College athletes are earning big thanks to changes in NIL policies

July 1st, 2021 marked the moment that the college sports landscape witnessed a significant shift.

For generations, college athletes have been prohibited from profiting off of their personal brand, this recent legislation change has empowered college athletes across America to leverage their success and popularity to seek paid endorsements and monetise their name, image and likeness (NIL).

WHO’S KILLING IT RIGHT NOW?

Caitlin Clark (The University of Iowa – Basketball)
Clark Madness has taken over NCAA basketball in recent years, as she pioneers a new era of female empowerment creating one of the biggest brands in college sports. Amassing 1.4 million followers on Instagram, Cailtin has already established a portfolio of endorsements that feature the likes of Gatorade, Nike, State Farm, Bose & Buick, with an combined estimated value of $3.1 million USD. Caitlin’s success has not only benefited herself, as the WNBA team poised to draft the college phenom, the Indiana Fever, have already recorded a significant surge in traffic to their social media pages and mass ticket sales of fans desperate to witness Clark continue to change the game at a professional level.

Olivia Dunne (Louisiana State University – Gymnastics)
Olivia Dunne has quickly risen to social media fame and become the highest earning female college athlete, boasting more than 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Olivia has done an exceptional job at diversifying her content types across platforms to showcase an array of training routines, sponsorship content in collaboration with branded partners and lifestyle content that provide more authentic insight into her personality and daily routines. Diversifying your content into these different avenues is a great way to encourage more sponsorship opportunities, as there is a greater chance brands will feel confident partnering with you and understanding the value you can bring. Olivia has partnered with brands such as Nautica, Motorola, American Eagle Outfitters, Vouri Clothing, with a total valuation of $3.5 million USD.

Bronny James (University of Southern California – Basketball)
Son of NBA legend Lebron James, Bronny is successfully carving out a name for himself by establishing his own personal brand. Bronny is in his first year playing at the collegiate level and has already generated the most profit amongst college athletes, signing major NIL deals with Android, Beats by Dre and Nike. James’ value has already surpassed $5.9 million USD.