This year, I’ll be joining a whole country of sports fans closely watching how the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rights impact college athletics and the domino effects on other industries and institutions.
It’s not every day that you read “new rights” in America in 2021 but that’s really what it is.
For those in need of background: prior to July 1 of this year, NCAA athletes were forbidden from profiting off their name, image and likeness.
Over the past several decades, this appeal to amateurism led to countless instances of the NCAA levying punishments upon individuals and programs that accepted “improper” payments, sold game memorabilia, etc. (with varying consistency in harshness depending seemingly on how each punishment would affect the NCAA bottom line).
On June 21, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in the case: NCAA v. Alston, that the NCAA was in violation of antitrust laws by profiting off its athletes’ name, image and likeness, without allowing said athletes to earn cash benefits for those properties.
Anyway, that’s the short, oversimplified version of what happened as I see it.
The result, though, is very apparent. The college sports world in the past couple weeks has turned upside down.
It seems every college athlete with an even mildly high profile is latching on to a brand, promoting a product or service, or even pursuing an agent.
Sports finance analyst Darren Rovell said on a July 1 radio appearance that he could see 2023 5-star recruit Arch Manning making $10 million his freshman year of college.
That’s his projection for an 18-year-old yet to live outside his household, let alone take a college football snap. And it may just be the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come.
I’ve heard some conjecture that the rich in a sport like football (Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson) are guaranteed to get richer in the NIL era but I don’t necessarily agree. This is a good opportunity for a school with the right approach for their athletes to take a big step forward.
The savviest athletes will make a small fortune off this new wild west college landscape and the savviest colleges will show them how to do that.
Recruits will commit to the school that shows them how to make money while they’re there. Simply having the platform of Alabama helps a lot in that regard but it isn’t everything.
I was happy to see my own alma mater ECU, for example, announce it would be launching a program specifically for athletes within its school of entrepreneurship. The university made the announcement on June 22, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court ruling. That type of proactiveness is likely to pay dividends.
Now back to the lead: domino effect.
We have legitimately talented athletes here in Hart County that go on to compete for schools and conferences which give them a platform.
We currently have former Bulldogs playing major Division I football at Notre Dame, North Carolina and Virginia Tech for example. (I apologize if I’m forgetting another).
And while football has the largest platform, college athletes across several sports, both men and women, have started flexing their capitalistic muscles. And we know Hart County boasts athletic standouts throughout multiple sports.
I would love to see our high school make a concerted effort to guide them towards an entrepreneurial future.
Based on the school’s track record, I have no doubt Hart County High School will come through for its athletes. Whether that comes in the form of special classes, or different athletic programs bringing in guest speakers, I don’t know. It’s a new, uncharted era and I’d just love to see our leaders stay ahead of the game.
Regardless of your previous feelings on amateurism, the law has officially changed.
Let’s help our own athletes take advantage of this brave new world.
dhunt@thehartwellsun.com