The NCAA landscape is changing rapidly, and that change was never more drastic than the July 1 start of student-athletes being able to cash in on their name, image and likeness (NIL). The schools aren't paying the players beyond their typical scholarship, but for the first time the players will be able to receive endorsements and monetary gain for their talents.
While most universities have outlined some restrictions (no alcohol, tobacco, gambling or adult-type endorsements, plus maybe some apparel restrictions) it's free reign. No one in Connecticut has signed a deal (yet), but the floodgates are opened.
Though football players will get the most attention, in the age of social media it's certainly not the only sport that will see athletes get a little extra cash.
Bo Nix: We start with the Auburn quarterback, who basically at 12:01am on July 1 announced his endorsement deal with Milo's Tea, a Birmingham-based company that sells the southern staple sweet tea. Although there was a viral video of an Alabama fan pouring out the drink in "protest", don't worry, Milo's didn't alienate half of their potential customers... they also signed Tide defensive back Malachi Moore to a deal.
D'Eriq King & McKenzie Milton: King has been at the forefront in many ways in these infant NIL days, already with four endorsement deals inked. It includes deals with College Hunks Moving Company, an auto group, and a Miami-based restaurant. All told he's expected to make around $20,000, and he's ready to spread the wealth, reportedly telling teammates he plans on splitting his money with those who need to send stipends home to families.
Miami in general is trying to become "NIL U", with one booster already offering up to $540,000 ($500 per month to each player) to any football player willing to promote a local MMA training facility.
It expands beyond a rivalry, though. King appears to be very smart with his newfound financial freedom, and he wants others to do the same. He and Florida State (and former UCF) quarterback Mackenzie Milton co-founded Dreamfield, a marketing firm designed to help collegiate athletes cash in on their NIL value, helping book meet-and-greets, autograph sessions and speaking events.
Haley and Hanna Cavinder: Twin basketball players for Fresno State, the pair have a combined 3.3 million TikTok followers, and they are finally able to cash in on their social media stardom. On July 1 they went through waves of offers and signed with two companies in what are believed to be the biggest deals to date, one with Six Star Pro Nutrition, and another with Boost Mobile. The two deals are expected to pay comfortably in the five-figures, but that could be small change.
With all of those TikTok followers (and another half-million or so combined on Instagram), and a typical influencer getting about 80 cents per follower for paid posts... do the math.
Olivia Dunne: The Cavinder twins have a huge social media following put together... but Dunne might cash in more than any single athlete in the entire country. The LSU gymnast is one of many Tigers who did or will be signing endorsement deals, as LSU appears to be a step ahead in helping their student-athletes (they're calling it "NILSU"). With five million combined followers on TikTok and Instagram, Dunne hasn't made anything official yet, but when she does, she will likely become the highest-paid collegiate athlete in a hurry.
Will Ulmer: Something you've probably never thought of, but remember that college athletes couldn't make money off anything related to their name, even if sports had nothing to do with it. So to go around it, Marshall football player Will Ulmer, a budding country music artist, had to perform under the stage name "Lucky Bill" in order to get paid gigs -- if he performed as "Will Ulmer" and made money, he could have been ineligible by NCAA standards.
But those days are now gone, and Ulmer is ready to perform as... well... Will Ulmer!
Spencer Rattler: The Oklahoma quarterback is an early favorite to win the Heisman in 2021, and is one of the most recognizable returners to college football this fall. Along with releasing a personal brand logo that can be slapped on merchandise and sold, he also signed with fast food franchise Raising Canes, a fairly straightforward case of a popular player making money with no real damage done -- it's not a life-changing amount of money, but he can cash in a bit.
Trey Knox: We'll end with what many are calling their favorite NIL announcement to date. Arkansas wide receiver Trey Knox didn't sign his endorsement deal by himself. Nope, he and his husky, Blue, inked a deal with PetSmart. Here's to more good doggos getting their long-awaited attention.