TL;DR: The NIL market has matured from chaos into a $2.5 billion economy. National brands (Nike, Chipotle, Gatorade, EA Sports) now treat college athletes like professional endorsers, while local businesses leverage hyper-local influence. Marketplaces like Opendorse, MOGL, and Icon Source power the deal-making infrastructure, with compliance tech and fan-driven subscription platforms rounding out the ecosystem. Collectives have evolved from booster funds into sophisticated marketing agencies. High school NIL is the new frontier. The winning formula: authentic partnerships with engaged micro-influencers beat celebrity follower counts. Revenue sharing will reshape everything in 2026—brands that view athletes as creative partners, not billboards, will capture the most value.
Four years ago, the phrase “Name, Image, and Likeness” meant nothing to most Americans. Today, it represents a multi-billion dollar economy that has fundamentally transformed collegiate athletics—and created one of the most dynamic marketing opportunities in a generation.
The numbers tell a staggering story. The NIL market is projected to exceed $2.5 billion by 2026. Over 60% of NCAA athletes now report receiving at least one offer. Fortune 500 companies have dedicated NIL line items in their marketing budgets. And perhaps most remarkably, this economy has expanded far beyond the elite 1% of blue-chip recruits to encompass walk-ons, non-revenue sport athletes, and even high schoolers.
What began as a legal necessity—athletes finally gaining rights that professionals had enjoyed for decades—has become a marketing phenomenon. Brands that once viewed college sports as a venue for logo placement now see student-athletes as legitimate influencers, content creators, and brand ambassadors. The jersey number on a quarterback’s back matters less than the engagement rate on his Instagram.
This isn’t a trend. It’s a permanent restructuring of American sports marketing. And understanding it has become essential for any brand seeking to reach younger demographics authentically.
From Wild West to Wall Street
When NIL rights launched in July 2021, the market was chaos. Boosters threw money at star quarterbacks through hastily organized collectives. Pizza shops signed gymnasts for Instagram posts. A car dealership in Texas handed keys to the entire offensive line. Nobody really knew the rules because, frankly, there weren’t many.
The early days produced as many cautionary tales as success stories. Jaden Rashada, a highly recruited quarterback, signed what was reported to be a $13 million deal with a Florida booster collective—only to have it fall apart spectacularly, resulting in lawsuits and a transfer. The incident became a case study in the volatility and risk at the top end of an unregulated market.
Fast forward to 2026, and the picture looks radically different. The chaos has given way to sophistication. The Wild West has been surveyed, mapped, and developed.
The catalyst for this maturation was a perfect storm of factors. The landmark House v. NCAA settlement introduced revenue sharing, fundamentally changing the relationship between schools and athletes. States like Florida legalized high school NIL, extending the market to younger athletes. And brands—after years of experimentation—finally figured out that college athletes aren’t just endorsers. They’re authentic content creators with deeply engaged audiences who can drive real business results.
The corporate world has taken notice. What was once viewed as a risky, legally murky experiment is now a core vertical of marketing strategy. The student-athlete has become as valuable a media property as the games themselves.
The Players: Who’s Spending and Why
The Sportswear Wars
Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are fighting for Gen Z loyalty on college campuses. But the game has changed dramatically from the days when these brands simply supplied team uniforms and hoped the association would build affinity. Today, they’re signing individual athletes to deals that rival—and sometimes exceed—what mid-tier professionals receive.
Nike has established itself as the dominant force in premium NIL deals. In late 2025, they announced a significant extension with LSU, signing ten athletes to individual NIL agreements. The crown jewel of that class was basketball star Flau’jae Johnson, whose combination of athletic excellence and cultural relevance (she’s also a recording artist) made her a perfect Nike athlete.
But Nike’s strategy extends beyond proven college stars. They’ve invested heavily in what might be called “futures”—high school athletes whose potential justifies early commitment. Jazzy Davidson, a high school phenom, joined the Nike family before attending her first college class. Stanford softball star NiJaree Canady represents their push into women’s sports beyond basketball. And the “Class of 2025” initiative treats incoming freshmen like the superstars they aspire to become.
Nike’s approach validates the athlete’s personal brand, often elevating them to a level of visibility typically reserved for professional signature athletes. It’s a bet that today’s college star will be tomorrow’s endorsement cornerstone—and that locking them in early pays dividends for decades.
Adidas has countered with creativity and speed. Their “Team Mahomes” initiative, developed in partnership with NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, selects college athletes to represent the brand under Mahomes’ umbrella. Texas Tech’s Micah Hudson and others benefit from association with an established star while Adidas benefits from Mahomes’ credibility in identifying talent.
More impressively, Adidas has demonstrated remarkable agility in responding to in-season breakouts. When Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender in December 2025—a player who wasn’t on anyone’s preseason radar—Adidas moved fast. They had him signed before the award ceremony, capturing the value of his sudden national visibility. This responsiveness allows Adidas to identify athletes who may not have been blue-chip recruits but have captured the national zeitgeist through performance.
Under Armour has adopted a different strategy: targeting rising stars early in their development cycle. By signing athletes like Ohio State safety commit Blaine Bradford at the commitment stage, Under Armour aims to build long-term loyalty and brand association before the athlete even steps onto the collegiate field. It’s a patient approach that prioritizes relationship-building over immediate visibility.
Puma and Crocs have carved out lifestyle niches rather than competing directly on performance credentials. Puma has signed deals with athletes across football, basketball, and track, expanding their footprint in the collegiate lifestyle market. Their focus is on style and cultural relevance rather than pure athletic performance.
Crocs, perhaps surprisingly, has become an active NIL player by leveraging the “universality” of their product. Using platforms like Icon Source to find diverse athletes, their influencer campaigns emphasize comfort and individual style. A Crocs deal might feature a volleyball player studying for exams in her dorm room—authentic, relatable content that doesn’t require athletic performance footage.
Food & Beverage: From Fast Food to Product Lines
The food and beverage sector might be the most active category in NIL, and for good reason. The alignment is natural: college athletes are hungry, literally and figuratively. They eat constantly, they’re visible on campus, and they influence the dining choices of their classmates. The relatively low barrier to entry for product-for-post deals means even regional chains can participate.
But while the volume of deals in this sector is high, the creativity is what truly stands out.
Chipotle has established itself as a dominant player in athlete endorsements. Their campaigns with stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. go beyond simple social media posts—they’ve created custom menu items, produced national commercials, and built integrated marketing campaigns that rival professional athlete endorsements. Chipotle’s “Team” deals engage multiple players from sponsored universities simultaneously, creating a sense of ubiquity on campus. When five Chipotle athlete partners are all posting about their go-to orders in the same week, it feels less like advertising and more like a cultural moment.
Raising Cane’s has built its NIL strategy around brand fit. Known for inspiring cult-like devotion among customers, they partner with athletes who embody their fun, casual brand personality. LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne—one of the highest-earning NIL athletes regardless of gender—represents the kind of partnership that transcends simple endorsement. Beyond social media content, Raising Cane’s activation strategy often involves physical appearances at restaurant openings, driving immediate foot traffic and creating local media moments.
McDonald’s has taken a regional approach that demonstrates understanding of college sports’ inherently local nature. The “Milton Meal” featuring Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton wasn’t a national campaign—it was a specific order configuration sold at local franchises in the Knoxville area. Fans could literally order what their quarterback eats. This hyper-local strategy generates authentic engagement that a national campaign couldn’t match.
McDonald’s also sponsors the McDonald’s All-American Game, a key venue for high school NIL activation. Stars like Aaliyah Chavez and Cameron Boozer receive exposure on a national stage while still in high school, creating early brand associations that may last throughout their careers.
Dr Pepper remains a staple of college football culture, their maroon-and-cream branding seemingly designed for autumn Saturdays. Athletes featured in their “Fansville” campaigns become characters in an ongoing narrative that fans follow throughout the season. Quarterbacks like Quinn Ewers and DJ Uiagalelei have set the standard for integrating NIL talent into national TV spots, appearing in commercials that air during the very games they’re playing in.
But the real innovation in food and beverage NIL happens at the edges—in deals that transform athletes from endorsers into entrepreneurs.
Georgia safety Javon Bullard partnered with Alumni Cookie Dough to create “Bullard’s Buckeye Cookie Krunch.” The product name wasn’t accidental—it was specifically designed to troll Ohio State, Georgia’s rival. The deal demonstrates the localized, fan-centric nature of modern NIL: Bullard wasn’t just lending his name to a product, he was participating in the rivalry culture that makes college sports meaningful.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson took entrepreneurship further with “Bijan Mustardson,” a premium dijon mustard that he co-created and promoted. This wasn’t a flat-fee endorsement—Robinson participated in product development and shares in the revenue. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker took a different approach to the condiment category, partnering with established brand French’s Mustard for a more traditional endorsement.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis partnered with Ale-8-One, a regional soda brand with deep Kentucky roots. The deal leveraged his local celebrity status to drive sales in a specific geographic market where Ale-8-One already had cultural significance. It’s a template for how regional brands can compete with national players by emphasizing authentic local connections.
Hydration and Nutrition: The Performance Economy
If food deals emphasize lifestyle, hydration and nutrition deals emphasize performance. These brands want association with athletic excellence, and they’re willing to pay premium prices for athletes who embody peak physical achievement.
Gatorade has modernized its legendary roster by signing elite college talent. Paige Bueckers at UConn and Shedeur Sanders at Colorado represent the next generation of Gatorade athletes, integrated into campaigns alongside professional icons like Serena Williams. Their “Fuel Tomorrow” campaign relies heavily on the credibility of these college athletes—they’re not just promoting a sports drink, they’re endorsing the training regimen and lifestyle that produces champions.
Red Bull takes a different approach, focusing on potential rather than proven excellence. Known for supporting high-performance athletes across extreme sports, Red Bull has extended this philosophy to NIL by signing pre-collegiate stars like AJ Dybantsa (BYU commit) and Dakorien Moore (Oregon commit). These athletes haven’t played a college game yet, but Red Bull is betting on their futures—and locking in the association before competitors can.
Powerade competes directly with Gatorade for the sports drink market, and their NIL strategy reflects this rivalry. They’ve secured deals with quarterbacks like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Georgia’s Carson Beck, athletes who lead programs and represent the competitive intensity that sports drinks promise to fuel.
Liquid I.V. represents a fundamentally different approach to scale. Rather than signing a handful of elite athletes to major deals, they’ve executed campaigns activating over 4,000 student-athletes across 373 schools. This “army of influencers” strategy generated 101 million impressions through sheer volume. A Liquid I.V. post from a Division III swimmer might only reach 500 people—but multiply that by thousands of athletes, and you’ve built massive awareness.
In the supplement space, AG1 (Athletic Greens) made waves by expanding beyond athletes entirely. They now sponsor student scientists and researchers like Chidera Ejikeme and Hannah Eberhardt, aligning their brand with “science-backed” credibility rather than pure athletic performance. It’s a differentiation strategy in a crowded supplement market—AG1 isn’t just for athletes, it’s for high-performers in any field.
Humann partnered with Texas Athletics to promote cardiovascular health products like SuperBeets, leveraging the university’s research heritage and the credibility of elite athletes to endorse health claims. Black Label Supplements lowered the barrier to entry entirely with their “Performance Squad” program—any college athlete can join, receive free products, and earn commissions on sales. It democratizes supplement sponsorship, allowing non-elite athletes to monetize their influence.
Tech and Finance: Humanizing the Digital
Technology and financial services companies face a unique challenge: their products are often abstract, complex, or intimidating to young consumers. NIL partnerships solve this by putting a relatable face on digital services.
EA Sports executed perhaps the most ambitious NIL activation in history when their college football video game returned in 2025. To include real player likenesses—a feature fans had demanded for years—EA needed to secure rights from thousands of athletes. Their solution was unprecedented: they offered deals to over 11,000 eligible players, generating 73 million organic impressions and proving that NIL could operate at massive scale.
The EA Sports campaign wasn’t just about securing likeness rights. It demonstrated that technology platforms could engage the entire student-athlete population, not just stars. A third-string linebacker who might never see playing time could still earn compensation for being included in a video game that millions would play.
Google and Meta have utilized athletes to promote hardware products—Pixel phones, Quest VR headsets—in authentic environments. Rather than traditional commercials, these campaigns leverage athletes’ content creation skills. A college basketball player filming her workout with a Pixel phone demonstrates the product’s video capabilities more effectively than any spec sheet.
AT&T has integrated NIL into its massive media spend, featuring athletes like Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in commercial spots. For a telecommunications giant, the college athlete provides a relatable entry point into advertising that might otherwise feel corporate and impersonal.
Fintech companies are aggressively targeting college students through NIL. Acorns and Revolut have launched campaigns promoting financial literacy and investment apps, using athletes as trusted peers to explain concepts like compound interest and portfolio diversification. When a fellow student explains an investing app, it feels like advice from a friend rather than a sales pitch from a corporation.
Cash App has been particularly active, partnering with athletes to facilitate giveaways and promote peer-to-peer payments. The integrations feel native to how college students actually use money—splitting dinner tabs, paying back loans, receiving money from parents.
Fashion and Beauty: The Women’s Sports Boom
The rise of women’s sports has created an NIL category that barely existed five years ago. With engagement rates often surpassing men’s sports—women’s volleyball and gymnastics regularly outperform men’s football on social media—fashion and beauty brands are capitalizing.
LoveShackFancy and Ulta Beauty have signed stars like Flau’jae Johnson for lifestyle campaigns that emphasize personal style rather than athletic performance. These deals recognize that female athletes often have influence extending far beyond sports. Their followers care about fashion, beauty routines, and lifestyle content—making them natural partners for brands in these categories.
The engagement metrics support the strategy. A women’s volleyball player with 5,000 highly engaged followers often delivers more value to a beauty brand than a football player with 50,000 passive followers. Engagement beats reach. Authenticity beats fame.
The Collectives: From Booster Clubs to Marketing Machines
If brand deals represent the commercial side of NIL, collectives represent the institutional side. These organizations—often started by wealthy boosters and alumni—have evolved from informal donor networks into sophisticated marketing agencies that connect athletes with compensation opportunities.
The Marketplace Ecosystem: Platforms, Compliance, and Fan-Driven Systems
The sheer volume of NIL transactions—numbering in the hundreds of thousands annually—requires robust technological infrastructure. A distinct category of companies has emerged not as sponsors, but as the connectors, facilitators, and compliance engines that make deals possible at scale.
Marketplaces: Connecting Brands and Athletes
Opendorse has established itself as the premier operating system for the NIL industry. They power official NIL directories for dozens of universities including Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Maryland, and Fordham. Their “Marketplace” allows brands to browse athlete profiles, send deal proposals, and manage payments through a single interface. In partnership with Learfield, their “Compass” platform integrates directly into university athletic departments, making deal-making seamless for institutional sponsors.
Opendorse has facilitated major campaigns for brands like Cheez-It, Clearcover insurance, BreakingT merchandise licensing, and U.S. Bank. Their “Book Deal” feature enables rapid transaction execution—essential for brands managing hundreds of micro-influencer relationships simultaneously.
MOGL differentiates through AI-powered matching. Rather than sorting athletes by sport or follower count alone, MOGL analyzes audience demographics to connect brands with athletes whose followers actually match target customer profiles. Their partnership with advertising giant Dentsu allows agency clients to integrate athlete influencers into broader media plans. A deal with Audacy brings NIL into sports radio and audio content.
MOGL powered the Liquid I.V. campaign that activated 4,115 ambassadors across 373 schools, generating 101 million impressions. They executed Toyota’s “You Can’t Stop My Drive” campaign with NFL draft prospects and created a unique Goodyear Blimp activation offering athletes once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Their Snapchat partnership runs content accelerators helping athletes become better creators.
Icon Source focuses on reducing friction, serving brands without internal sports marketing departments. They power “Icon Suite” local exchanges for universities like Miami (Ohio) and Maine, enabling small businesses in college towns to easily find and pay athletes. Boost Mobile made history as the first brand to sign a deal through Icon Source on July 1, 2021—the day NIL launched.
The Long Tail of Platforms
The ecosystem includes dozens of specialized marketplaces serving specific needs:
TheLinkU focuses on revenue optimization, partnering with schools like FIU and Arkansas to connect corporate sponsors directly with student-athletes as part of broader sponsorship packages.
Influxer specializes in merchandise, creating co-branded jerseys and apparel for entire rosters—not just stars—at schools like USF.
FanWord uses AI storytelling to help athletes create compelling content and build their personal narratives.
Additional platforms serve various niches: 98Strong, Athletepreneur, Athletes.TV, Blue Wire, MarketPryce, NOCAP Sports, Postgame, and dozens more. The fragmentation reflects a market still finding consolidation—and opportunity for entrepreneurs identifying underserved segments.
Compliance Technology
As NIL matured, compliance became critical. Universities need to ensure deals don’t violate NCAA rules. Brands need contracts that protect both parties. Athletes need guidance navigating tax implications.
CleanKonnect focuses on certification and education, helping athletes understand deal-making complexities before signing anything. Many platforms now integrate compliance checks directly—flagging deals that might create eligibility issues or require additional university approval.
The compliance layer has become table stakes. Any serious marketplace must offer it, and brands increasingly require platform-verified compliance before executing deals.
Fan-Driven Systems: Crowdfunding Athlete Support
A newer category has emerged: platforms enabling fans to directly support athletes through subscriptions, memberships, and micro-payments.
NIL Club allows fans to subscribe for exclusive content from their favorite teams. At schools like St. Petersburg High, football fans pay monthly fees for behind-the-scenes access, and proceeds go directly to players. It’s Patreon for athletics—crowdfunding athlete compensation through community engagement rather than brand deals.
Team FanClub and similar platforms enable collective fan support, allowing boosters of any budget to contribute. A fan who can’t write a $10,000 check to a collective might pay $10 monthly for exclusive content—and thousands of such fans add up.
These fan-driven models represent NIL’s democratization. Not every athlete will land a Nike deal, but any athlete with engaged fans can monetize that relationship directly.
Understanding the Collective Model
Collectives emerged to solve a practical problem: how do boosters who want to support athletes actually get money to them? In the pre-NIL era, this was forbidden. When NIL launched, everyone knew donors wanted to help, but few had the infrastructure to manage individual deals, ensure compliance, and handle tax implications.
Collectives filled this gap. They aggregate donor funds and distribute them to athletes in exchange for services—community appearances, social media content, charity work, autograph sessions. A car dealership owner who wants to support the football program doesn’t need to structure individual contracts with players. They write a check to the collective, which handles everything.
The model varies significantly. Some collectives operate like traditional endorsement agencies, brokering deals between outside brands and athletes while taking a percentage. Others function more like marketing cooperatives, using pooled donor funds to pay athletes for activities that benefit the collective’s sponsors. Still others are essentially booster clubs with legal structure—ways for wealthy fans to direct money toward athlete compensation.
The competition between collectives has become as fierce as recruiting itself. Programs openly tout their NIL infrastructure when pitching prospects. “Come to our school, and our collective will take care of you” has become as important as “come to our school, and we’ll develop you for the NFL.”
The National Landscape
Every major program now has at least one collective, and the sophistication of these organizations has increased dramatically.
Division Street at Oregon was among the first and remains one of the most sophisticated. Located in Nike’s backyard and surrounded by Pacific Northwest tech wealth, Division Street benefits from a donor base that understands branding, marketing, and startup operations. They’ve helped Oregon remain competitive in recruiting despite geographic disadvantages.
Spyre Sports Group powers Tennessee athletics and played a crucial role in the Volunteers’ recruiting resurgence. Their ability to communicate NIL opportunities clearly to recruits helped Tennessee land classes that might otherwise have gone elsewhere. The investment has paid off on the field—and in Nashville’s growing sports economy.
The 12th Man+ Fund at Texas A&M taps into one of college football’s most passionate and wealthy fanbases. Aggies are famously devoted, and that devotion now translates into NIL dollars. Reports suggest they raised millions in their first year of operation, making A&M immediately competitive with traditional powers.
Classic City Collective supports Georgia’s back-to-back national championship program. When you’re already winning titles, NIL becomes about maintaining success—ensuring that stars don’t transfer and that top recruits see Georgia as competitive with any program in the country.
Crimson and Cream keeps Oklahoma competitive in the NIL arms race as the Sooners transition to the SEC. The collective has had to scale up rapidly to compete with established SEC money—a challenge that will define Oklahoma’s success in their new conference.
Grove Collective at Ole Miss leverages the unique culture of Oxford and the passionate fanbase that makes The Grove one of college football’s iconic settings. One Pack at NC State provides resources for a program that has historically competed against better-funded rivals. Triumph NIL at Virginia Tech and Valiant Management at Michigan round out the Power Conference landscape—each tailored to their program’s unique culture, donor base, and competitive needs.
Innovation in the Collective Model
The most forward-thinking collectives have moved beyond simple athlete payments to build sustainable business operations.
Florida Victorious at the University of Florida partnered with the UF College of Journalism to create “Two Bits Creative”—a student-run agency that helps athletes build their personal brands. Athletes receive professional content creation, branding strategy, and media training. Journalism students get real-world experience working with high-profile clients. The university gets positive attention for innovation. It’s NIL as educational laboratory, benefiting everyone involved.
At USF, the Fowler Avenue Collective has focused on deep local business integration rather than chasing national deals. Their partnership with Thirsty Buffalo Brewing to create “Brahman Golden Ale” turns every pint sold into athlete support. It’s a model that builds community investment—Tampa Bay residents supporting Tampa Bay athletes through Tampa Bay businesses.
The collective also works with local professional services firms—law firms, wealth management advisors—to provide financial literacy education to athletes. This addresses one of NIL’s genuine challenges: young people suddenly receiving significant income often lack the knowledge to manage it wisely.
The Hilltop Club offers another avenue for USF supporters, providing exclusive events and merchandise that generate funds for athlete compensation while building community among donors.
The 1-800-Packouts deal with Tre Mobley demonstrates how service-based businesses can utilize NIL. A moving and storage company might not seem like a natural fit for athlete endorsement, but for hyper-local brand awareness in the Tampa market, a USF athlete is more relevant than any national celebrity.
The Agency Layer
Above the collectives sit traditional sports agencies that have expanded aggressively into college athletics. Athletes First, Excel Sports Management, Roc Nation Sports, VaynerSports, WME Sports, and Everett Sports Marketing represent the top tier of talent, securing national campaigns with brands like Nike and Dr Pepper.
For elite prospects, an agency relationship often begins in high school. These firms identify future stars early, provide guidance through the recruiting process, and negotiate the seven-figure deals that make headlines. They bring professional sports infrastructure to college athletics—and take the percentages that come with professional representation.
The agency model creates a clear stratification in NIL. Elite athletes with major agency representation access national brand deals and sophisticated career management. Athletes without representation navigate the market themselves or rely on collectives and university resources.
The Future of Collectives
The House v. NCAA settlement may fundamentally reshape the collective landscape. As schools begin directly sharing revenue with athletes—a dramatic change from the historical model—the role of collectives must evolve.
If schools can pay athletes directly, why do collectives need to exist? The answer lies in differentiation. Direct revenue sharing will likely be somewhat standardized across schools. Collectives can provide additional value through commercial brand deals, content creation support, and marketing opportunities that go beyond what schools offer.
The smart collectives are already pivoting. They’re building brand partnerships, content studios, and athlete development programs that will remain valuable even when schools can pay players directly. They’re positioning themselves as marketing agencies rather than payment mechanisms.
The collectives still operating as glorified slush funds—simply funneling booster money to players without providing real marketing value—may find themselves obsolete. The market is maturing, and maturation means professionalization.
Regional Case Study: The Florida Ecosystem
While national deals garner headlines, the sleeping giant of NIL is the local economy. The Tampa Bay region, anchored by the University of South Florida and a vibrant high school sports scene, offers a microcosm of how local businesses are utilizing NIL—and how this market might develop nationwide.
University of South Florida: Building Local Infrastructure
USF has pursued corporate partners aggressively, recognizing that in the modern era, a strong NIL program is prerequisite for competitive success. The university established Bulls Athletic Properties to internalize multimedia rights and better align corporate sponsorship with NIL opportunities.
The institutional corporate partners read like a who’s who of Tampa Bay business. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Lightning bring professional sports credibility. Advent Health provides healthcare industry presence. Publix connects to the grocery and retail sector. Fanatics offers merchandise and licensing expertise. Seminole Hard Rock & Casino, Tampa Bay Rays, Valspar Championship, Vinik Sports Group, and the Women’s Tennis Association round out a diverse portfolio.
Through platforms like TheLinkU, these sponsors are increasingly encouraged to activate individual student-athletes as part of their broader university sponsorship packages. A company that sponsors USF Athletics generally might also sign specific athletes for additional campaigns—layering individual deals on top of institutional relationships.
Even the supply chain offers opportunities. The USF Bulls NIL Exchange lists approved vendors and partners including B&H Photo, Amazon, Airgas, Grainger, Graybar, and BullPromos. This suggests a potential future trend where B2B companies use NIL for recruitment or campus visibility—not just consumer brands reaching fans, but business suppliers building relationships with future decision-makers.
St. Petersburg and the High School Frontier
With the Florida High School Athletic Association approving NIL for high schoolers in 2024, the St. Petersburg area has seen a surge in activity. This market is distinct from the collegiate level—characterized by lower dollar amounts but higher community engagement.
For high school athletes, sponsors are rarely national giants (unless you’re a five-star recruit with agency representation). Instead, they’re the fabric of the local community. Local dining establishments like Oasis Lounge have engaged with local sports clubs. Professional services firms offer promotional products—branded water bottles, merchandise—that local businesses use to partner with high schools for fundraising and visibility.
Shorecrest Preparatory School’s sponsor list illustrates the community-level nature of high school NIL: American Integrity Insurance, Century Dental, St. Petersburg Distillery, Navigare Yachting, International Diamond Center, Oman Construction, MC Travel Company, DEX Imaging, Woodie’s Wash Shack, Big T Printing, Glow St. Pete, Logan Legal, Frey Masterson Investment Advisors, Fit2Run, SmartChoice Communications, Tampa Bay Breathe Free, SPOCS Orthodontics, Griffin Concierge Medical, Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, Code Wiz, Soccer HQ, and The Athleticus.
With new FHSAA rules, these businesses now have clear regulatory pathways to sponsor standout students directly. The local orthodontist can sign the starting quarterback for Instagram posts. The neighborhood gym can partner with the volleyball captain. It democratizes sports marketing down to the community level.
The “Micro” Economy
High school NIL economics differ fundamentally from college. A local pizza shop might offer $200 and free food for a social media post. That’s not life-changing money—but it’s valuable experience in personal branding, and it’s more than most high schoolers earn from part-time jobs.
The real value in high school NIL is hyper-local influence. A high school quarterback is often a celebrity in their specific town in a way that translates directly to consumer behavior. Parents at games know them. Classmates follow them on social media. Local news covers them. For a hometown car dealership, that quarterback might be more effective than a national spokesperson would ever be.
The NIL Club platform has gained traction at schools like St. Petersburg High, allowing fans to subscribe for exclusive content from the football team. Players like One Williams and Lenny Sapp have publicly promoted these clubs, essentially crowdfunding athlete compensation through monthly subscriptions. It’s a model borrowed from Patreon and OnlyFans (the SFW version), adapted for high school athletics.
Nickelytics, a Tampa-based digital advertising startup, partnered with NILENT to provide out-of-home advertising opportunities for athletes. Billboards, digital displays, wrapped vehicles—athletes can now be featured in physical advertising throughout their communities. It shows how the local tech scene is developing NIL-specific solutions.
Regulatory Complexity
The high school NIL landscape is legally fragmented. While Florida allows it, the rules create genuine complexity.
No Affiliation: Athletes cannot use their high school’s logo, uniform, or equipment in NIL advertisements. This forces businesses and athletes to be creative—using generic athletic wear, focusing on lifestyle content, or emphasizing the athlete’s personality rather than their team identity.
Prohibited Categories: Deals involving alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, cannabis, and prescription drugs are strictly banned for minors. This limits the sponsor pool but protects young athletes from inappropriate associations.
Parental Involvement: Parents must negotiate deals for minors, adding complexity and creating a need for education. Law firms like Kelley Kronenberg are rushing to fill this need, offering guidance to families navigating unfamiliar legal territory.
The Stars vs. The Community
High school NIL creates a stark divide between elite recruits and everyone else.
The 1% operate in a different stratosphere. Athletes like AJ Dybantsa (Utah Prep/BYU commit) command national deals from brands like Nike, Red Bull, and Leaf Trading Cards before they attend prom. They have agency representation, professional content creation, and earning potential that rivals college stars.
Jaden Rashada’s infamous failed $13 million deal with the Florida Gator Collective—which collapsed and resulted in lawsuits—serves as a cautionary tale of volatility at the top end. These athletes operate in waters with serious financial and legal currents.
For the 99%, high school NIL is about pocket money and experience. Learning to negotiate, create content, manage a personal brand, and deliver value to sponsors—skills that will serve them whether or not athletics continues beyond high school. The local pizza shop deal might be worth more in education than in dollars.
Looking Forward: The 2026 Landscape
Revenue Sharing Changes Everything
The House v. NCAA settlement has set the stage for schools to directly share revenue with athletes starting in 2025-26. This represents the most fundamental change in college athletics since the scholarship was invented.
Direct revenue sharing will likely shift the entire NIL ecosystem. Collectives may evolve from salary-replacement vehicles into specialized marketing agencies focused on true commercial NIL—brand deals that provide value beyond basic compensation. The Opendorse report projects the market to reach $2.55 billion in this new era, with clearer separation between institutional payments and commercial endorsements.
The settlement also provides legal clarity that has been lacking. Much of NIL’s first four years involved uncertainty about what was permissible. Revenue sharing establishes frameworks that should reduce litigation risk and make corporate partners more comfortable with larger investments.
The Rise of Micro-Influencers
Brands are moving away from “follower count” as the sole metric of athlete value. Data increasingly shows that engagement rates—not raw reach—determine marketing effectiveness.
A women’s volleyball player with 5,000 highly engaged followers often delivers more value to a beauty brand than a football player with 50,000 passive followers. Her followers actually watch her content, trust her recommendations, and take action. His followers might have clicked “follow” once and never engaged again.
This shift democratizes NIL, allowing non-revenue sport athletes to earn significant income. A standout swimmer, tennis player, or soccer athlete with a devoted following can compete economically with higher-profile athletes in traditional revenue sports. The playing field isn’t level—but it’s leveling.
Corporate Diversification
The types of companies engaging in NIL continue to expand beyond traditional sports marketing categories.
B2B Marketing: Companies like Kenwal Steel and Grainger are exploring NIL for recruitment and brand awareness among future decision-makers. Today’s engineering student might become tomorrow’s purchasing manager—building brand relationship now creates long-term value.
Private Equity: Investment firms like RedBird Capital and Weatherford Capital (through Collegiate Athletic Solutions) are partnering with conferences like the Big 12 to inject capital and professionalize operations. Wall Street sees NIL as an investable asset class, not just a marketing expense.
Private Label Products: The Victory Snacks model at FIU (305 Snacks) represents a new wave where athletes and schools co-create products, sharing retail revenue rather than receiving flat endorsement fees. Athletes become equity partners, not just spokespeople.
Authenticity as Strategy
The brands succeeding in NIL understand something fundamental: these aren’t billboards with sneakers. Student-athletes are creative partners capable of driving authentic engagement in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
The social media environment has shifted decisively toward authenticity. Audiences—especially younger demographics—can detect inauthenticity instantly. They know when content is forced, when enthusiasm is fake, when an athlete doesn’t actually use the product they’re promoting.
The winning strategy treats athletes as collaborators. Let them create content in their own voice. Feature products they actually use. Build campaigns around their genuine interests and personalities. The athlete promoting a protein powder they actually consume daily is more credible than one obviously reading a script.
The Professionalization of College Sports
NIL’s maturation represents the final step in college athletics’ evolution into a professional entertainment industry. The athletes are compensated like professionals. The brands treat them like professionals. The infrastructure supports professional-level operations.
This creates philosophical tension that hasn’t been fully resolved. Are these student-athletes or professional athletes who happen to attend class? The answer is increasingly “both”—and institutions are still figuring out how to balance educational mission with entertainment business.
But for the marketing industry, the path forward is clear. College sports represent a massive, passionate audience. College athletes provide authentic connections to that audience. The brands that figure out how to leverage this relationship—respectfully, authentically, creatively—will capture value that traditional advertising cannot match.
Learn More About the NIL Landscape
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information about athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure behind modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in more depth.
Conclusion: The New Normal
The list of companies now engaged in NIL reads like a cross-section of American commerce. From Nike’s boardroom to St. Petersburg breweries, from Google’s campus to the local orthodontist, the student-athlete has become a central figure in marketing strategy.
For businesses, the question is no longer if they should engage in NIL, but how. The regulations, while complex, are stabilizing. And a generation of digital-native athletes—comfortable on camera, skilled at content creation, hungry for opportunity—stands ready for partnership.
Lessons for Brands
Four years of NIL experimentation have produced clear lessons for companies considering entry into this market.
Start with authenticity. The most successful NIL campaigns don’t feel like campaigns at all. They feel like natural extensions of an athlete’s existing content and personality. Before signing any deal, brands should ask: would this athlete genuinely use our product? Can they speak about it credibly? Will their audience believe the endorsement?
Think local before national. Unless you’re Nike or Gatorade, local and regional activations often provide better ROI than national campaigns. A regional restaurant chain signing athletes from local universities creates more authentic connections than a national brand spreading budget across dozens of markets.
Embrace the micro-influencer. Star power matters, but engagement matters more. A volleyball player with 5,000 devoted followers who trust her recommendations may drive more conversions than a quarterback with 100,000 followers who never engage with his content. The data supports investing in authenticity over celebrity.
Build relationships, not transactions. The athletes who deliver the most value are those who genuinely believe in the brands they represent. Long-term partnerships that develop over multiple seasons create deeper connections than one-off posts. Invest in relationships that grow.
Prepare for complexity. NIL involves compliance considerations, tax implications, contract negotiations, and content approvals. Companies entering this space need legal review and operational infrastructure. The days of handshake deals and cash payments are over—professionalization is required.
Lessons for Athletes
The market has matured enough that clear patterns of success have emerged for athletes navigating NIL.
Your brand is your business. Treat NIL income like a business, because it is one. Keep records, pay taxes, honor commitments, and deliver value. The athletes who approach NIL professionally build reputations that attract premium opportunities.
Engagement beats followers. Brands have learned to look beyond follower counts. Building a smaller, highly engaged audience often proves more valuable than chasing viral moments and passive followers. Create content your audience actually wants to see.
Diversify your portfolio. Relying on a single major deal creates vulnerability. Athletes with multiple smaller partnerships often earn more—and more consistently—than those chasing one big score. Spread risk across categories and sponsors.
Get educated. Financial literacy, contract basics, personal branding, content creation—these skills determine NIL success as much as athletic performance. Athletes who invest in education position themselves for both immediate earnings and long-term career success.
Stay authentic. Audiences can detect insincerity instantly. Only endorse products you actually use or genuinely believe in. Short-term money from inauthentic promotions damages long-term credibility and earning potential.
The Road Ahead
As we move deeper into 2026, the NIL landscape continues to evolve. Revenue sharing will clarify the division between institutional compensation and commercial endorsement. Legal frameworks will stabilize further as courts resolve remaining questions. Technology will enable more sophisticated matching between brands and athletes.
The professionalization trend will accelerate. Athletes will increasingly work with agents, managers, accountants, and lawyers—the infrastructure of professional sports applied to college athletics. Schools will build NIL support into their athletic departments, providing resources that make their programs more attractive to recruits.
New categories will emerge. As brands gain comfort with NIL, industries that haven’t traditionally engaged in sports marketing will experiment. Healthcare, education, professional services, technology—the categories of NIL sponsors will expand beyond sports drinks and fast food.
International opportunities will develop. College athletics’ growing global audience creates potential for international brand partnerships. Athletes with overseas followings or international backgrounds may access markets that domestic-focused peers cannot reach.
And through it all, the fundamental dynamic will remain: authentic influence, properly leveraged, creates value that traditional advertising cannot match. The student-athlete represents something genuine—talent, dedication, personality, community connection. Brands that respect and amplify these qualities will succeed. Those that treat athletes merely as billboards will fail.
The brands that win will be those who understand that student-athletes aren’t just endorsers—they’re creative partners capable of driving authentic engagement in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
College sports has become a fully realized component of the entertainment industry. The $2.5 billion question is whether your brand—and your business—will be part of it.
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