N.I.L., One Year Later
Evaluating How N.I.L. Has Affected College Athletics A Year Later
Last school year, Frontline wrote an article about the then-new N.I.L. (Name, Image, Likeness) announcement for college athletes. Now, we examine the effects it has had over that period of time. N.I.L. allows college athletes to earn money and compensation through advertising and personal marketing. Still, many believe the program is unregulated and has caused more harm than good.
For example, Arch Manning, the nephew of NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning, will make a projected $3.8 million in his first year. Still, 17 and 18-year-olds are making thousands and thousands of dollars, many with little to no experience handling money.
This also hurts smaller-market colleges, because schools like USC, Texas, UCLA, Miami, and Alabama have the biggest donors and most attractive sponsorships available. At the end of the day, N.I.L. is still a step in the right direction for college athletics – regulation just needs to follow.