The NCAA started allowing NIL deals in 2021 and has since made them easier for athletes to receive | NCAA clipart
President Donald Trump’s March 6 roundtable featuring politicians and former coaches criticized Name, Image, and Likeness deals, bringing them back into the spotlight in an effort “to save college sports,” as the president said. Without any athletes present, they concluded that an executive order would fix the problem.
True, NIL deals have gotten out of hand. But athletes should still receive compensation for the use of their persona in school advertising and, if they are skilled enough to draw attention to a brand, should be allowed advertising deals. Encouraging Hillsdale student-athletes to make NIL deals that protect the use of their persona would help them “rise to self-government,” as the college aims to do.
The Chargers’ athletics website says athletes can participate in NIL deals as long as they “comply with our honor code and mission.” Hillsdale should encourage its athletes to participate in third-party NIL deals, ones that follow the original 2021 rules, to protect their intellectual property and capitalize on the brand their persona could build. A 2025 revision to the initial 2021 decision allows schools to pay athletes in addition to third-party deals, but even without the school paying into the new NIL changes, Charger athletes could market themselves and gain recognition through deals with companies.
If the athlete is exceptionally talented and even the slightest bit charismatic, creating brand deals would be entrepreneurial. Former University of Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark amassed a fanbase thanks to her skills on the court, but also because of her deals off the court. Her talent, coupled with increased self-promotion through NIL deals, helped boost not only herself and her team but all of women’s college basketball. Viewership rose by 37% in 2024, according to ESPN. The deals she received with brands such as State Farm and Nike, and their commercials featuring her, made her a household name. This is how NIL deals should be used — for the benefit of the sport itself and for school recognition.
University of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is the highest-paid college athlete, having made an estimated $6.5 million in the 2024-25 season, according to Sports Illustrated. He made $3.2 million of that total in third-party deals. He has capitalized on his persona so much that he is turning down NIL money from the university, according to sports media company On3. In his commercial for Vuori Clothing, Manning is seen tossing a football, running drills, and flashing his golden-boy smile. He is proving that athletes with ability and charisma can make money with just their persona, without taking more money from the schools.
Hillsdale athletes could do the same — build a personal brand while bringing attention to the school and athletic programs it offers. Just as authors and musicians can copyright lyrics and lines, athletes should be able to protect their intellectual property and receive compensation. If an athlete is talented enough that a school uses them to market its sports and draw fans into the stadium, that athlete deserves a cut of the profit they helped the school generate.
It’s time to let students do what the College hopes they will do. Encouraging NIL deals will help create self-governing Hillsdale athletes.
