Colleges use NIL rules as a top student athlete recruiting tool
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Louisiana State University Tiger cheerleaders perform during The Money Game World Premiere at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sept. 4 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Photo: Peter Forest/Getty Images for Prime Video
Colleges' success with name image and likeness has become a top tool to recruit new student athletes, said Taylor Jacobs, LSU Athletics associate athletic director for NIL and strategic initiatives.
Why it matters: Student athletes have scored six- and seven-figure deals centered on their own personas since since name, image and likeness (NIL) rules changed.
Driving the news: "Prior to NIL, it was academic services and mental health and facilities and all of those things — that's what a coach would sell on a recruiting visit," Jacobs said Monday at the TN50 "Changing the Game" event hosted by Axios and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment.
- "Now, they're selling the NIL resources," she told Axios' Sara Fischer at the New York City event on how NIL rules have impacted women athletes' experiences.
Context: "The Money Game," a docuseries produced by Axios Entertainment from Prime Video out Tuesday, examines the impact of the NIL on several LSU athletes.
- LSU athletes capitalized on NIL deals quickly and dramatically altered the arcs of their lives and careers.
- The series follows the experiences of current and former LSU athletes including gymnast Olivia Dunne, quarterback Jayden Daniels, track athlete Alia Armstrong and basketball players Flau'jae Johnson, Angel Reese and Trace Young.
Between the lines: NIL deals can help launch a career for students who don't go pro in their sport, Jacobs said.
- "They're working very hard, and they're seeing that it's another job," she said.
Zoom in: Armstrong on Monday said navigating NIL deals helped her grow up.
- "This truly brought me into my womanhood and into the next chapter in my life, and that's all I really wanted out of it," she said. "The money is material."
- The runner and hurdler, who is currently working to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, said balancing the business of her brand with her sport helped her realize how she can juggle in her future. She says a goal is to be an actress.
Zoom out: Investors have taken notice of the business opportunity around women's sports as dozens of new professional teams have launched since 2020.
- During March Madness this year, women basketball players had more star power than the men.
The latest: Private equity firm Harlan Capital committed up to $200 million for NIL rights, Axios' Tim Baysinger reported on Monday.
- The firm's deal is with Nilly, which pays athletes an upfront license fee and then sources NIL deals for them.
Go deeper:
- Review: "The Money Game" leads viewers on LSU athletes' whirlwind NIL explosion
- Photos: Livvy Dunne, Flau'jae Johnson sparkle at "Money Game" premiere at LSU
- Watch trailer for "The Money Game," LSU's new streaming series on Prime Video
Axios and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment hosted the fourth installment of the global event series, "TN50: The Business of Women's Sports" in New York City on Monday for the launch of "The Money Game" series.
