For years, the NCAA had fairly strict rules regarding college athletes being paid for endorsements and sponsorships. Only within the past few years has the landscape changed in regards to monetization in collegiate sports. In September of 2019, California became the first state to pass a law allowing college athletes to be paid for use of their names, images and likenesses (NIL). Eventually other states followed suit, granting NIL rights to college athletes. The NCAA made their stance very clear stating that going down this route would be “harmful” and referred to as an “existential threat” to college sports. However, by June of 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the NCAA would not be able to limit education-related benefits to athletes.
Fast forward to today, navigating this new world of NIL deals is still proving difficult. The NCAA continues to challenge individual state rulings, stating that college sports are already a chaotic environment, and by removing certain restrictions we are putting student-athletes at further risk of exploitation.
“The NCAA fully supports student-athletes making money from their name, image and likeness and is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but an endless patchwork of state laws and court opinions make clear partnering with Congress is necessary to provide stability for the future of all college athletes.” – This statement was shared on Feb. 23, 2024 via X (formerly Twitter) by Nicole Auerbach, Senior Writer at The Athletic.
Name, Image, and Likeness isn’t a new concept, but it is new as it has only just started to be introduced into High School and College sports. NIL basically falls under the legal category of a “right to publicity”. This includes situations in which permission is required to use anything related to one’s ‘personal brand’. Athletes can monetize themselves in various ways such as sponsored posts, affiliate deals, and promoting brands.
With restrictions being lifted with the most recent rulings regarding NIL Deals, the possibilities are endless for the future of the collegiate sport landscape. In 5 years, NIL may look completely different. Only time, trial, and error can show the impact of the radical future for NIL deals.
Recent NIL Deals in Golf:
- Mia Hammond, the Ohio high school girls golf champion of 2023, signed a deal with Columbus-based company Sterling Sports Management for name, image, and likeness representation. Hammond wants to return to play LPGA events in 2024 while competing in amateur events and considering college golf. (Currently, nine states allow high school athletes to sign endorsement deals.)
- Keanu Akina, a senior on the BYU golf team is utilizing his athlete status and NIL earnings to help those in his home community in Hawaii. Keanu thought that leveraging his position as golfer at BYU is the best way to make a difference for those affected by the Maui wildfires. With the help of his NIL representatives at Oncoor Sports Marketing, he was able to connect with &Collar, a company that is no stranger to NIL endorsement deals. Keanu and his brother, Kihei, promoted the &Collar brand and brought new shirts to children who wanted nothing more than a new shirt to be able to wear to Church.
- When Nick Dunlap won the 2024 American Express tournament, he could not receive any of the winnings due to the fact that he was not playing as a professional at the time. However, through his NIL deals with Adidas and TaylorMade, he and his sponsors were compensated due to the exposure alone. Thanks to NIL he didn’t walk away from his history-making win empty-handed.
- Landon Gilmore signed to play golf with Ball State this past year. Going by the nickname “Happy”, the future college golfer is hoping to step into his own notoriety. Since he wasn’t able to do anything NIL related in high school, Gilmore is preparing for future NIL deals embracing his notable nickname.
- When the NCAA first made NIL legal in July of 2021, several amateurs jumped at the opportunity to benefit from their athletic accomplishments. Two highly ranked golfers, Ben James and Caleb Surratt, signed with Transcend Capital Advisors in 2022, while competing at the University level. At the time, Transcend was a newly formed investment firm that was looking to raise its profile through golf. Recently, they have expanded their partnership with 17-year-old amateur golfer, Yana Wilson, currently the #1 ranked junior in the world per the Rolex AJGA Girls Rankings.
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