NIL has Changed the Game in noteworthy fashion

By: Basith Syed

Name, Image, and Likeness.

Three words that have recently allowed student-athletes to get paid for their talents.

Three words that have shifted the narrative of how universities get and retain players. 

Three words that have significantly altered the landscape and culture of college sports.

​NIL stipulates that athletes can profit from their personal brand through endorsements, social media, appearances, and other commercial activities. For a long time, college athletes were told that playing on a national stage was reward enough. They filled stadiums, sold jerseys, and brought in millions of dollars for their schools, yet they were not allowed to make money from their own name or image. That changed in 2021 with the introduction of NIL’ since then, college sports have entered a new era – One that has brought opportunity, controversy, and a complete shift in how college athletics operate.

At its core, NIL allows college athletes to earn money through sponsorships, endorsements, social media deals, and appearances. For many athletes, especially those in football and basketball, this has been life-changing. Some players are now able to support their families, pay for school expenses, or save money for the future. Even athletes in smaller sports can benefit if they build a strong online presence or have a unique personal brand. In that sense, NIL has made college sports more fair by giving athletes control over their own value.

However, NIL has also created new problems. One of the biggest concerns is competitive balance. Schools with larger fan bases, wealthy alumni, and strong booster support have a major advantage. Top recruits are now often choosing schools based on NIL opportunities rather than coaching, development, or education. This has made college sports feel less about school pride and more like professional free agency. Smaller programs struggle to keep up, and the gap between powerhouse schools and everyone else continues to grow.

Former University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban spoke about NIL saying “All the things that I believed in for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics. It was always about developing players. It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”

For Saban that ended up being too big of a change to college sports citing NIL as the main reason behind his retirement. Saban was also quoted as saying “It’s whoever wants to pay the most money, raise the most money, buy the most players is going to have the best opportunity to win. I don’t think that’s the spirit of college athletics. I don’t think it’s ever been the spirit of what we want college athletics to be. That’s my major concern: the combination of pay-for-play, free agency, and how that impacts development.” 

Saban is an example of how truly game changing NIL is. His program relied on coaching and proving to potential recruits that they would succeed in his program not because of finances but rather talent. Prospective athletes wouldn't look at what the team would do for their finances but rather for their career.

Five-star quarterback prospect Bryce Underwood was committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) until he was given a bigger NIL package causing him to switch to University of Michigan. Underwood is a strong example of how NIL is changing college sports at an even earlier stage than before. As one of the top high school football recruits in the country, Underwood’s name has already been tied to major NIL deals before he has taken a single snap at the college level. 

That kind of attention shows how recruiting is no longer just about development and coaching, but also about branding, money, and marketability. While NIL gives players like Underwood financial security and recognition for their talent, it also raises questions about pressure, expectations, and whether the focus is shifting too far from development to dollars before an athlete even steps onto a college field.

In the end, NIL is neither completely good nor completely bad. It has given athletes rights they should have had all along, but it has also changed the identity of college sports. NIL has blurred the line of what it means to be a student athlete. Being an athlete has become more important and much more profitable for these student athletes. Recruiting is no longer about convincing a prospect to go to your program based on facilities and coaching and more about outbidding everyone else. 
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Whether NIL strengthens or harms college athletics in the long run is still unknown, but one thing is certain: college sports will never be the same.