When the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to start earning money through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, we're pretty sure they didn't expect the floodgates to open like they have.
Many athletes were made millionaires in mere months, through deals with nutritional supplements, protein bars, financial companies, apps and gyms, and not to mention the many collaborations with local restaurants, dentists and car dealerships.
For female athletes, however, the money is to be made by signing with modeling agencies.
Harvard hockey forward Chloe Ashton has recently signed with agency Wilhelmina Models.
She told the New York Post, "I think companies now want to see authentic body types." Ashton hopes to soon land gigs with active brands like Nike or Lululemon as well as break into the high-fashion space.
She added, "I am working out six days a week, anyway. It's the nature of being a college athlete on any leveI. I am not changing my body to have a certain aesthetic."
LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, however, has become one of the top earners in the NIL era, surpassing the million-dollar mark last year She boasts 1.9 million followers on Instagram and 5.6 million on TikTok,
Craig Brommers, the CMO of American Eagle, told The Post, "We're still learning as we go, but a few of these kids have really cut through in a big way and it moves the needle on social engagements."
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