As NIL Turns Three, Collectives and Football Still Control the Industry

Happy birthday, NIL.

College athletes earned the right to monetize their name, image, and likeness on July 1, 2021. Since then, the industry has evolved immensely, from donor-backed collectives instituting a payment system that functions like salaries for football and men’s basketball players, to the historic House v. NCAA settlement paving the way for schools to directly share media-rights revenue with athletes.

The NIL marketplace Opendorse released its annual report Monday assessing the state of the industry, which it projects will be worth $1.67 billion this upcoming academic year.