All of the sacrifices. Dedicating years to perfecting your sport: balancing early morning practices, late-night study sessions, and endless travel from one coast to the other, all without being able to benefit financially from this hard work that your peers simply don’t put in. But with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, that’s all changed.

Simply put, NIL has revolutionized college sports, allowing athletes at all levels to turn their passion into profit while maintaining their eligibility. It’s no longer only about playing the game and getting your education paid for; it’s also about shaping your future.

NIL isn’t just for Division I athletes playing revenue-generating sports – think football and men’s basketball. It’s for those of you competing in non-revenue sports like golf, tennis, swimming, baseball, softball, volleyball – and the list goes on. It’s also for NCAA Division II and III athletes playing for smaller programs who still have a strong local presence. And last but not least, NAIA athletes who play for the small schools in the smaller towns nationwide.

What Is NIL?

NIL is the ability for student-athletes at all levels to earn money from your Name (your reputation), your Image (photographs and representations), and your Likeness (anything that uniquely identifies you, like autographs, branding, or a signature look).

The primary opportunity NIL provides you as an athlete is the ability to monetize your unique skills, personal stories, and brand to secure endorsement deals, partnerships, and sponsorships without risking your eligibility to compete. This shift recognizes your value beyond just your performance on the field, on the court, on the course, or in the pool, helping you build a financial foundation while pursuing your education and athletic career at the collegiate level.

When you embrace NIL opportunities, you can take full control of your brand, showcase your individuality, and connect with an authentic and genuine community. Whether through social media, local business collaborations, or developing merchandise, you can transform your dedication and success into real-life rewards. 

This change acknowledges the financial realities of being a student-athlete and equips you with valuable experience in personal branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship that will prepare you for life beyond your sport.

The Full Benefits of NIL

NIL rights aren’t only about financial opportunity; they represent a new era of recognition for you as a student-athlete. It offers you a chance to achieve early financial independence and connect with your community in a way that extends far beyond your sport. And doing that builds a foundation you can work from for the rest of your life – inside and outside your community.

For parents, NIL provides a way to actively support your child’s future beyond the traditional benefits of a scholarship or paid-for education. It opens doors to additional financial resources that can ease the burden of college expenses, cover training costs, or even create an economic foundation for your child’s life after sports – helping them pursue what they most want to do with their professional lives.

On a broader scale, NIL is a first step toward true equity in the college sports ecosystem. 

NCAA Division I Sports Aren’t the Only Game in Town

NCAA Division I revenue-generating sports dominated the spotlight for decades. The athletic department’s resources were poured into these programs without a second thought because that’s where there would be a return on the investment made.

Now, NIL ensures that greater opportunities extend to athletes across divisions, sports, and market sizes. Whether it’s a Division III swimmer partnering with a local business or even a popular high school athlete earning from their social media presence, NIL gives every athlete a chance to benefit from their talent, regardless of their sport’s visibility or revenue. 

In this article, we’ll break down the basics of NIL and show you why it’s so much more than just a buzzword for Division I athletes. We’ll dive into the different types of NIL deals, highlight how Division II, Division III, and even high school athletes make the most of these opportunities, and share what parents and athletes need to know to get started. Whether you’re just hearing about NIL for the first time or looking for practical advice, this guide will give you the tools to take the next step confidently.

There are several ways a student-athlete can earn money from NIL, but we’ll focus on the primary four for this article.

The ‘Core Four’ Ways You Can Earn Money from NIL

Here are the ‘core four’:

1. Sponsorships and endorsements
2. Affiliate marketing
3. Partnerships with local businesses
4. Content creation

Let’s dive into each of these in greater detail.

Sponsorships and Endorsements

The most popular route for NIL deals is partnering with brands to promote their products or services. These endorsements could be wearing branded apparel during public appearances, posting about a product you use and enjoy on social media, or featuring in a television or radio ad from a local company.

For example, an NCAA Division II soccer player might promote a sports nutrition brand founded in their hometown or college town. They would earn a flat fee for each campaign they appear in or public appearance they make to promote the company. Endorsements like these can range from large-scale partnerships with well-known national brands to hyper-local deals with small businesses in your town. 

Affiliate Marketing

Under affiliate marketing arrangements, athletes earn commissions by partnering with companies to share unique discount codes or affiliate links in their social media content or maybe on their websites. Each time someone buys something through your unique link, you receive a percentage of the purchase price.

For example, a track and field athlete could share a code for running shoes on their Instagram, earning a small commission for every sale made using their unique code. Affiliate marketing is a low-barrier entry point for athletes to generate NIL revenue, especially those with a strong, curated social media presence.

Partnerships With Local Businesses

Local businesses often look to connect with athletes who are influencers in their communities. These partnerships can take many forms from an NAIA basketball player hosting a skills camp sponsored by a local gym to a swimmer partnering with a local swimwear brand. 

Local deals are particularly beneficial for athletes in smaller markets, where your visibility and community presence hold significant value.

Content Creation

Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram allow you to showcase your life beyond your sport, from training routines to your interests and hobbies. You can monetize the content you create through advertising revenue, sponsorships, and direct fan support.

An example would be a tennis player who creates a YouTube channel sharing their match highlights and training tips, attracting sponsorships or ad revenue as their audience grows.

There’s one thing to consider, though, when it comes to monetizing content creation. Platforms come and go, and audiences can be fickle. Make sure you have the time, resources, and dedication to stay consistent and pivot as necessary to take your audience with you to a new platform – or shift them to a different platform- if you need to. 

As you start to work through how you’d like to develop an NIL earnings mix that’s unique to your particular situation, your goals, and what you want from your collegiate athletic career, it’s essential that you take the time to educate yourself on NCAA rules regarding NIL and what it means for the opportunities offered you.

How NCAA and NAIA Rules Affect NIL Opportunities

We’ll discuss NCAA and NAIA rules and how they affect NIL opportunities in much more granular detail in future articles, but this section will provide a high-level overview so you can start to understand the basics of the process and how it affects you.

At their core, NIL regulations across all athletic associations share a primary, common goal: to allow student-athletes to monetize their brand while still preserving the integrity of amateur sports. All NIL opportunities have to comply with association-specific guidelines, state and federal laws, and the policies of individual universities and colleges. 

Common baseline rules prohibit pay-for-play arrangements and the use of NIL deals as recruiting inducements. Additionally, you must maintain full transparency by disclosing all NIL conversations and activities to your school to ensure compliance and eligibility. Despite the shared principles, the specifics of how NIL rules are applied can vary quite a bit between organizations – such as the NCAA and NAIA – which creates some distinct opportunities and challenges for you, depending on the association.

First, check out a few guidelines unique to NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions.

NCAA-Specific NIL Guidelines

As the NCAA continues to fully embrace NIL opportunities for all of its member institutions they have provided some additional guidance to ensure student-athletes understand and follow the rules:

Transparency With Schools

Athletes must report all NIL activities to their institution, including details about your contracts, compensation, and brand partnerships. This transparency ensures schools can monitor compliance and provide any guidance about eligibility-related issues as needed.

Compliance With State and Federal Laws

NIL deals must adhere to NCAA rules and state-specific regulations, which vary widely. Some states have NIL laws that may add restrictions or offer more freedoms than the general NCAA guidelines.

Use of Agents and Advisors

NCAA athletes are allowed to work with professional advisors, including agents, to negotiate NIL deals. However, these advisors cannot act as recruiters or influence an athlete’s decision to attend a particular school.

The NCAA designed NIL rules to balance the newfound financial opportunities available to you with the need to preserve fairness and transparency within collegiate sports. It’s on you to be diligent in understanding these guidelines to protect your eligibility and reputation!

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) operates under a different framework, allowing athletes far greater flexibility in managing NIL opportunities. 

NAIA-Specific NIL Guidelines

Simply put, the NAIA beat the NCAA to the punch when it comes to NIL opportunities. The NAIA implemented NIL rules in October 2020 – nearly a year before the NCAA’s policy changes. Unlike NCAA athletes, NAIA athletes can work directly with their schools to secure NIL deals, giving them a unique advantage in leveraging institutional support to find revenue opportunities.

NAIA athletes are also permitted to receive compensation that’s directly tied to their athletic performance, such as bonuses for community engagement or leadership roles. This more permissive approach offers NAIA athletes a broader opportunity to monetize their brand without the stringent restrictions seen in NCAA divisions. You must still ensure compliance with your school’s policies and state regulations to maintain your eligibility.

Some state-specific NIL laws add another layer of complexity to the mix.

State-Specific Variations

Some states have passed legislation that governs NIL activities at the high school and collegiate levels, while others rely on organizational rules. In states like California and Florida, for example, high school athletes are allowed to engage in NIL deals, whereas in states without specific legislation, NIL opportunities may be more restricted.

For NAIA athletes, state laws often overlap with institutional policies, creating variability in what is permissible. Athletes transferring between states or competing in national competitions need to stay informed about how these differences could impact their eligibility and NIL opportunities.

A Few Compliance Tips

Once you start pursuing these opportunities, it’s essential to take proactive steps to ensure compliance with NIL rules, regardless of whether you’re in the NCAA or NAIA. Working closely with a compliance officer is essential to reviewing contracts, understanding sponsorship restrictions, and avoiding unintentional violations when you’re playing an NCAA sport. 

Even though you may face fewer restrictions when playing in the NAIA, you should often consult with your school’s athletic department to ensure you are aligned with their policies.

Maintaining detailed records of your NIL deals, payments, and brand communications is critical no matter where you compete. Documenting everything helps demonstrate compliance if your eligibility is questioned and provides full transparency if you’re lucky enough to manage multiple NIL deals. By staying organized and seeking guidance, athletes at every level can confidently navigate NIL opportunities while protecting eligibility. 

There are plenty of myths and misconceptions surrounding what NIL isn’t and is. 

Let’s explore three popular misconceptions and change your perspective on these.

Three Popular NIL Misconceptions

Here are the three I’m sure you’ve heard often and we see daily:

1. NIL is only for Division I athletes in revenue-generating sports.
2. Only athletes with massive followings can secure NIL deals.
3. NIL deals are only for huge national brands with massive budgets.

Let’s dig into these one by one.

NIL Is Only for Division I Athletes in Revenue-Generating Sports

It’s an unfortunate but common belief NIL opportunities are reserved only for high-profile Division I athletes in revenue-generating sports like football and men’s basketball. While these athletes may receive more media attention, NIL is accessible to athletes at all levels, including in non-revenue sports in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and III, and the NAIA. 

You all have unique stories, strong ties to your community, and niche audiences that make you attractive to brands.

The ‘democratization’ ensures your talent and hard work are recognized regardless of the division you participate in. As we previously outlined, the flexibility NIL rules offer at these levels allows you to have a greater impact on your local market. With the right approach to building your brand and outreach, you can secure meaningful NIL deals that align with your unique values and passions.

The ability to secure NIL deals may have something to do with your following, but it’s certainly not the only factor.

Only Athletes With Massive Followings Can Secure NIL Deals

Many folks assume NIL deals are only for athletes with massive social media followings, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While a large following certainly doesn’t hurt, brands are increasingly valuing engagement and authenticity in your brand over sheer follower numbers.

For example, let’s say you’re a Division II volleyball player with 2,000 engaged followers and regularly interact with your community. To many brands, you’re going to be more appealing to partner with than an athlete with 50,000 followers, but none consistently engaged.

Local businesses, in particular, often prioritize connections with athletes who have strong ties and connections to their communities. Whether it’s a local restaurant, a gym, or a retail store, these businesses look for athletes who resonate with their audience of potential customers and reflect what they believe in as a brand. This emphasis on ‘connection over scale’ ensures even if you have a modest following you can find meaningful NIL opportunities.

As you can see, NIL deals aren’t only for national brands.

NIL Deals Are Only for Huge National Brands With Massive Budgets

Another widespread myth is big-name national brands with massive budgets are the only ones that provide NIL deals. While there are plenty of these arrangements – especially with Division I revenue sport athletes – most NIL opportunities come from small and regional businesses.

Smaller businesses often prefer collaborations with athletes representing their community and sharing similar values. These partnerships result in more targeted and meaningful engagements that benefit you and the company you partner with. When you focus on local opportunities, you can create strong, lasting relationships that go beyond just financial gain, which helps you build your brand and the reputation that comes with it. 

So, I’m sure you’re wondering what steps to take to get started with NIL.

Let’s take a look at some of the basics.

How to Get Started With NIL

The first step to building NIL opportunities is to develop your personal brand.

Creating a professional personal brand is the core foundation of NIL success. You begin by optimizing your social media presence with consistent, high-quality content that highlights your athletic journey, personal interests, and values. The key, here, is to choose the profiles to focus on that fit your style and the type of content you want to create because it’s a long haul. 

You truly need to enjoy the platforms you’re building on because you’ll do it daily. 

A polished profile picture, visual look and feel, engaging bio, and well-crafted and curated posts show that you take your brand seriously, which is very attractive to potential sponsors and partners. 

Identifying your unique story and target audience comes first. What sets you apart as an athlete and individual? What makes you stand out and differentiates you from other athletes you know?

Are you a Division II runner balancing academics and sports, and maybe a part-time job? Are you an NAIA swimmer who cares about sustainability and the future of the environment? Your story should resonate with your audience and reflect the personal values you want to share with brands who reflect your values. You’ll stand out in a crowded NIL marketplace by focusing on your authenticity and unique story.

Developing your research skills is also a big piece of the puzzle.

Researching NIL Opportunities

The best place to start exploring NIL opportunities is with local businesses and regional brands. Companies within your community are often eager to partner with athletes with local ties and influence.

It’s a good idea to make lists of companies you’d be interested in partnering with – especially those with direct personal ties- but there are also some platforms out there that can help you with the search. Check out options like OpenSponsorship (link) and MarketPryce (link) to simplify the process of finding and negotiating deals.

These tools often include advanced search filters that help you identify opportunities based on your sport, location, and brand makeup. Leveraging these resources ensures you access a wide range of potential partnerships tailored to your unique strengths and interests.

Once you’ve established your brand and done your initial research, how you approach brands makes all the difference in the opportunities you can obtain.

Approaching Brands Professionally

Professionalism is a key factor when reaching out to potential sponsors. A great place to start is crafting a compelling pitch that introduces yourself, your athletic achievements, and why you’re a good fit for the brand you’re approaching. Focus on the specific ways you can add value, such as promoting their products on social media, hosting events, or engaging with your local community. 

A professional pitch email or direct message should be concise, personalized, and include relevant links to your social media profiles or portfolio. Templates can be a helpful starting point for your outreach so you can get started and be feel comfortable with the process, but eventually, you’ll want to customize each pitch to the brand you’re approaching for maximum impact. 

In short, taking a tailored and thoughtful approach increases your chances of securing meaningful NIL partnerships. 

In Conclusion: NIL Is For All College Athletes

NIL has fundamentally changed the landscape of college and high school sports. It’s no longer just about competing in your sport, it’s finally about recognizing the value that you as athletes bring to your schools through your talent, hard work and personal brands. NIL allows athletes at every level – whether in high school, NCAA Division II or III, or NAIA –  to access opportunities once reserved for a select few in Division I revenue-generating sports. From local partnerships to social media endorsements, NIL provides all athletes a platform to benefit from your unique stories and connections.

This shift matters because it empowers you as athletes to take control of your financial future while learning invaluable skills in branding, communication, and entrepreneurship – all things that will serve you well in your lives after sports. It’s not just about money; it’s about equity, representation, and ensuring that talent is recognized across all sports and divisions. For parents, NIL offers a way to support your child’s journey beyond the traditional ‘success measures,’ providing resources that can ease the financial burden of a university education and help your athletes thrive on and off the field.

Now is the time to act. There’s no more time to waste!

Whether you’re an athlete eager to explore your first NIL opportunity or a parent looking to guide your child to these opportunities, the tools are right within your reach. Start with our NIL Starter Guide, where you’ll find actionable steps, expert tips, and the resources you need to navigate this exciting world.

NIL isn’t just a privilege for the few – it’s a game-changer for everyone.

Take the first step today by checking out the Starter Guide, signing up for the next monthly webinar, or booking a consultation call here!