NIL's Most Powerful Forces Were the Ones Nobody Saw Coming

What if I told you 3 years ago that NIL's greatest impact would not be on the highly visible stars of college football and basketball, but on athletes from non-revenue sports?

What if I said that social media rather than traditional TV would prove to be far the most powerful media partner? 

And what if I told you that the bulk of transactions (and dollars) would come from local businesses rather than Fortune 500 companies? 

Would you have believed any of that? No, you wouldn't have believed it - and I would not have been smart enough to say it.

This democratization of college sports has shifted the focus from the biggest programs to the individual stories that resonate on a more personal level.

The Unexpected Winners: Non-Revenue Sport Athletes

When NIL was first introduced, many assumed it would primarily benefit the stars of college football and basketball—the athletes at the center of major media attention, the ones playing in sold-out arenas and on national television.

But as the dust settled, it turned out that some of the biggest beneficiaries weren’t just the Heisman hopefuls or the future NBA lottery picks. Instead, a surprising number of athletes from non-revenue sports - those whose games rarely made it to prime time - found themselves at the forefront of the NIL revolution.

Consider Cara Bognar, a swimmer at Illinois. She built a business matching college athletes with parents looking for sports lessons for their kids. She launched and scaled Top Tier Lessons across 3 cities in the first year and is on track to be in 20 more markets by 2025. She did this by winning the College New Venture Challenge and the COZAD New Venture Challenge totaling $80,000 in early investment.

Non-revenue athletes have authenticity on their side. They are still juggling classes, early morning workouts, and the normal struggles of a student. They’re not surrounded by handlers or agents—they are relatable.

It’s this very authenticity that attracts brands, especially smaller ones, to partner with them. Their influence isn’t rooted in stadium lights and championship banners but in the community and niche culture they represent.

In this way, NIL didn’t just create opportunities for athletes; it redefined who could be seen as influential. It turned attention to sports that had often been relegated to the margins, and it provided opportunities to athletes who never had a path to revenue before. It shifted the definition of who mattered in the landscape of college sports.

NIL as a Social Leveler: Democratizing College Sports

When NIL was introduced, it was often portrayed as a means for the stars of college athletics to earn what they deserved.

But beneath that narrative lies a deeper, more profound change—NIL has become a powerful democratizing force in college sports. It has leveled the playing field in unexpected ways, providing opportunities to athletes who may never have had a platform before.

Mitchell Pehlke, a lacrosse player at Ohio State, became a prominent example of how NIL can benefit athletes beyond the major revenue sports. Pehlke leveraged his strong social media presence, particularly on YouTube, to share his life as a student-athlete, creating content that resonated with a dedicated audience.

His authenticity and storytelling ability attracted brand partnerships that aligned with his personality and audience, allowing him to monetize his passion for lacrosse and his relatable experiences. His value wasn’t tied to TV ratings or big-ticket games—it was tied to his ability to connect with people and share his journey.

This democratizing effect has also brought about a cultural shift in how we view influence in college sports. No longer is influence tied solely to the size of the crowd in the stadium or the number of TV cameras on the sidelines.

Influence is now about authenticity, connection, and the ability to tell a story that resonates. Athletes who may have been overlooked by traditional gatekeepers now have the power to shape their own narratives and benefit from the value they create.

In doing so, NIL is not just about money—it’s about recognizing and rewarding the diverse contributions that athletes make to their sports and communities.

The Rise of Local Partnerships and Community Influence

Perhaps one of the most intriguing outcomes of the NIL era has been the rise of local partnerships and the newfound importance of community influence.

The Rise of Local Partnerships and Community Influence (cont.)

In a world that often seems obsessed with the biggest, loudest, and most famous, NIL has proven that sometimes smaller is better—that local influence can be just as powerful, if not more so, than national fame.

Lauren DeGroot plays soccer at University of Vermont. She’s not on ESPN every week, and her games don’t draw millions of viewers. But within her community, she has impact. Her NIL opportunities are not Nike or Gatorade but Folino's Pizza. Folino's and Burlington, VT businesses like it understand the influence of college athletes in the community and recognize the value of partnering with athletes who genuinely connect to their customers.

Local businesses have found that college athletes bring something unique to the table. They bring a story, a personal connection, and an authenticity that larger endorsements often lack. They’re not polished professionals with million-dollar contracts—they’re students, community members, role models. And that makes them incredibly powerful ambassadors for local brands.

These partnerships have also allowed athletes to stay true to themselves. Rather than chasing national fame or trying to fit into the mold of a traditional influencer, they’re able to represent brands that align with their values and their community. They’re able to build relationships that feel genuine—relationships that are as much about supporting the local community as they are about personal gain.

The rise of these local partnerships is a reminder that influence doesn’t always have to be about scale. Sometimes, the most impactful connections are the ones that are closest to home. NIL has empowered athletes to leverage their local standing, to be ambassadors not just for themselves but for the communities that have supported them all along.

The Future of NIL: Empowering the Many

The NIL movement has reached its tipping point, and the outcomes have been surprising, inspiring, and, at times, challenging. It has shifted the spotlight to athletes who had long been overlooked, created new opportunities for those beyond the bright lights of national TV, and redefined what influence looks like in the world of college sports.

NIL has shown us the power of small moves—of local influence, of niche audiences, of authenticity over fame. It has also shown us the importance of support, education, and equitable access to opportunity. As we navigate this new landscape, it’s up to all of us—athletes, institutions, brands, and communities—to ensure that the promise of NIL is fulfilled, not just for the few, but for the many.

The true power of NIL isn’t in the size of the deals or the prestige of the brands involved—it’s in the stories, the connections, and the communities that these athletes represent. The opportunity is there to create a system that truly benefits all athletes, that recognizes the unique value each of them brings, and that allows them to thrive in ways that were previously unimaginable.

About Bill Carter

Bill has advised brands on Name, Image, Likeness for 25 years—first in pro sports, now at the college level. He was the Co-Founder of the Gen Z sports agency Fuse, which he sold in 2019. In 2020, he founded Student-Athlete Insights and consults on NIL strategy with Fortune 500 companies and 30+ DI universities. Read more about Student-Athlete Insights.