2025 Year End NIL Report: What 1,000+ student-athletes told us

The big picture

We did a final survey from our NIL Research Poll — with 1,061 current college student-athletes responding.

What did we find? Student-athletes are getting smarter about NIL, but the ecosystem isn't keeping up with their needs. Brands, universities, and sports organizations are making 2025 investment decisions right now. This data shows where the gaps are.

Deal perfomance reality check

58% of athletes say at least one NIL deal "didn't deliver what was promised." 

Top reasons deals fell apart after initial agreement:

  • Brand stopped responding (41%)

  • Payment delays over 60 days (33%)

  • Compliance complications (19%)

What made athletes say YES to their best deal:

  • #1 Authentic brand fit (61%)

  • #2 Simple requirements (44%)

  • #3 Fair compensation (38%)

Translation for brands: Responsiveness and authenticity beat budget size.

The money

59% of athletes said they made less from NIL in 2025 than they expected.

  • 47% wish they'd done fewer deals for more money

  • 31% happy with their approach

  • 22% wish they'd done more deals

Why this matters for universities: Nearly half your athletes are overwhelmed and would trade volume for value.

The support gap is real

What athletes wish they understood before their first deal:

  • Contract negotiation (58%)

  • Time commitment reality (51%)

  • How to say no professionally (44%)

The tax surprise: 51% of athletes with $5K+ in NIL income had unexpected tax situations.

Time and impact

Average weekly NIL hours: 2.7 hours (63% said this was "more than expected")

Self-reported impact on:

  • Athletic performance: 13% negative, 81% no impact, 6% positive

  • Academic performance: 12% negative, 84% no impact, 4% positive

  • Mental health: 28% negative, 58% no impact, 14% positive

For 2025: 44% want to do LESS NIL, 37% about the same, 19% more.

What athletes want > brand opportunity

Brand categories they WANT but haven't partnered with yet:

  • Financial services/banking (41%)

  • Technology/electronics (39%)

  • Beverage (31%)

  • Health/fitness (29%)

  • Auto (24%)

Top open-ended responses to what brands don't understand:

  • "We're students first. The 48-hour turnaround expectations are unrealistic."

  • "Just because I have 10K followers doesn't mean they care about every product."

  • "Stop ghosting us. A simple 'no' is better than silence."

The bottom line

Student-athletes want fewer, better deals with brands that respect their time and actually deliver. The infrastructure and education — from tax education to contract simplification — is the real opportunity for 2025.

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.

Bill Carter