Forget dorms. In NIL era, some athletes opt for luxury apartments
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Maliq Brown is a senior for the Duke Blue Devils who moved into a downtown apartment at the Novus. Photo: David Jensen/Getty Images
NIL money is allowing some Duke basketball players to live in downtown Durham's most high-end apartment building.
Why it matters: In the NCAA's new era, Division I athletes have gained access to a lifestyle that just five years ago would have risked sanctions or been reserved for the independently wealthy.
Case in point: Duke players Maliq Brown and Caleb Foster took up residence this season in the Novus, a 27-story tower finished last summer.
- "We're all happy to be there," Brown told Axios Raleigh. "We couldn't pass it up."
- "To have something like that in Durham is a really great thing," adds Davis Beischer, Duke basketball's director of operations, who was also on the call with Axios.
Context: Business lawyer Bryan Sullivan tells Axios that NIL agreements are "no different than any other influencer agreement or endorsement agreement that I've done." He is not involved with the Duke deals.
- There are certain rules student athletes must comply with, and NIL deals over $600 are subject to independent review. "You can't just use it to funnel money to an athlete in violation of the NCAA rules," Sullivan says.
- In the first two months of 2026, the College Sports Commission approved thousands of deals worth a combined $39 million and rejected another $14 million worth, CBS Sports reported.
Flashback: Getting discounts on housing was historically an impermissible benefit the NCAA routinely penalized.
- In 2021, though, athletes won the ability to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness, flinging open the doors for a wide spectrum of business opportunities. A North Carolina basketball player even bought a Ben & Jerry's franchise.
Between the lines: Novus ownership says players pay using a combination of their Duke scholarship stipends for off-campus housing and their own NIL earnings.
- Zach Prager, who worked for developer Austin Lawrence Partners during construction of the Novus and now owns a stake in the building, says they're "happy to collaborate" with Duke basketball given its massive following, including of generally wealthy Duke alums.
State of play: The high-rise's tenants include Duke affiliates, as well as doctors, lawyers and professionals from the Research Triangle Park. "It's not just Duke, by any stretch," Prager says.
- The building is a short walk from Duke's East Campus and a 10-minute drive to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Zoom in: The developers' focus was "amenities, amenities, amenities," Prager tells Axios, catering to the post-pandemic mentality of having everything, in case you get stuck.
- Both the seventh and top floors are made up entirely of amenities — including co-working spaces; a cabana-lined pool and infinity-style hot tub; two golf simulators; an outdoor movie theater; pickleball court; dog-walking lawn; and workout areas that include a steam room and cold plunge.
- "It's not cheap to live here. We want to make sure everyone who lives here gets value for it," Prager says.
By the numbers: Rents start around $2,000 for a 547-square-foot one-bedroom apartment and can easily exceed $4,000 for two-bedroom units.
- Median rent in the Durham metro was around $1,265 in February, according to Apartment List data.
- Most of the condos sell for over $1 million, and a penthouse fetched a state-record $5.25 million, per real estate publication Mansion Global.
What's next: Duke is the only local men's basketball squad still active in the NCAA tournament.
- The Blue Devils, the overall No. 1 seed, play No. 5 St. John's next in the Sweet 16. Watch at 7:10pm Friday on CBS.