Thoughts on my NIL essay, new here

Hey guys, love reading here but i never talk, what do you guys think about my essay, sorry for the long post.

28 October 2024
Is NIL ruining College Sports?

College athletes are making upwards of $200,000 a year, why do people want to stop it? In 2019, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that student athletes can receive compensation for playing Collegiate Sports. As a result, some people believe it ruins the sport, making it “too professional” others think it is good for the sport, giving it a new life, and a fresh start. I think that college student athletes should be allowed to receive financial compensation for playing sports because it helps them to make money, helps their safety, and sets them apart from other college students.

Even though the NCAA did not want this for so many years and even paid millions to block this financial freedom for College Athletes, they welcomed it in 2019. In this article it talks about how the NCAA fought to not have economic freedom for these athletes, but when the NCAA was sued, it opened the door for athletes to finally make the money they deserve. “The NCAA heralded this change as a good and welcome thing… as long as it remained limited and didn’t become ‘Pay for Play’” (Bilas) In another article it talks about how the NCAA fought for so many years. “Sport leaders fought to preserve the ‘amateur model’, where athletes play for the love of the game, not for compensation.” (Spander) This means that before 2019, players would not be allowed to receive any type of gift, money or any other form of compensation, some players like Reggie Bush, were stripped of awards, in his case his Heisman Trophy, the most coveted College Football Award was taken away from him. Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) being in college sports shows how the College Sports landscape is growing and changing and how important the money is in not only college but also sports in general.

The NCAA will offer agents who are reliable and safe for managing money these athletes receive in NIL deals and sponsorships. In this article it mentions that the NCAA says they are not trying to take away the freedoms but that they are trying to protect the athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness. “The association also plans to create a voluntary registry of credible and trusted agents that will be based largely on feedback from the athletes that have worked with the agents in the past.” (Murphy) This evidence means that the NCAA is creating ways to protect the athlete’s Name, Image and Likeness with agents that have worked with previous athletes and know what they are doing and are trusted by former athletes and the NCAA. Without these agents, athletes might have a difficult time finding NIL deals, but they might also be signing a deal that they don’t know the full terms of and don’t realize what they are signing.

Some people believe that College Athletes should not be paid for playing college sports because it is unfair to the other students. “When it comes to college athletics, preserving the amateur status of athletes play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and competitive balance of these sports. Amateurism at it’s core is the reason that the athletes compete for the love of the sport and pursuit of personal growth rather than chasing the almighty dollar.” (On3) This is invalid because college athletes put in a lot more work than regular students, they also don’t have a reason to be paid as much money as these athletes. “Athletes in low-revenue sports are making large amounts of money, which shows that it benefits other sports” For example, star gymnast Olivia Dunne, is number 2 on the On3 top 100 NIL ranking, with an estimated NIL valuation at $4,000,000. This shows how even though Gymnastics isn’t as big of an industry as Football or Basketball, small sport athletes are making huge deals. Even high school athletes are being paid huge deals. Bryce Underwood, a Quarterback from Belleville, Michigan is ranked Number 1, in the On3 High School Nil rankings, at an estimated NIL valuation at 1.3 Million Dollars. Not only college athletes, but High School athletes should be paid because it supports them and protects them while playing the sport they love. They learn what professional sports might be like and learn about how to manage money responsibly with the help of NCAA trusted agents. Athletes are singing deals with big brands like, Cam Ward, a Miami Quarterback which signed a deal with Uber, and Adidas, Shadeur Sanders, who signed a deal with the industry leader in sportswear, Nike in the first ever college athlete deal with the brand. Jalen Milroe, a Quarterback at the University of Alabama signed a deal with Panini America which makes sports trading cards.

Name, Image and Likeness is beneficial to student athletes because it helps them make money safely with the help of the NCAA. NIL helps not only athletes, but fans, schools and more, it makes it easier to support and connect with your favorite athletes by purchasing from NIL stores, collectives or other sponsorship deals. NIL is important to the college athletics landscape and shows how it is growing and evolving to society today. It helps athletes make money but more importantly, safely. In conclusion, the addition of NIL policies are beneficial to the association and the athletes by providing a way for athletes to benefit from their Name, Image and likeness. The NCAA has made it possible for athletes to earn income safely.