By james art The NCAA instituted a policy that allowed student-athletes to make money from their own personal funds brand in June 2021. Although there has never been such a financial consideration for athletes in college sports, some argue that the whole concept of name, image, likeness threatens the foundation of college sports by completely removing any hint of amateurism and bringing in huge sums of money for a sport he does well without.
The NCAA defines its NIL policy as “the right of college athletes to monetize their personal brand while still maintenance amateur status,” according to information from American Public University. Student can now earn money whenever they participate in brand deals. Wisconsin Badgers football quarterback Hunter Waller won the 2022 Ram 1500 Big. horn car through a partnership with a local car dealer.
Paying a student athlete was unheard of in the past. Many people have argued that college athletes get a free education in addition to continuing the sport they love — and that’s compensation enough.
But fans who love sports don’t understand the physical and mental toll that a sport has on an athlete. Additionally, the lucrative nature of college sports has changed remarkably over the past 30 years, and athletes have not benefited financially from this new reality as have their schools.
The Daily Cardinal asked University of Wisconsin-Madison students for their thoughts on how they feel the NIL affects their world of college sports.
“I think [the main change] is the stigma around heroes and how they’re treated on and off the field,” said Madison, a UW-Madison sophomore.
Madison said athletes can sign NIL deals with companies that adhere to an ideology, leading to a change in their perception of their fans. The NIL brings the outside world into the sport, which can sometimes alienate fans.
Will, another UW-Madison student, believes the NIL benefits the athletes and college sports in general.
“I think with Maddison’s thought process, tensions can build even between the players,” Will said.
Another supporter of the NIL is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the legendary basketball star of the Milwaukee Bucks, wrote a paper in 2018 titled “It’s Time to Pay the Bill for America’s College Students.”
In his article, Abdul-Jabbar discusses how the NIL was a fairly foreign concept during his time as a college athlete. Abdul-Jabbar noted that in just one year, the NCAA basketball tournament took in $900 million and generated $9.2 billion in sports betting. Yet with all that money being generated, college athletes like Kareem struggled to make ends meet.
“It’s been frustrating winning championship after championship every year, hearing thousands say my name and then going to my bedroom to count my change so I can buy a burger,” Kareem said.
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If implemented correctly, Abdul-Jabbar also argued that the NIL has the potential to help struggling college athletes and create a balance between the amount of money coaches and athletes make.
“Top college coaches make between $4 million and $9 million a year plus outside fees. In 40 of the 50 states, they are the highest paid public employees,” he said. “Yet their players do nothing.”
Since less than two percent of college athletes go pro after college, they were out of money from their college careers until the NIL was implemented.
The NIL has had a huge impact on college sports, with athletes benefiting financially from their hard work. While this is obviously a good thing, there is an argument to be made that dollars should be shared in a way that does not cause strain on the team structure.
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