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- New data has revealed which college sports have benefited after athletes were finally permitted to profit off of their name, image, and likeness
- Football players have unsurprisingly secured the most NIL deals but the sport that came in second might come as a bit of a shock
- Read more about the topic here
It’s been exactly 70 days since the NCAA caved to finally allow its student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, and despite what the organization predicted would happen during its disastrous showing at the Supreme Court, the sudden lack of amateurism has yet to ruin college athletics as we know them.
It didn’t take very long for college athletes to start cashing in once they were allowed to sign NIL deals, as Alabama’s ‘Kool-Aid’ McKinstry landed one of the most natural endorsements you’ll ever see and Ohio State freshman Quinn Ewers inked an absolutely massive contract he can use to employ a private hairdresser to make sure his awe-inspiring mullet is on-point at all times.
On Thursday, we got some of the best insight yet into the impact NIL deals have had so far courtesy of Opendorse, which shared some of the data it’s gathered by helping over 50,000 college athletes link up with potential sponsors.
The platform revealed student-athletes in the Big Ten have earned more from NIL deals than any other conference, with the ACC taking home the silver and the SEC securing the bronze (although you have to assume Ewers’s aforementioned sponsorship may have skewed those results a bit when you consider Ohio is currently the top-earning state).
It should also come as no surprise that football players have landed more NIL deals than athletes in any other sport, as the guys on the gridiron have laid claim to 60.1% of the money to change hands so far. However, I have a feeling a lot of people will be surprised at the sport that took second place, as women’s volleyball boasts 9.8% of the share, with men’s basketball (9.7%), women’s basketball (2.3%), and men’s diving and swimming (2.1%) rounding out the top five.
New NIL data from @Opendorse for July and August on its platform:
Big Ten athletes have grossed the most NIL compensation. Ohio athletes made more than those from any other state. And football players are responsible for 60% of all NIL compensation. pic.twitter.com/JCJjwD3UGi
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 9, 2021
In August, The Washington Post took a closer look at that trend and implied brands aren’t exactly being sneaky when it comes to leveraging the sex appeal of female athletes, which could explain why women’s volleyball had such a strong showing. However, regardless of the motivation behind those NIL deals, you can’t really blame anyone for securing the bag.