How NIL deals and brand sponsorships are helping college athletes make money

• Student-athletes gained in 2021 the right to make money from their names, images, and likenesses.
• The billion-dollar industry has exploded thanks to brand deals, startups, and donor-backed collectives.
• Here's a breakdown of Insider's recent coverage of student-athlete marketing and NIL activity.

Name, image, and likeness, or NIL, has redefined college athletics in the past two years. Student-athlete influencers have become key parts of marketing strategies for companies and capitalized on their athletic performance to bring in previously unattainable levels of fame and fortune.