After years of controversy and debate, the college sports landscape has finally welcomed the ability for athletes to make money off their names, images and likenesses (NIL). Although it is not perfect, the current rules are the best case scenario for both the athletes and the schools.

For so many years, there were many discussions about the status of athletes. They were labeled as amateurs, meaning that they could not receive any compensation whatsoever, and many believed it was an exploitation of the athletes’ talents.  While the universities and the NCAA made billions, and coaches made millions, athletes weren’t given any compensation for their play, aside from scholarships. 

One of the biggest questions was how exactly a pay-to-play structure would look. Would the schools use part of their athletic budget to pay these athletes? Would third-party entities be used to determine value? It was clear, however, that the NCAA and university presidents did not want to venture into using billions of dollars to pay the athletes their fair share — which is why it has taken so long to get where we are today. 

It seemed that one middle ground that everyone agreed needed significant change was the way the NCAA was able to restrict its athletes from using their own personal images and names to make money due to their amateur status. How can they restrict a player from being able to make money from something that they physically own — their image? From shutting down YouTube channels, restricting the sale of autographed images and ultimately causing a beloved video game franchise to shut down due to the gray area of using the players likenesses, the NCAA was very content in making a lot of money without sharing the wealth.

Student athletes were at risk of suffering significant suspension if the NCAA deemed they violated such “amateur” status. Many high-profile athletes fell victim to such suspensions, derailing their season or, in some cases, their college careers. Guys like Todd Gurley, Reggie Bush, AJ Green and Terrelle Pryor, just to name a few, all faced suspensions for being paid for their names, images and likenesses. 

Fortunately for everyone involved, those days are gone. As we branch into a new age of college sports, players are now able to make money off their NIL. There are many reasons why the current structure of this rule is in the best interest of both the school and athletes. 

One of the main arguments that was presented when discussing the compensation of student athletes was how to fairly determine how much everyone gets paid. There are thousands of student athletes across hundreds of collegiate sports, and determining how to pay all of them fairly can be a serious logistical problem. How can a school determine who is worth more? Sure, it is fair to say that the starting quarterback of a Power 5 program would logistically be worth more to a university than, say, the back-up goalie on the soccer team, but it would be hard for a university to really determine how different the pay scales would be.

Luckily, with the NIL rules in effect, compensation is taken out of the hands of the universities all together, and instead lets businesses and other entities determine the worth of the athletes they represent. We have already seen the effects of this, as Nick Saban mentioned that star quarterback Bryce Young was nearing “almost seven figures” in endorsement deals. This is obviously an outlier in what normally would be modest earnings for most athletes across the college sports landscape, but the idea that any athlete can benefit from this, regardless of sport or stature, ensures that everyone will be happy. 

Recruiting also takes a huge step forward with the NIL rules in place. Coaches are able to use potential earnings to their advantage in trying to recruit the best athletes. Universities in big markets like New York or Los Angeles are definitely at an advantage. Pitching to an 18-year-old that you can be in the same social class as movie stars and celebrities if you decide to play at UCLA instead of Oklahoma State can definitely sway an athlete’s mind, who may otherwise not even think of playing in such environments. 

Many different states also have different variations of NIL laws, which can definitely play a hand in recruiting. Georgia, for example, gives the schools the right to take up to 75% of a student athlete’s NIL earnings. Whether or not schools in Georgia actually do take this step, schools in other states will definitely use this to their advantage when competing against Georgia or Georgia Tech for recruits. Recruiting has always been a blood bath full of promises and hype videos, and NIL laws add fuel to the fire.

One of the most underrated aspects of the NIL rules that benefits programs more than is being discussed is that it may also cause players to return to school for their senior year more often than before. At the end of the day, the main goal for many of these student athletes is to play professionally and earn a nice paycheck while doing so. Many athletes come from low-income families and feel a sense of urgency to reach the next level and make some money to help their families.

With the NIL in place, however, some players may be willing to remain at their schools for one more year, knowing that they have a six- or seven-figure endorsement deal in place. Additionally, it is not out of the realm of possibility that certain businesses who support a certain program offer a student athlete a lucrative endorsement opportunity to remain on campus for an additional year. 

Having a higher number of athletes stay on campus may impact the competitive balance across the country. Teams will surely be better than they otherwise would be, with fourth- and fifth-year guys on the field, court, diamond, etc. Also, this benefits the NFL as well, as more polished talent benefitting from an extra year in college will head to the NFL.

It is still early to know exactly what the future of college sports will look like with the NIL rules in effect. What we do know, however, is that it is something that was a long time coming and is here to stay.