Athletes Ready to Profit off Themselves with new Name Image Likeness Laws

Athletes Ready to Profit off Themselves with new Name Image Likeness Laws

Birmingham, Ala. College athletes have never been able to make money off their brands but for the first time that will change this week.

Recently the rules have changed for college athletes now being able to make money from their brand. Seven states are going to activate their Name, Image Likeness laws (NIL) on July 1, 2021.  The NCAA is now attempting to make patchwork legislation to allow all athletes across the country to make money starting in July. NCAA President Mark Emmert recently promised in a memo to NCAA members that he would make sure that all athletes will be able to make money.

“If, however, NCAA rule changes are not in place by July, please know that I will work with our governance bodies to develop temporary policies that assure student athletes that they will not become trapped in such circumstances and that all will have NIL opportunities,” says Mark Emmert, the NCAA president in a memo on June 18 received by Ralph Russo. I have directed my staff to create proposals to this end.”

Athletes have been confused for a while with whether they would be in trouble with the NCAA for following their state laws, or if they were going to miss out on their profits while their state or Congress was coming up with a bill. Twenty states have already passed NIL with 5 more waiting on governor approval. Of those 20, seven will start activating NIL laws on July 1. Maryland athletes will have to wait over two years until they can start profiting off their brands unless the NCAA or Congress steps in.

One of those athletes is Grayson Jons, a goalie at McDaniel College, who has made a name for herself by filming sporting events for online groups. She can make some money off that but is looking to build her brand through vlogs and other content on YouTube.

“I already do make money with my sports videos, but I have been wanting to create a YouTube Channel that would be vlogs and day-to-day activity, but I would not be able to make any type of profit from it due to NCAA rules, so it would not be worth the time commitment right now,” says Grayson Jons.

College athletes of all levels can experience changes with new Name Image Likeness regulations. Grayson is a division three athlete at a small school Central Maryland but has been able to use her skills to grow her brand. She has seen her following counts grow. She has also been offered brand deals to advertise products but has had to turn them due to NCAA rules. She views missing out as a big deal.

“Having the ability to partner with brands and have brand deals is a big issue with NIL,” says Jons. “I know many athletes, myself included, that have been offered brand deals to advertise a product via social media and had to turn it down due to NCAA rules.”

The ability to make money with Name Image Likeness is too late for some of the athletes still playing college sports. Elliott Morgenstern, a fencer at Brandeis University, thinks that his time to profit off his brand has passed him.

“I used to think that I could, but I think it’s a bit late for that,” says Morgenstern. “I am not as active in competitions anymore and aren’t as good as I used to. Other than that, I don’t see any downside to the new rules.

Athletes will get more answers shortly when the NCAA announces plans for short-time plan that will hold over until a permeant solution is found. For the first time ever college athletes can legally make money off their brands while they are excited and confused for their new world.