The acceptance of the NIL has fundamentally changed college sports. This is even more true for female athletes.
The idea that college athletes could profit from their names, images and likenesses became a reality about two years ago — and female athletes were quickly seen as early winners. The college sports world understands that investing in female athletes is good business.
The impact of the NIL is being realized, and basketball is a prime example of how some sports have evolved. From the perspective of the NIL, basketball is consistently ranked as the most profitable women’s sport.
According to NIL technology company and marketplace Opendorse, women’s basketball ranked third among NIL compensation sports in October, According to CNBC. An estimated 12.6 percent of NIL compensation goes to women’s basketball, second only to men’s basketball (18.9 percent) and soccer (49.6 percent).
When the NCAA adopts its NIL policy in June 2021, experts predict opportunities for women to grow in the marketplace. They are right.
According to the data, in the college basketball season that just passed, the women’s basketball NIL trade increased by 186% compared with the previous year A recent report from SponsorUnited Data from October 1 to March 1, 2022 were analyzed. Meanwhile, men’s basketball grew 67 percent last season.
NIL success has players delay WNBA careers
The NIL’s future in women’s college basketball is so promising that some athletes have even delayed their careers. That’s because some athletes have the potential to make more money in college than they do in the WNBA.
The WNBA is also in dire need of expansion, with some of the top talent in the sport finding it difficult to secure a spot on the league’s limited roster — which sometimes includes the top draft picks.
But it’s not just the biggest names in women’s sports who are profiting from the NIL.
Last fall, eight Scarlet Knights were invited to work with New Brunswick Development Corporation, a nonprofit real estate firm, on a NIL deal in honor of Title IX’s 50th anniversary. Each athlete receives $1,000 as part of a photo shoot and video interview.
Carly Snarsky, who was a senior lacrosse player at Randolph at the time, told the Daily Record’s Jane Harveys: “I didn’t realize how special we were as student-athletes, and the value we had. It was kind of neat, it’s just that I was worth it” give me money. …It’s definitely a new thing, but it empowers female student athletes and we can do things like this. People want to work with us. “
Gray area where lack of rules can lead to inequity
However, as critics are quick to point out, NIL’s brave new world lacks structure and rules. This leaves room for a lot of gray areas. This gray area can lead to inequality.
According to Front Office Sports, The NIL collective failed to invest disproportionately in female athletes, which largely failed female athletes. Citing data from Opendorse, the outlet found that only 34 percent of existing collectives have compensated female sports athletes so far. The collective accounts for nearly 50% of NIL’s total compensation.
These inequities may be the result of a lack of oversight. They also present a promising opportunity for NIL to continue to grow and provide more opportunities for women in sports.
Women & Sport is a NorthJersey.com column dedicated to female athletes from the recreational league to college and professional. If you have any suggestions for North Jersey athletes that should be featured in the column, no matter how young or how old they are, please write me: anzidei@northjersey.com.
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