July 16, 2024
Just three years ago, a college athlete could face serious ramifications for as much as charging for an autograph. Ah, those were simple times.
As any college sports fan knows, the landscape was completely transformed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA and opened the doors for college athletes to cash in on their names, images and likenesses (NILs). The results have been mind-boggling.
According to a recent report at Bloomberg.com, college athletes are projected to earn $1.67 billion from selling their NILs to sponsors this upcoming school year, up from $917 million in 2021-22, the first year that the new rules were in effect. A quarterback at a top-ranked college can expect to earn about $800,000 in NIL this season.
Median NFL salary? $860,000.