Is academic excellence less important than athletic excellence?
In August 2020, the NCAA allowed schools to “pay each of their athletes up to $5,980 per year as a reward for academic performance.” This amount is equal to the amount college athletes can receive for awards related to their athletic performance.
However, ESPN found that many schools have not made a commitment to pay these academic bonuses to their college athletes.
A Tale of Two Leagues
When people discuss sports, they often default to leagues where men are playing. The ingrained viewpoint is that sports are inherently male.
Do we really need to try to follow what these leagues are doing? Do they actually set the end-all-be-all goal for other sports leagues?
I do not believe they do and comparing or aspiring to be like them might lead us into the same problems they are currently dealing with publicly.
Watch out for these mistakes in NIL deals
Name, image and likeness for athletes in college has been called the Wild West. Each state has different laws, the NCAA doesn’t shed insight, and everyone is trying to be an expert.
However, not everyone speaking LOUDLY is speaking accurately. Here are some things to watch out for when looking at NIL deals as a college athlete.
Athletes should monetize their name, image, and likeness cautiously
I have always been and remain to be 100% behind student athletes profiting from their name, image, and likeness. Throughout undergrad and law school, I was a staunch supporter of the athletes and have voiced very strong anti-NCAA sentiments. My views continue to be with the athletes in mind, however, they should be cautious of who to trust and how to build their brands.