By Christopher D’Avanzo, trademark attorney and NIL educator
TL;DR
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) changed college sports by giving athletes the ability to make money from their personal brand. But many athletes, parents, and coaches still do not fully understand how it works. This guide breaks NIL down in plain English, explains the main ways athletes can earn, and shows why personal brand, consistency, and early action matter.
Key Takeaways:
- NIL is bigger than brand deals. Athletes can earn through brand partnerships, entrepreneurship, collectives, and revenue sharing.
- Personal brand matters. Stats matter, but story, identity, and consistency often shape opportunity.
- The rules still matter. State laws, school policies, and disclosure requirements can affect what athletes are allowed to do.
What Does NIL Mean?
Name, Image, and Likeness — often called NIL — is one of the biggest shifts college sports has seen in decades. It changed the NCAA landscape, gave athletes more control, and opened doors that did not exist before.
NIL has been around since 2021, but many athletes, parents, and even coaches still do not fully understand what it is, how it works, or how athletes are supposed to use it.
This guide breaks NIL down in the clearest way possible. No legal jargon. No confusion. Just real explanations, real examples, and practical guidance that athletes at any level can understand.
NIL allows athletes to make money from the parts of their identity and public presence that make them marketable.
This is not getting paid to play.
This is not a salary.
This is not pay-for-performance.
It is the ability to monetize a personal brand in the same way influencers, creators, and public figures do.
The Three Parts of NIL
1. Name
This one is simple. Your name is how people identify you and search for you online.
2. Image
Your image is the visual representation of you, including:
- Photos
- Videos
- Livestreams
- Graphics
- Any other visual content
Any time your face, body, or photo is used in connection with making money, promoting a product, or building a brand, that involves your image.
3. Likeness
This is the part many people understand the least — and in many ways, it is the most valuable part of NIL.
Your likeness is everything that makes you you. It includes your personal brand, personality, story, style, identity, voice, and values.
Likeness answers questions like:
- Why would someone want to work with you?
- How do people remember you?
- What makes you different?
Likeness is the part of NIL athletes can control the most.
Just like in sports, you often get out of it what you put into it.
NIL is not only about rankings, divisions, or box-score stats. Two athletes can average the same number of points per game and still have very different NIL value because their personal brands are different.
That is why likeness matters. It is something any athlete can build at any level.
You can control it.
You can grow it.
You can shape it.
Over time, that can turn into partnerships, followers, opportunities, and long-term success.
That is the real value of NIL.
Why State NIL Laws Matter
This is one of the most important parts to understand.
Every state has its own NIL rules. Not following them can create real problems, including eligibility issues.
Depending on the state, the rules may affect:
- What athletes can and cannot do
- Whether high school athletes can sign NIL deals
- Industry or endorsement restrictions
- Whether an NIL agent needs registration or certification
- Disclosure requirements
- Restrictions around using school marks or logos
- How much involvement a school can have
For athletes and parents, this matters more than many people realize.
Before signing anything, athletes should understand their state’s rules, their school’s policies, and what is actually allowed.
How Can Athletes Get Paid?
When people talk about NIL, they often use the term broadly. But today, there are multiple ways athletes can earn money, and not all of them are the same.
That matters for athletes and families, especially when thinking about recruiting, choosing a school, and planning for the future.
There are four major ways athletes can earn money today:
- Traditional NIL deals with brands
- Entrepreneurship
- Collectives
- Revenue sharing
Let’s break each one down.
1. Traditional NIL Deals
This is the version of NIL most people think about first.
It is when an athlete works with a brand based on their name, image, and likeness.
That could include things like sponsored posts, appearances, promotions, branded content, or other partnerships tied to the athlete’s personal brand.
2. Entrepreneurship
Some athletes are already using NIL as a way to think long-term.
Instead of only taking deals, they are building businesses that can outlast their playing careers. NIL earnings have made that more possible by giving athletes the ability to invest in themselves earlier.
Athletes are building businesses in areas like:
- Apparel
- Training programs
- Digital products
- Merchandise
- Camps and clinics
- Fitness
- Food and beverage
- Other industries connected to their interests
This is one of the most exciting parts of the NIL era. Athletes can think beyond short-term money and start building something that lasts.
3. Collectives
This is the part of NIL that often gets the most attention.
A collective is typically a group of:
- Wealthy alumni
- Donors
- Local boosters
- Supporters of an athletic program
Their goal is to help attract and retain athletes by pooling money and creating NIL opportunities around a school or program.
Athletes may be paid for things like:
- Appearances
- Community service
- Charitable events
- Content creation
- Marketing
- Fan engagement initiatives
For athletes being recruited at the Division I level, this part of the system matters and should be understood clearly.
4. Revenue Sharing
The House v. NCAA settlement introduced the concept of revenue sharing, which allows schools to directly pay athletes up to a yearly cap.
For the 2025–26 academic year, that cap has been widely reported at around $20.5 million per school.
Not every school will be able to distribute the full amount. Some programs generate more revenue than others, and each school’s approach may look different.
In many cases, most of that money will likely flow to the sports that generate the most revenue, including:
- Football
- Men’s basketball
- Women’s basketball
Unlike traditional NIL deals, revenue sharing comes directly from the school and is tied to the financial reality of the athletic department.
That difference could affect recruiting in a major way.
How Do Athletes Get NIL Deals?
This is the question almost every athlete and parent asks.
The simplest answer is: social media matters.
For many athletes, social media is the main gateway to NIL opportunities. It is where brands discover athletes, evaluate how they show up, and decide whether they are a fit.
That means athletes should be posting.
What should they post?
- Workouts
- Day-in-the-life content
- Behind-the-scenes moments
- Favorite drills
- Favorite foods
- Recovery routines
- Study habits
- Game-week prep
- Strength training
- Motivational content
- School life
- Personal interests and passions
If you never post, brands have very little to find.
If you post consistently, you give people something to notice.
Do Followers Matter?
A lot of athletes ask the same follow-up question: do I need a huge following?
The answer is no.
A massive audience can help, but it is not the only thing that matters. Many brands work with athletes who have smaller followings, especially when those athletes have a clear identity, a specific niche, and a real connection with their audience.
That is where consistency matters.
When an athlete knows what they care about and posts around it consistently, their content starts to build direction and trust. Over time, that creates real NIL value.
Passion helps too. When athletes actually care about what they are posting, they usually show up more consistently — and that authenticity comes through.
What Are the Benefits of NIL?
NIL is not only about making extra money in college.
It is also a real-world education in things like:
- Negotiation
- Branding
- Marketing
- Business
- Contracts
- Professionalism
- Networking
- Communication
Even for athletes who never play professionally, NIL can help build:
- Confidence
- Skills
- Relationships
- Resume experience
- Career leverage
- Personal visibility
- Financial literacy
That is one of the biggest long-term benefits of NIL.
It teaches lessons that go far beyond sports.
When Should Athletes Start?
The answer is simple: as early as possible.
Building a personal brand takes time. The athletes who benefit the most are usually the ones who start early and stay consistent.
Opportunities rarely appear overnight. They build over time as athletes develop visibility, find their voice, and create a presence people recognize.
Athletes do not need to be Division I players to start.
They do not need hundreds of thousands of followers.
They do not need to wait until they are the best player on the team.
What matters is starting.
Start sharing who you are.
Start showing what you care about.
Start documenting your journey.
Every post, connection, and opportunity can build on the one before it.
Over time, those small steps compound.
NIL is not only about making money while you play. It is about building a platform that can create opportunities long after your playing career ends.
The athletes who start early put themselves in the best position to benefit from everything NIL can offer.
FAQ: NIL for Athletes and Families
What does NIL stand for?
NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness. It refers to an athlete’s ability to make money from their personal brand.
Is NIL the same as getting paid to play?
No. Traditional NIL is not supposed to be direct pay-for-play. It is based on the athlete’s ability to monetize their name, image, and likeness.
Can high school athletes benefit from NIL?
Sometimes. It depends on the laws in that state, along with school and association rules.
Do athletes need a huge social media following?
No. A big following can help, but consistency, identity, niche, and authenticity often matter more than people think.
What kinds of NIL opportunities exist?
Athletes may earn through traditional brand deals, entrepreneurship, collective-related opportunities, and revenue-sharing models tied to the changing college sports landscape.
When should an athlete start building a personal brand?
As early as possible. NIL value usually builds over time, not overnight.
Final Thoughts
NIL has changed the sports world, but many athletes and families are still trying to understand what it really means.
At its core, NIL is about more than money. It is about visibility, leverage, identity, and long-term opportunity.
The athletes who understand that early — and act on it — put themselves in a much better position for what comes next.
SportsEpreneur contributor Christopher D’Avanzo is a trademark attorney, NIL educator, and founder of NIL in Motion. He works with athletes, entrepreneurs, and law firms on brand protection, NIL education, and long-term identity-building.
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