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- 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 BI's recent coverage of student-athlete marketing and NIL activity.
Name, image, and likeness, or NIL, has redefined college athletics in the past three 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.