In 2021 the NCAA has allowed student-athletes to receive compensation on their name through endorsements, appearances, and likenesses. Previously this was not the case as players would be fined, kicked off the team, or stripped of any awards given if they made money through their likeness. Now with all these changes, few resources have been given to these student-athletes on how to create a personal brand. I will explain what this rule change means for athletes and give a proposal to a current student-athlete on how they can market themselves.
NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) was instated on April 20th, 2021 allowing players to get paid when marketing themselves. An age-old question was should college players be paid? This three-letter word, NIL, is going to change that answer. Mark Emmert, current NCAA President, explains his opinions on this rule change; “This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image, and likeness opportunities. With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level. The current environment — both legal and legislative — prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve.” (Murphy)
A student by the name of Jordan Bly is an athlete for the Old Dominion University football team. He’s a junior here in his third year on the team and could market himself to make money with his likeness. A brand Jordan could build a connection with is Under Armour. Under Armour currently is a sponsored brand for Old Dominion University and Jordan wears their jerseys every game night along with other gear from Under Armour. If Bly gets drafted or continues to build his personal brand, he could strike a deal with Under Armour by showing off his highlights via his Instagram or Twitter. His highlight tape and background story on his path to ODU could be enough to market himself better to brands. Another key aspect Bly could improve on is his Public Instagram. Currently, Bly only has one post of himself which shows him in-game with his uniform on. This is a great start and could create more opportunities if expanded upon. More posts of his highlights and coming in contact with the ODU football photography team could lead to better quality photos and provide videos of his greatest moments at ODU in an Under Armour-made uniform. Other little things like a profile picture of himself can create a more marketable friendly account, but his profile suits the aesthetic he’s going for well for personal use over branding use. Overall, if he detailed his profile more and expanded on his one post further with the details I explained, Jordan Bly could potentially receive branding opportunities from not only Under Armour, but other brands that recognize his ability to market himself and a brand.
Sources:
https://iconsource.com/everything-about-nil/#
https://odusports.com/sports/football/roster/jordan-bly/7109