As of July 1, 2021, college athletes across the U.S. can financially benefit from name, image, and likeness opportunities. This policy change is relatively new, and many student athletes are unsure of the best ways to navigate NIL statutes to maximize their financial benefits.

At Coach NIL, we’re committed to helping college athletes maximize their earning potential and take the fullest advantage of their branding. Our name, image, and likeness NIL representation services can help you remain compliant within your college’s policies, NCAA rules, and state laws, while ensuring you get paid when others use your identity.

What Are Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Opportunities?

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) are three aspects of a person that encompass their unique personal branding. Athletes have “rights of publicity” that allow them complete control over how companies and entities use their branding in promotional events or materials.

Other elements of an athlete’s branding can include the following:

• Their full name and nicknames
• Their image and appearance
• Their signature
• Symbols or designs that represent them
• Their social media account and digital presence

Name, image, and likeness rights offer several benefits for athletes. First, athletes can use their personal branding to earn money outside of athletics. These rights also give athletes control over how companies use their branding, ensuring that athletes can maintain positive, accurate images in media.

NCAA Name, Image, Likeness Statutes

Until recently, college athletes could not use their images and branding to make money. However, the NCAA recently updated its NIL laws to allow athletes to market themselves and earn money for their branding outside of the university setting.

The new NCAA policy allows students to receive payment for the following activities:

• Making a public appearance to sign autographs or take photos with fans
• Appearing in a video game
• Filming a commercial for a company
• Appearing in a social media post or digital advertisement
• Giving permission to use their name on jerseys sold

College athletes can make money from almost any public endorsement or representation that financially benefits a company or entity. However, the compensation athletes receive must remain within the “fair market value” of the service. Athletes also cannot participate in NIL opportunities during official team activities.

How Our Coach NIL Team Can Help

The NIL landscape is complex, multi-faceted, and ever-changing within college athletics. If you’re a college athlete looking to earn money for your branding, you’ll want to ensure that you navigate NIL statutes appropriately. The NCAA continually updates its NIL regulations, and failing to comply could be detrimental to your athletic career.

We recommend hiring a qualified name, image, and likeness attorney to provide legal guidance and representation. At Coach NIL, we’re well-versed in helping student-athletes like you make the most thoughtful monetization decisions.

We can help ensure that you stay compliant with any NIL opportunities you participate in, allowing you to maximize compensation. We can also represent you in NIL disputes where a company used your name, image, or likeness without your permission.

Our services begin with a consultation. Contact our Coach NIL team today at (312) 668-7885 to schedule your free consultation and start taking the fullest advantage of your personal branding.

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