Learning What Student-Athletes Think About NIL and More
When I developed the NIL Research Poll in 2020 (a year before NIL was a reality), the goal was simply to understand the NIL experience that student-athletes were going to have.
Since then, the Poll has helped me be a better NIL consultant and educator, but I’m a realist. The data I collect is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need.
My hope is that we get serious about using data to to understand what student-athletes think about issues like revenue sharing and employment status.
1 > Admit that data is required
In a recent article, Pete Nakos of On3 said, "(NCAA President) Baker said he’s talked with some 1,000 athletes since assuming his role in March and not one said they were in favor of an employee model. However, between Oct. 22 and 27, Bill Carter of Student-Athlete Insights polled just under 1,100 current student-athletes – 73% said they would be in favor of employee status."
So how could President Baker and I have such different data?
Two reasons: bias and lack of student-athlete education.
First, bias.
I have no doubt that President Baker and others in his orbit are honorable people. I mean that. I also want to be clear that I want him and the NCAA to succeed.
But there is an inherent bias in that the NCAA hopes that student-athletes do NOT become employees. And that hope is a bias that almost certainly shapes the conversations with those “1,000 athletes.”
Second, lack of education.
I am very transparent that my NIL Research Poll, which relies on email surveys, are NOT the best way to ask complex questions of student-athletes.
For example, before posing questions about employment status, I am unable to provide student-athletes with context and a FULL explanation of the pros/cons of being an employee of their university. In other words, I cannot educate student-athletes before asking every question. And because student-athletes are widely uneducated still on issues directly and indirectly tied to NIL, my data can be skewed.
2 > Allow the NCAA’s own research team to study these issues
The NCAA has a serious and respected research capability.
I have their site bookmarked and you should too. Here it is - do it now! https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/8/research.aspx
They do work on NCAA policy, academic performance, student-athlete well-being, finances, gender-equity, diversity and more.
Admittedly, there is a lot I don’t know about internal politics, privacy concerns, and more, but in my opinion, this NCAA team should be leading the research effort on NIL, revenue sharing, employment status, and other related issues.
3 > Roll out that data to the stakeholders who need it most
Week after week, misinformation about NIL is circulated. A few days ago, we had another high profile example.
The Biden administration hosted an NIL event with former college football players. No other sport representatives were present. Women’s sports were not represented. So what information was shared about NIL, revenue sharing, or employment status? Were these former NFL players expressing the views of today’s 550,000 current student-athletes?
I worry that without large-scale data, our lawmakers march on further into the dark - half understanding NIL and all who it impacts.
If we are able to gather student-athlete data on a large scale, it would benefit more than just lawmakers. It would inform these important discussions and ultimately the future of college athletics.
For a limited time, apply the coupon code “launch” at checkout and get 20% off the regular price of $150.
Go from novice to expert with a 2-hour on-demand, digital course for executives, coaches, administrators, and other professionals.
Bill Carter is an NIL Consultant, Educator, and Speaker. He is a NIL Columnist for Sports Business Journal and teaches NIL in College Sports at the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business. Click here to read about Bill’s NIL Consulting and NIL Education for sports organizations, universities, and brands.