes from high school and in the portal are now choosing colleges for the NIL money rather than choosing colleges based on the quality of the education or even the athletic program as a whole. For example, BYU, not known for their basketball program, recently acquired the top recruit in the class of 2025, A.J Dybantsa, and they will be paying him around 7 million dollars per year. Another example: schools in conferences like the SEC and Big Ten are giving out some of the biggest NIL deals, making it now hard for smaller schools to even compete with them during recruiting season.

UNFAIR EARNING FOR ATHLETES

With all that being said, not all college athletes even earn the same from NIL deals. These big million dollar contracts really go to the big name athletes, while the mid to lower level athletes get little to nothing. Basketball, football and potentially baseball earn so much money, but non-revenue athletes get paid very little to no money. An app called Opendorse shows data on D1 football and basketball players earning about $3,000 per an NIL deal while the rest earn less than $300. This has really brought frustration to sports such as track and field, swimming, wrestling, soccer etc., and it can break program unity with how unfair these NIL deals are being dealt with.

SOME POSITIVE ABOUT NIL DEALS

Even though NIL deals have brought a lot of issues to college, they have also brought some good things as well. A lot of athletes can now make money while getting a degree, the money can help cover tuition if needed, assist with living costs, and most importantly, it can help out with families. As an athlete who has had an NIL, it does teach young athletes how to manage money and their financial responsibilities, and gives them real world business experience with whatever companies they work with. A great example of this is Suni Lee, an Olympic gymnast who has earned a little over $1.5 million from her NIL endorsements, which has been so helpful for her and her family.

WHY NIL DEALS ARE HURTING COLLEGE SPORTS:

While NIL deals have provided financial opportunities for student athletes, they are also causing problems. With older athletes staying longer, fewer roster spots are available for younger athletes from high school. The unfairness in earnings between star athletes, basketball athletes, football players and others is also a concern. Lastly, the recruiting game has become less about the program as a whole and more about the money.

Overall, NIL deals in college sports are having a negative impact on both the college athletes and incoming high school athletes.

Studying Sports Management
Published March 20, 2025