In this blog post, I am honored and thrilled to share conversations I had with two of the sports world’s most successful people. I had two separate conversations: one with longtime Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, and another with former SportsCenter Los Angeles anchor Neil Everett. Both of them shared their perspectives on the complex world of NIL.

Bill Plaschke:

Bill Plaschke is a well-known sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has also been a panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn, a talk show where they discuss a variety of topics within the sports world.

In my conversation with Bill Plaschke, he shared his thoughts on NIL. He stated, “NIL is great for the athlete, bad for the sport,” adding, “It has turned the college sports world into professional sports.” He expressed the belief that there should be a salary cap, just like in professional sports. This, he argued, would help keep college sports fun and entertaining. It would also level the playing field for smaller teams that are trying to compete with the big dogs in NIL.

“NIL is the necessary evil,” Plaschke said, stating that it’s something student-athletes deserve given the money they generate for their universities. These college kids give their time and hard work to athletics, so they should get something in return. Plaschke continued, “There needs to be a player union. Take a look at the NBA players’ union and see what you can take from their book.” He also emphasized that more legislation is needed to prevent the NIL world from getting even more out of hand.

Plaschke stressed how important it is to make NIL stricter, explaining that this would also help protect a school’s investment in its players. A kid can sign an NIL deal with a school, then immediately enter the transfer portal—leaving the school’s investment lost. Plaschke is a huge fan of Cinderella stories, especially in the context of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. He said, “If there is no salary cap, we won’t have those Cinderella stories anymore. That’s the magic of college sports—seeing a 10-seed take down a 4-seed.” In this past tournament, all the No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. “College sports are all about Cinderella stories, and that’s what makes college sports magical!” Plaschke concluded at the end of our conversation.

Talking with Bill Plaschke and hearing his opinions on the world of NIL was fascinating, and I’m grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to sit down and speak with me.

Neil Everett:

I also had the privilege of speaking with Neil Everett, a former University of Oregon student and School of Journalism and Communication alumnus. Neil took the skills he gained at Oregon to SportsCenter, where he became a prominent anchor on the SportsCenter team in Los Angeles.

The first question I asked Everett was whether he thinks NIL is a good or bad thing. His response was, “It’s a mixed bag. I think the NCAA rushed it and didn’t think too much about the process of NIL. But it gives the athletes money for all the marketing they are used for by the universities.”I was then curious to know where he thinks NIL could be improved or what areas of NIL are working well. Everett responded, “It gives the athletes their commission for all the revenue they bring to the university.” However, he also pointed out, “It’s bad right now because there isn’t a system in place to prevent manipulation of endorsements.” He concluded by saying, “Best intentions, not the best execution.”

I then asked Everett if NIL is destroying the magic of college sports that we love. He replied, “It’s not the only thing taking away that magic. Conference realignment, the transfer portal, and NIL together are making college sports less special today.”

Just like Plaschke, Everett is a huge fan of the underdog upsetting a top five seed in March Madness. But with NIL and other factors changing college sports, we might not get many of those Cinderella stories anymore—which is what made the tournament truly madness.

I then asked Everett about the potential need for a salary cap in NIL. His response was, “I wouldn’t trust the NCAA to come up with that. I do think there needs to be some sort of commission or group in place to oversee NIL.”

He added, “If anything, get every athletic director from every Power 5 school and put them into an association that can work together to find solutions that satisfy everyone to the best of their ability.”

For my final question, I focused on high school athletes who are preparing for the NIL landscape. I asked Everett what advice he would give them.

“Hire a financial advisor. Sure, the Range Rover is nice, and that gold chain looks good on you, but put some of that money into investments,” he said. He continued, “Start to think about what you want to do with that money, because you might not earn much in the professional field if your skills decrease or if you get injured.”

Everett ended our conversation by saying, “Jack, I have always found this funny—NIL means nothing, but N.I.L. means anything but nothing.” He found it ironic and amusing that three small dots have completely changed the meaning of a word. Who would have thought that those three dots would also change the entire landscape of college sports for the foreseeable future?

I want to thank both Neil Everett and Bill Plaschke for sitting down and talking with me about NIL. It was informative, and I learned some new things from both of them. NIL is a complex topic and will continue to be for a while, but these sports experts see the good that NIL is doing for these kids who sacrifice their bodies playing for these universities.

Last week I talked about brands and the athletes that they sign to an NIL contract. But what exactly makes an athlete marketable to a brand? Today we are going to discuss how public relations plays a critical role in the NIL game.

Athletes have their own way of branding themselves. You see some athletes that post every day on their social media. Where some athletes post a little less frequently. You see some athletes dancing on TikTok even. Whatever their idea of branding is, that is what makes them stand out from the other thousands of athletes in collegiate sports. Let’s take a look and see how athletes brand themselves and what NIL deals that have generated.

Bo Nix: the former Quarterback for University of Oregon. His NIL deals consist of Milo’s Tea, The Duck Store (Oregon’s student bookstore), and Bojangles. Bo Nix growing up in the South brought his southern charm to Eugene when he transferred from Auburn. His faith leading him through his college career and his down-to-earth charm made it easy for brands to sign him. He also has a very family-oriented image that makes him likeable to others. All of these are reasons why Bo Nix has a good public image and also makes him quite easy to market for brands.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder: Women’s basketball stars at University of Miami. Their social media presence has helped them land some big-time partnerships with brands. Boost Mobile, WWE, and Champs Sports to just name a few have partnered up with the Cavinder twins. With their massive presence on TikTok and their media savvy personalities they have gained a large following. Their PR impact is they capitalized super early on NIL by branding their strong sister bond that helped them target deals that are similar to their lifestyle.

Jaden Rashada: Quarterback at University of Georgia. The Georgia Quarterback has an interesting past with NIL deals since he cancelled a 13-million-dollar Florida and committed to ASU instead. But he has been rebuilding his endorsement paths and has gained some solid partnerships with brands, such as Leaf Trading Cards. Even with Jaden’s past why is he still marketable you might be asking? He has become a huge talking point when it comes to NIL. After his deal with Florida fell through, he used interviews to show transparency and helped reshape the narrative around him. He has rebuilt his reputation through staying transparent, and the public sympathy has helped give him a second wave.

Livvy Dunne: Gymnast at LSU. An LSU gymnast that has also taken over the NIL and college world. Her personality has helped her gain a massive following on social media and that has attracted multiple brand deals for her. Some of those include BodyArmor, Vuori, and American Eagle. She is very media trained which comes through with her authenticity and interviews. She is on-brand for the Gen Z culture as she interacts with fans which helps boosts her popularity even more.

If you were a brand manager which athlete traits, would you prioritize? Would you prioritize someone like Jaden Rashada who is rewriting his story? Or would you pick someone like Bo Nix who brings that southern charm and faith lead lifestyle? No matter what you prioritize, college athletes now are branding themselves just like professional athletes have done for years. Looking at these athletes you see how critical self-branding is. Even if you are not an athlete remember that you’re in control of what you want your brand to be, and your public perception is always something you must think about.

Links: https://nil.store/blogs/news/the-ultimate-beginner-s-guide-to-starting-a-nil-deal

https://nozakconsulting.com/branding/how-to-create-a-personal-brand-get-recruited/

When you think of NIL, you—like most people—probably think of college football players. They’re typically the athletes landing the biggest deals. On average, the top 25 college football players earn around $294,000 annually. In comparison, the average NIL earnings for a top 25 softball player are about $88,000. That means football players earn roughly 34 times more than their softball counterparts. This gap is largely due to how much more revenue football generates for universities.

College football dominates the landscape of college sports in the United States. No other collegiate sport matches the atmosphere, fan engagement, or media attention football receives. Because of that, football brings in significantly more money to athletic departments. According to ESPN Press Room, college football averaged 5.8 million viewers per game across 46 national broadcasts in 2024. In contrast, softball games on ESPN platforms averaged only 190,000 viewers. The media coverage football receives plays a massive role in driving this difference in exposure and, ultimately, NIL potential.

Another major factor is star power. Football consistently produces high-profile athletes with massive social media followings. Brands love partnering with players like Travis Hunter, who already have built-in audiences. It reduces the need for additional marketing—these athletes are walking ad campaigns. That kind of reach is much rarer in softball. However, there are exceptions. Texas Tech made headlines by spending $1.2 million on an NIL deal with pitcher NiJaree Canady, making her one of the highest-paid softball players to date.

If softball wants to close that gap, there are a few things it can focus on. One is boosting athlete branding and social media presence. Encouraging players to consistently post content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok can help build personal brands that are more attractive to sponsors. Another important step is increasing broadcast exposure. Partnering with ESPN to air more games on its main channel—rather than ESPN2 or ESPN+—would bring in more viewers and grow the sport’s fan base. Lastly, enhancing storytelling is key. Highlighting players’ journeys—especially those who have overcome adversity or hardship—can help create emotional connections that draw in both fans and brands.

Will football continue to lead the way in NIL earnings? Probably. But that doesn’t mean other sports like softball can’t learn from what’s working. With strategic investments in branding, media exposure, and storytelling, softball athletes can position themselves to secure bigger and better NIL deals in the future.

When you think of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), you probably picture big brands like Nike, Adidas, or Jersey Mike’s. That’s what most people think of when they hear “NIL.” I was curious, though—are there any nonprofits that focus on NIL and student-athletes? It turns out there aren’t many. In fact, only a few exist. But one really stood out to me: the National NIL Foundation.

I had never heard of it before, and no one I know had mentioned it either. So I did some research—and I found it to be a really cool, albeit complex, organization. Let’s break it down.

The National NIL Foundation acts like a middleman between college athletes and charitable causes. It’s a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means it’s tax-exempt under a specific section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. That code designates nonprofits as tax-exempt if they operate for charitable, educational, religious, scientific, or literary purposes. The National NIL Foundation focuses specifically on charitable work.

This foundation promotes a model of NIL compensation that carries social value. It encourages student-athletes to give back to their communities while still benefiting financially from their NIL opportunities. That’s exactly why I admire this foundation.

I’m someone who believes that if you have the means to help others—especially those in struggling situations—you should. Here’s an example of how the National NIL Foundation operates: Let’s say a nonprofit at University X wants to compensate a student-athlete for volunteering with a local charity. The National NIL Foundation steps in to help by assisting in designing the program, providing funding to pay the athlete, and reviewing the activity to ensure it qualifies as charitable work. That’s a concept I believe every college athlete should embrace.

This is an incredible foundation because it shifts the focus away from just landing massive endorsement deals. Instead, it encourages athletes to look outside of their college bubble and give back to the communities that support them. In college towns like Eugene, there are countless opportunities for athletes to help those in need—while still benefiting from NIL deals.

If more athletes took this approach, I think the national perception of NIL would begin to shift. Rather than chasing only the biggest brands like Nike or Adidas, athletes could make a real impact by helping the people around them. They could give back to the same communities that pack the stands and cheer them on.

We need more college athletes to think about the people who support them—and find meaningful ways to give back.

Here is the link to the National NIL Foundation https://nilfoundation.org/

In this new era of college athletics shaped by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), there’s a great deal of skepticism surrounding its impact. Many college coaches have voiced strong opinions on how NIL can either benefit or harm college sports—and a lot of what they’ve said makes total sense. One common concern is the competitive imbalance created when universities have access to high-profile alumni, such as the University of Oregon with Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

Below is a breakdown of the pros and cons of NIL, along with explanations of why each point is seen as either a benefit or a drawback:

Pros:

• Financial Compensation: NIL gives student-athletes the chance to earn money when their university markets them or when they secure deals independently. This can be especially impactful for students from underprivileged backgrounds, providing financial support and easing the cost of living while attending college.
• Brand Building: Learning to build a personal brand is a valuable skill—not only for athletes but for any college student. Developing a personal identity and voice early can lead to long-term career opportunities, especially for athletes whose playing careers may be cut short.
• Business and Life Skills: NIL introduces student-athletes to real-world experiences like contract negotiation, tax filing, and financial literacy. This early exposure can be critical, especially as athletes prepare for professional careers where financial decisions carry high stakes.
• Opportunities Beyond Sports: Most college athletes won’t turn professional in their sport. NIL allows them to benefit financially during their college years, potentially easing student debt and helping them launch careers in other fields with financial stability.
• Support for Families: For athletes who do not receive full-ride scholarships, NIL offers an alternative financial path. Even with smaller scholarships, student-athletes can still afford college through NIL income, reducing financial burdens on their families.

Cons:

• Unequal Opportunities: The majority of major NIL deals go to football and men’s basketball players. While standout athletes in other sports sometimes land strong deals, most are not in the same position.
• Increased Pressure: NIL deals often imply a level of star status, which can put extra pressure on athletes to perform both athletically and academically.
• Short-Term Focus: With some NIL deals worth hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars, there’s a concern that some athletes might prioritize quick money over long-term goals like education.
• Locker Room Tensions: When one player earns significantly more than others, it can create resentment or tension within a team.
• Risk of Exploitation: Many haven’t signed contracts before or navigated legal terms. Without the right advisors or legal counsel, they’re at risk of being taken advantage of by agents, sponsors, or companies.

These are just a few of the many pros and cons associated with NIL. The wide range of perspectives on the issue highlights how complex and evolving this topic really is. Still, one thing is clear: NIL has permanently altered the landscape of college sports.

Eighteen-year-old athletes can now earn money in ways that weren’t possible—or legal—when stars like Reggie Bush were in college. NIL is no longer just a headline; it’s part of the everyday conversation in college athletics. And it’s here to stay.