If you are a fan of collegiate sports, then you likely have heard the term “NIL.” In less than a year, these three letters have taken college athletics by storm.
Before we take a deeper look at what’s going on – and how NIL is affecting even high school sports – the obvious questions is: What is NIL?
NIL stands for “name, image, and likeness.” It essentially allows college athletes the ability to profit from their own name and image. This could include anything from apparel with their name or logo on it, to partnerships with companies, and more.
Having just become available in collegiate athletics within the last year, new NIL deals with college athletes of all sports are seemingly becoming public on a daily basis nowadays. It’s clear that NIL is making a big impact on college sports, but what affect does it have on sports at the high school level?
NIL is mainly affecting high school sports in one area – recruiting.
Take a minute to imagine that you are one of the top high school football recruits in the entire country, holding offers from every major collegiate program from coast-to-coast. Now think of some of the factors you may look for when deciding where you will play at the next level.
What will you look for in a program? The facilities? Coaching staff? Prior record of team success? What about the success of players who have come before you and are now in the NFL?
Combine all those factors with the fact that you can potentially make millions of dollars during your three to four years, with the potential for more depending on which team/university you choose. Would that affect your decision on where to play?
While there is always the possibility that it continues into high school sports, it certainly appears that NIL is here to stay in the recruiting game, and is something that will likely only continue to grow and evolve from here on.
What are some of your thoughts on NIL overall? Is it good or bad for collegiate sports? Will it eventually make its way to the high school level? It seems like only time will tell.
