College Football’s Burgeoning Name, Image, and Likeness Industry

Heading into Week One of college football (CFB), there is plenty of excitement around prominent coaching changes and notable transfers. Still, another trend is the name, image, and likeness (NIL) growth in CFB. Ahead of the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game between Oregon and Georgia on September 3, 2022, here’s what you need to know about CFB and NIL. 

While deals are occurring across the country, there are specific contracts that grab national attention. Notable is the August deal where Hooters signed 51 offensive linemen, whom they dub the “unsung heroes of college football.” These linemen, from nine universities, including Texas and LSU, will have a social media presence with Hooters and visit local restaurants as part of the NIL deal.

Another viral story is the SOS Heating and Cooling commercial featuring Nebraska wide receiver Decoldest Crawford. The most memorable line reads, “Take it from Decoldest. We will keep you cool this summer.”

While there are too many deals to name and no central tracking of NIL, perhaps the most creative announcement is Bijan Mustardson, dubbed “the official Dijan of Bijan Robinson.” The Texas runningback is also widely recognized for his Lamborghini deal. 

Another area to watch is collectives, which are groups unaffiliated with the university that most commonly combine funds from boosters and businesses to benefit student-athletes. According to @On3, there are more than 120 collectives as of July 2022. One prominent collective is the Gator Collective, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars within the first year and signed over 100 University of Florida athletes.

While collectives can be an excellent resource for collegiate athletes, there is growing concern over pay-for-play. One of the main NCAA rules is no pay-for-play, which they define as compensation for athletic participation or achievement. Despite the rule, there are nationwide rumors that this is taking place. In March 2022, The Athletic wrote that a five-star recruit for the Class of 2023 reportedly signed a NIL deal worth as much as $8 million, and Bleacher Report alleges that a 4-star prospect signed a $9.5 million deal with a University of Miami booster in June 2022. 

From collectives and pay-for-play to the success of individual athletes, teams, and position groups, this season of college football is bound to have many off-field stories of interest.