College athletes now able to make profit from sports
Signing up Seniors from AAHS sign on to play sports for college. Because of the NCAA change, they will be able to make a profit off of their NIL (name, image, likeness)
February 4, 2022
On June 21, 2021, the decision was made by the Supreme Court that the NCAA could not bar college athletes from receiving payments from education-related sources.
Each year, college sports generate billions of dollars for schools, networks and corporate sponsors. Before this ruling, the student athletes did not receive a penny. Colleges were able to create billions of dollars of profit from their athletes, but the students were not able to reap any of the benefits.
Playing a sport for college requires the same amount of time as having a job. Due to practice, games and time spent in the gym, students cannot have a full time job. Most college students need a way to make money and before this change, students received no profit from their sports.
One of the biggest arguments against this new decision is that college athletes have their tuition paid in full and do not need to make any more money because they have already profited enough. However, the truth is that only about 1 percent of student athletes receive a full scholarship.
Because of this, it is plausible that a successful athlete could get out of college and still have debt and loans to pay off, even though their college made millions off of their performance.
The other arguments against the ruling were that it would be difficult to decide how the athletes were paid or why and that it would bring up issues in Title Nine.
Already, athletes have cashed in their NIL (name, image, likeness) on endorsement deals. Joining marketing agencies, signing for sponsorships and brand deals, athletes already are making money. Many students from several different colleges have embraced the apparel business. Some athletes have used this change to use the social media side and take advantage of promotions and endorsements or even to grow their following online. Popular athletes from major sports can make anywhere between $500,000 to one million dollars a year.
Athletes now are able to make money off their appearances or even just signing autographs.
For example, Olivia Dunne, a LSU gymnast has 3.9 million followers on TikTok and 1.1 million followers on Instagram. She is embracing the social media benefits and is predicted to earn more than any other college athlete. Another example is a quarterback named Bryce Young, he is a sophomore at Alabama Crimson Tide. Thanks to the new NIL deals, Young is now nearly a millionaire.
There are some rules and regulations to the students as to what they can make money off of. Such as students not being able to promote alcohol, tobacco or gambling. Also, before using a college’s logo or facilities in their business, they must ask for permission.
Sources:
https://www.wbrz.com/news/lsu-gymnast-expected-to-earn-more-money-than-any-other-college-athlete/
