The NCAA lifted the rule that allows college athletes to be sponsored by companies for money. Champe has two student athletes receiving NIL deals, junior Mya Townes and senior Greg Spiller. NIL deals have many benefits for high-school student athletes.

          NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness. Depending on the athlete, certain brands or companies will sponsor high school athletes so they will get paid to play their sport in college. NIL deals have become a controversial 

          “I’m not sure how much I can say,  but I do have access to their facilities when I need them,” Townes said. “The company I have a deal with would help by providing a place for me to work, because I’m going to be online next year, so I’m going to need somewhere to work and they give me high level training and games and a lot of other stuff.”

          There has been a lot of controversy due to this rule change, the main concern being that it will create an unfair playing field and unfair advantages for athletes. Some colleges of smaller towns and lower income are at a disadvantage to colleges like UCLA or Penn State. 

          “If a student can receive an additional income for their name, likeness, and image, which in turn generates additional revenue for the institution, then I can see this increasing commitment to those specific institutions that can afford to offer NIL deals.”Director of Athletics of LCPS Derek Farrey, said. “The colleges that don’t have the budget to offer NIL deals will suffer.

          A great example of NIL deals is Women’s Basketball Player, Caitlin Clark. She is sponsored by Nike, Hy-Vee, and State Farm Insurance, receiving 818,000 a year. These athletes are contracted to make a variety of content for their brand in exchange for money or resources. Most athletes have their own brand managers with a lot of knowledge in the sports community. NIL deals are very difficult to receive without the knowledge of the business and how it works.

          “Get somebody that knows the business side a little better than you do, because there’s a lot that goes into the business that people don’t see,” Townes said. “Really know who you’re working with, because you should work with someone who’s trusted. Either a really big brand that you know a lot of people are going to get behind or something that is really personal to you and something you trust.” 

          For years there has been controversy with pay to play. Many instances occurred in which top colleges were paying their athletes under the radar and giving them undercover jobs to hide the location of their income. Many college sports fans are ecstatic about the new NIL rule, while others are still skeptical about it. 

          “I used to play football in college, so I know a lot about pay to play scandals” Champe football coach Lee Carter said. “I don’t know if I can say for sure, but I think NIL deals will lessen the amount of illegal activity in college sports”.

          Committed athletes are going to continue to strive for NIL deals to obtain money for their contribution to the team. NIL deals require many things such as athleticness, business knowledge, commitment, and many other skills. With the new rule lift, many athletes are going to try and pursue obtaining a deal. 

         “Advice I have for people trying to get deals is keep working,”  Townes said. “Everything comes at the right time. I feel like if you force it too much you’re gonna put yourself in a position where you feel like you have to get it because you’ve tried so hard to get it.”

           NIL deals have benefits to colleges and college athletes. On the college aspect, they’re receiving money from fans so they can watch their favorite players. By allowing NIL, players are more likely to stay on the team to receive more money. On the athletes aspect, NIL can help with financial support outside of the sport and increases professional team interest in certain players. 

“With the whole NIL deal, we have to think about whether or not kids are going to choose certain colleges because of NIL deals or based on education or value that the school can award them” Carter said. “The NIL deal can be a slippery slope if not handled correctly”.