90 Days into Name, Image, and Likeness
Based on the results of two studies I conducted in September 2021 of 1,250 current-student athletes in NCAA DI, II, III, and NAIA, there are a number of issues that remain misunderstood or altogether absent in the first 90 days of the Name, Image, and Likeness era.
#1 NIL ≠ Endorsements
It’s ok if the average college sports fan thinks that NIL means “endorsements.” Fans also think college athletics is exclusively what they watch on CBS at 3:30 on Saturdays. For some of the student-athletes that play in those games, traditional/pro sports style endorsements are a reality. But what should concern us is that 31% of student-athletes equate NIL to those traditional endorsements. That means that nearly one-third of student-athletes are not seeing the more realistic opportunities available to them such as being a social media influencer or providing private instruction.
Is there a danger in student-athletes believing that NIL is about endorsements? Not exactly, but it’s certainly a missed opportunity - for them to learn about business, being an entrepreneur, and earning some additional income.
#2 College Athletics, Meet the FTC
A risk to student-athletes and to Athletic Departments is that 72% of student-athletes don’t know what the Federal Trade Commission does relative to NIL. 84% of student-athletes say they have never heard of the FTC’s Endorsement Guides.
FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra has indicated the agency’s plan to strengthen social media marketing laws by adding civil penalties for violations. Chopra said, “The FTC will need to take bold steps to safeguard our digital economy from lies, distortions, and disinformation.” Student-Athletes and the brands that sponsor them will be impacted…and Athletic Departments will be caught up in the media narrative, if not the legal mess.
To understand the social media laws and guidelines, watch lesson #3 of my NIL On-Demand course. You can access all content from the NIL On-Demand until October 6 by clicking here to set up a free account.
#3 Fast Tracking Financial Literacy
The NCAA’s policy on Name, Image, and Likeness has brought financial literacy to the forefront. Nearly three-quarters of student-athletes are “interested” or “very interested” in financial literacy. Yet, student-athletes’ cite family members and TikTok (yes, TikTok!) as their primary sources for financial education. Do we really need to wait until a student-athlete fails to pay taxes on NIL activity or squanders their earnings before we make financial literacy a priority?
While some institutions are educating student-athletes with resources in-house, I’m impressed by (and recommend working with) former Ohio State tennis player, now Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Kara Jo Wietrzykowski. Kara has walked the walk and knows what today’s student-athletes need to know about their finances.
#4 Mental Health x NIL
In the coming days, I’ll post some survey data about the impact of NIL on student-athletes’ mental health. But until then, we can surmise that NIL will create additional stress on student-athletes based on:
NIL activity taking time from an already time-crunched student-athlete schedule
Social media as a primary NIL activity
Pressure to make money (or trying to make money and failing)
Student-Athletes comparing themselves to others who may or may not be having “more” NIL success
NIL as an additional pressure on student-athletes is another reason that I believe so strongly in the work of former college basketball player, now mental wellness advocate Ivan Tchatchouwo. His app The Zone is an incredible resource, putting wellness tools in the pocket of every student-athlete.