Median Athlete Compensation for NIL Is $35
According to the first published data from technology provider Opendorse (and reported by On3), the median compensation from Name, Image, and Likeness activities by student-athletes has been just $35. Here are 3 reasons why that may be both good and bad news.
#1 THE DATA SHOWS THAT NIL IS NOT JUST ABOUT “ENDORSEMENTS”
NIL is not just about “endorsements.” That’s good news because because less than 10% of pro team sport athletes make 1% or more of their income from endorsements (product endorsements are defined by a brand compensating an athlete to promote a brand online, on-air/broadcast, at live events, and at retail.) Opendorse data indicates that 46% of all NIL compensation came from social media promotions as well as other activities.
#2 THE DATA IS AN INDICATOR THAT “NIL FOR ALL” IS POSSIBLE
According to Opendorse, the average compensation for a Division I athlete was $471, Division II was $81, and Division III was $47. In other words, student-athletes from across all divisions are participating. The next step in their on-going education is to ensure that they see NIL through an entrepreneurial lens and identify non-endorsement opportunities. (Click above to watch a lesson from the NIL On-Demand 2021 Course for Student-Athletes. To access all video content FOR FREE until October 6, click here and create and account.)
#3 THE DATA SHOWS NIL IS NOT YET A GREAT EQUALIZER
Remember all that media chatter about Fresno State women's basketball players the Cavinder twins? Or LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne? While the media attention may be on these high profile athletes and their NIL success, women student-athletes generally have not faired as well as men in the early days. On average, compensation for female athletes has been $123, while the average compensation for male athletes has been $538 (said another way, females earned 23% of what males earned.) To put that in perspective, according to Pew Research Center’s 2020 study of the gender pay gap, women earned 84% of what men earned last year across the whole US economy.